Skychief
69 Cal.
Has ANYBODY seen a successful attempt of using Osage for a ramrod? :idunno:
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Osage ramrod. Remotely possible?
- Thread starter Skychief
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pchwcf50110
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the former owner of Pacific Rifle (maker of underhammers) uses Osage orange for ramrods
paulvallandigham
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The problem with using Osage orange wood for ramrods is finding a tree with a straight section long enough to use as a ramrod. Those trees twist with winds, as they grow. You can "read" the bark of those trees even at a distance, and see how the grain is twisted like a barber's pole stripes.
Osage trees were planted by the thousands during the Great Depression as Wind Breaks. You find them from Canada down to N. Texas throughout the Great Plains states. The trees grow together making almost a wall of wood blocking wind erosion of soil. I had a retired friend who was in the Civilian Conservation Corps in the mid to late 30s, and was part of a crew that cut down some of those Osage trees to thin some of the windbreaks. He never talked about those trees without cussing them. He used a 2-man saw to cut those down, and the wood is tough and hard. He did make a bow out of some wood he cut down once, as there was a local man named " Gill" who not only knew how to make wooden bows, but coached the archery team at the U of Illinois. He later began a company that made track equipment, that bears his name, and still exists in Urbana, IL.
Hickory often grows up in deep ravines and " hollows", where the young tree often have to grow 30 feet or more before they can send out branches to collect sunlight. Its the branches of trees that catch the wind, and twist the trunks of trees, BTW.
Those ravines protect these trees from being twisted in the winds. If you find a hickory tree growing up on top of one of the ravines, it will be twisted just as badly as any other tree growing in the winds, BTW.
Those long straight trees down in the hollows were great for making fence posts, tool handles( rakes, hoes, axes) and ramrods. Again, read the outer bark to find your tree to choose, whether you hunt the woods, or a lumber mill back lot.
Osage trees were planted by the thousands during the Great Depression as Wind Breaks. You find them from Canada down to N. Texas throughout the Great Plains states. The trees grow together making almost a wall of wood blocking wind erosion of soil. I had a retired friend who was in the Civilian Conservation Corps in the mid to late 30s, and was part of a crew that cut down some of those Osage trees to thin some of the windbreaks. He never talked about those trees without cussing them. He used a 2-man saw to cut those down, and the wood is tough and hard. He did make a bow out of some wood he cut down once, as there was a local man named " Gill" who not only knew how to make wooden bows, but coached the archery team at the U of Illinois. He later began a company that made track equipment, that bears his name, and still exists in Urbana, IL.
Hickory often grows up in deep ravines and " hollows", where the young tree often have to grow 30 feet or more before they can send out branches to collect sunlight. Its the branches of trees that catch the wind, and twist the trunks of trees, BTW.
Those ravines protect these trees from being twisted in the winds. If you find a hickory tree growing up on top of one of the ravines, it will be twisted just as badly as any other tree growing in the winds, BTW.
Those long straight trees down in the hollows were great for making fence posts, tool handles( rakes, hoes, axes) and ramrods. Again, read the outer bark to find your tree to choose, whether you hunt the woods, or a lumber mill back lot.
As a bow maker I have cut more osage trees than I can remember. Us osage loggers walk by the tortured, twisted trees looking for that sometimes rare straight trunk. A clear, straight piece(48") that would make a ramrod is pretty common. A clear, straight piece that would make a bow stave(72"), not so much. Osage trees often grow straight and clear for the first 4 feet or so then the trunk starts showing it's true osage character with sprouting limbs, barber pole twist and snakes side to side.
My favorite bows are made from two of the shorter billet pieces spliced together in the handle. I take a long stave, cut a section of the best wood out of it for a billet, and make tool handles out of the remaining dogleg, propellered, knotty wood.
My favorite bows are made from two of the shorter billet pieces spliced together in the handle. I take a long stave, cut a section of the best wood out of it for a billet, and make tool handles out of the remaining dogleg, propellered, knotty wood.
skunkskinner
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paulvallandigham said:
True. But sometimes the sun shines on a dogs butt. The log on the left is 9 feet long and 11 inches at the base.
Yes, it makes a great rr wood.
But, I have never come across a piece long and straight enough to use for that. Some here have gotten more luck.
I have a friend that has a 1/2"X8"X5' piece sawn nice and straight. He, somehow, goes deaf whenever I drop big, not so subtle, hints that I would like to have a piece of it.
There are vendors, most in Kansas, who sell billets of OO for bow makers. Not cheap and shipping is costly also. But one billet would make quite a few ram rods.
But, I have never come across a piece long and straight enough to use for that. Some here have gotten more luck.
I have a friend that has a 1/2"X8"X5' piece sawn nice and straight. He, somehow, goes deaf whenever I drop big, not so subtle, hints that I would like to have a piece of it.
There are vendors, most in Kansas, who sell billets of OO for bow makers. Not cheap and shipping is costly also. But one billet would make quite a few ram rods.
If you can find a osage orange tree that has grown down in a bottom they are usually pretty stright for a long distance.I cut one a few years ago while building fence that had four eight foot corner post in the trunk, and five line post in the limbs.So little fence is built anymore I am sure that several of those type of trees are left.If you reside in a farming community look in the ads for somebody who is selling hedge fencepost.Some of the line post that I have seen set around here are so stright that they resemble cedar post.Hedge is a very dense wood, so shipping charges would be extreme.These hedge row fences were brought over by the Germans so look in a area where the reside.
jbwilliams3
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Someone even posted a trade gun on here not too long ago with an osage “replacement” rammer. The idea was to make it look as if the original rr was broken and the osage was a sort of “field” replacement. Crooked as all get out, but then again, original ramrods were much more crooked than what we are used to. If you could find a straight-grained piece long enough, I’m sure it would work okay.
Mr Skunk, sure hope you have all that good stuff sprayed down with powerful bug killer. The wood wasp larva and powder post beetles start munching as soon as an osage trunk hits the ground. It would be a shame to give them a head start on ruining your wood by not treating the stuff.
Eric Krewson said:
Eric, I have a large stash of OO in my garage. Much of it has been the over five years. No buggies munching on any of it. Nearby are stashes of Dogwood and Persimmon and I can tell you the buggies do love those woods sumptin' fierce.
If you have the bark off the bugs are gone as well but is best to remove the bark and sapwood or some serious checking of the backs will occur.
Does your wood have the bark on?
Does your wood have the bark on?
Eric Krewson said:
My OO has the bark on. Ends have been sealed with Anchorseal. Your comment caught my attention. I say this because OO has the reputation for being almost eternal in resisting decay. Some say rocks rot faster. Where you live the insects might be more of a problem. I enjoy working with OO and never have had a buggie or rot problem.
