Making A Ramrod Flexible

[MSW]

once we had a cat, but now we have Schrödinger's ram rod?

 

[Artificer]

I first began getting Dixie Gun Works catalogues in the early 1960's and the information about soaking wood ramrods in "Coal Oil" was mentioned at least that far back.

It seems Kerosene was not commercially available in this country until the early/mid 1850's, so its possible use for ramrods would be near the end of the "common" ML period, though of course using ML's never completely died out.

Though I have no scientific evidence for this, I wonder if Kerosene works, it works because it BREAKS DOWN the wood fibers and that causes them to crush more than crack/break?

If one wished to "soak" wood ramrods in the period to make them possibly more flexible, I would think REAL Linseed Oil (without petroleum distillates) would do a better job as it never completely dries out unless one adds chemical driers to it. It also easily allows water vapor in and out of any wood surface.

Real Linseed Oil (without petroleum distillates in it) was used by the U.S. Military throughout the 20th century while stocks were still made of wood. The intention of it was as much about keeping the wood from drying out and thus cracking easier - as it was for a surface finish.

Gus

 

[Col. Batguano]

That's an interesting observation about US Military rifles' wood treatments. I've read that they used RLO going back at least as the 1840's, and probably sooner. I wonder if they used that on the very first US Ordnance Department guns, which I THINK were the Committee of Safety guns of the 1790's.

 

[Artificer]

That's an interesting observation about US Military rifles' wood treatments. I've read that they used RLO going back at least as the 1840's, and probably sooner. I wonder if they used that on the very first US Ordnance Department guns, which I THINK were the Committee of Safety guns of the 1790's.

I have collected information on the wood finishes used at Springfield and Harpers Ferry for a fair number of years now - including speaking in person with the Springfield NHS Curator on two different trips. Just about when one think's one has it nailed down, some new tidbit of info comes to light.

RLO was ordered/purchased by Springfield Armory from the very beginning. Some of it was used in new production Arms, but some was also used in the Arms stored there and for other uses such as lubrication oil and even treating cloth and some leather to make them more water resistant. So some folks have assumed RLO was all they used on the wood stocks.

However, I have read of procurement documents and got some information on others as early as from the 1810-20's, that Springfield and Harpers Ferry bought chemicals/compounds that would have been used as chemical driers in RLO. These were added when the RLO was "boiled" or rather heated and the chemicals mixed in to make the Oil Finish dry faster. BTW, this was known going back to at least the very early 18th century and the late 17th century.

During the UnCivil War Period, it seems Springfield went to using "Boiled" or heated RLO with chemical driers in it for most of the production.

Yet the Linseed Oil issued to or procured by Commanders all over the U.S. and Territories up through the UnCivil War, was Plain RLO and did not have driers added to it.

So there are still quite a few questions and explanations to be found.

Gus

 

[Pete44ru]

For those of you that have soaked your ramrods and not have had them break is great BUT that same ram rod if NOT soaked MAY not break ether - you will never know if there is a difference.

And, I don't particularly want to find out (myself).

:dead:

 

[Black Hand]

Pete,
When you quote someone else, please make certain that what THEY posted is seen. You have a quote attributed to me in the post above that I DID NOT make (you quoted Zug but edited to indicate these were my words when they were not)...