Ramrod Pin

[tx50cal]

Am I thinking correctly that I should use 1/16" material to pin the ramrod tip? Thanks for the help.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Do wat works for you.
I use up to 1/8" brazing rod or left over copper wire in whatever gauge is on my 'might be handy some day' shelf.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I use 1/8 brass on larger rods. Small brass brads (just under 1/16 ) cut off for smaller diameter rods. :idunno:

 

[Vaino]

I use sections from large steel paper clips that measure .050" dia. This dia. steel has pulled balls w/o a problem and peens well....don't like to use too large a pin....Fred

 

[Black Hand]

I've used both copper electrical wire and finish nails for the pin. Both were about the same diameter and far larger than 1/16th".

 

[Bill Hall]

I use finish nails, I'm guessing they're about 1/16" diameter. Certainly smaller than 1/8". I drill the hole through the tip and wood slightly smaller than the nail, then re-drill the tip the same size as the nail. When the nail is driven through, it is very tight in the wood.

I like to drill the hole towards the open end of the brass tip, so that there is more ramrod wood in front of the pin. Harder to tear out that way. Hope that makes sense. Bill

 

[MSW]

ditto the finish nail thing ... can't remember the drill size, but I pull out the next smaller drill (a 64th smaller in my set) and then I file the whole deal smooth and it's nice and tight and goes nowhere...

just my two cents...

 

[Zonie]

I use a piece of 1/16" diameter brass to pin on ramrod tips.

I figure using a small diameter removes less wood and usually the inside of a brass tip is only about 1/4 inch in diameter.
The 1/16" pin still leaves 3/16 inches of wood to give strength to the assembly.

By the way, that little 1/16" diameter brass rod will take a load of over 200 pounds to shear both sides of it off.

 

[AZbpBurner]

Same here - finishing nail into 1/16" hole. ends left above flush, then lightly peened to fit tight, then filed flush and finished with fine emery cloth.

A smaller diameter pin is advantageous, since larger can remove sufficient wood to weaken it.

 

[Birddog6]

IF you are going to glue a Brass or steel tip on.........

Slightly countersink the hole in a brass RR tip. I don't like a 90 degree cut there, I want a beveled cut as it is stronger at this exact area.

Turn the end of the RR down by lathe, turning in a drill, or file with rasp, careful whittling, etc. to fit into the RR tip.

Take some emery paper & roll up about a 1.5" square of it & put it in the tip & turn it & sand the inside of the tip. This cleans out the tip of any oils & opens the pores of the metal.

Cut a small round fitting piece of cardboard like on a cardboard milk carton or cereal box, take a punch & push that lil dot of cardboard down into the RR tip, IF it has a hole all the way thru. Some do, some don't. If hole doesn't go all the way thru, skip this step.


Put some epoxy or dyed brown Accraglass on the RR tip & smear it around good on the area to be glued, put just a little around the RR tip hole, push the RR into the tip & insure you press it all the way down forcing the excess glue out. Wipe off the excess glue & stand it up in the corner Tip Down.

12 hrs later, take a center punch & punch the brass tip about 1/4" from where the wood rod joins the bass.

Take a .067 or .068" drill bit & drill straight thru the tip.

Take a countersink bit or a 3/16" bit & slightly bevel the hole on each side of the tip.

Take a #3 finish nail & tap it in til the head is started into the beveled hole.

Cut off the excess of the nail on the other side.
File off the nail end you cut til you have about 1/16" sticking out.

Take a very small ball peen hammer or a gravers hammer & holding the nail head down on the back of the vise, peen the protruding nail & fill the beveled hole. Don't beat it to death, just lightly peen it.

Turn it over & file 1/2 of the head off the nail, then peen it down filling the beveled hole.
Open the vice to about 1/4" gap in jaws.

Lay the RR & tip there & take a metal file & file the peened nail & brass flush, filing long ways parallel with the RR, turn it over & do same & you can now sand it with some 200 grit autobody paper & ready to stain the rod.

This tip Will Not.... pull off. You may break or twist the RR in two doing something, but the tip is not coming off......

Keith Lisle

 

[Black Hand]

My approach is similar to Keiths' except I use arrow-head adhesive (hot glue works in a pinch) to attach the tip. I also make sure to drill my pin hole across the grain.

 

[Birddog6]

You really don't have to go across the grain. The RR cannot split as it is 1/4 to 1/8" up in the brass or steel tip, so it cannot expand to split or break out.

I tested 3 of them initially years ago, pulling & twisting. You won't pull it off, however, you may demolish it trying. Of the 3 I tried to twist loose, after twisting them like no ramrod would ever be twisted, the RR's splintered yet still stayed together, but none of the 3 broke at the tip. All 3 were good straight grained RR's with no grain run-out from Steve Bailey.

Keith Lisle

 

[tenngun]

I made a horn tip years ago that when I had the end cut down I made a cut in the rod and fitted a wedge to it.Drove it on then passed a 1/16 dowel in to it. Gave it away in a blanket shoot. but I tried to pull it off. stuck on solid

 

[Black Hand]

True. It is a hold-over from my traditional arrow-making days and makes me feel better.