Straighten a Severe Bowed Ramrod

[cannonball1]

I have a hickory ramrod that has a very bad bow in it. I have tried the heat method like a person used to straighten the old wood arrows without any success. Any secrets in straightening an impossible ramrod the group would like to share?

 

[tenngun]

Soak several hours in hot water. Then put on board wand place nails around it and bent over, it will be straight when dry

 

[Carbon 6]

Steam it.

 

[sawyer04]

I have made several rods with a homemade die that I saw on woodrites shop show several years ago. Some of those suckers will not give, they insist on keeping a bow. Steaming is the closest remedy I would use. I am not saying the hot water wouldn't work, never tried it, but have built a simple steaming oven and it works fairly well, however I will say that my homemade rods are not perfect, not to the point of being useless, Several old timers rods are prone to bow some, just adds character.

 

[Zonie]

In my opinion, if their isn't a problem with getting the ramrod out of and in to the ramrod hole in the gun, there is no good reason to straighten it.

When using the ramrod to ram a patched ball or a bullet down the bore, the shooter should not be placing the hand that is grabbing the ramrod over a foot above the muzzle. If this is done, even a badly warped ramrod will work nicely to do its job.

Yes, doing this means it takes moving the hand several times before the ball or bullet is all the way down on the powder load but that is the price of doing it right.

 

[Dave Marsh]

I'm with Zonie on this....plus I like bent ramrods as they stay in the gun. Don't like ramrods that slip out easily. Don't ask me why I know that.

 

[SDSmlf]

Maybe go crazy and replace the ramrod. Should not break the bank.

 

[bpd303]

doing this means it takes moving the hand several times before the ball or bullet is all the way down on the powder load

That also will keep from running a broken ram rod through your hand. Which I can guarantee is not a pleasant experience.

 

[tenngun]

Bath tub serves, with out building a chest

 

[tjduff]

I have a hickory ramrod that has a very bad bow in it. I have tried the heat method like a person used to straighten the old wood arrows without any success. Any secrets in straightening an impossible ramrod the group would like to share?

As someone that only hunts/builds/repairs flintlocks, a bent wiping stick isn’t an issue. No rattle and no issue with carrying your piece muzzle down. Steaming and sealing may releave some set, probably only temporarily though.

 

[Ames]

My OCD kicks in when I read this.
Just replace the rod. Its $3. Mater of fact, last time I bought them from Track I took a bundle of 6 four footers for only $15, $2.50 each. They picked the straight ones out for me. I've kept them taped to a long scrap ripping of 4/4 maple, and for years have remained straight in a warm closet. Only needed to un tape the bundle once to make a new rod. Straight as can be. Correct grain too.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Done a lot of arrow straightening, I have only seen one ramrod I couldn't straighten with heat, it was the tiny one that came with my .32 Kibler SMR kit, it had so much runout in it I ended up making a new one anyway.

I use a heat gun and a reflector but have the "touch" from straightening thousands of arrows, there is a learning curve on getting it right.

 

[Yewbender]

Right on Eric, hard woods require heat and soft woods hand bending. I’m an arrow builder too!

 

[Art Caputo]

Another long term arrow builder that agrees with Eric. Like arrow straightening, I will spin the arrow in a V block to determine the location of the bend point. Unlike thinner/softer arrows, I will use a heat gun to apply heat at that point, followed by bending. With repetition and patience a ramrod can usually be made as straight as an arrow.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

Whether steamming, soaking in hot water or using dry heat, they all are ways of softening lignin, the stuff that wakes wood, wood. Moisture or lack of moisture have nothing to do with it. It's all about heat. It doesnt't take a lot of heat to soften lignin. However it is applied a little heat is all that should be needed to straighten a ramrod or arrow. I've had wood go limp as a noodle after heating it in a folded heating pad for a little while.

An alternative is to use a compression tool as some arrow makers use, but that won't take out a big bend.

Of course, there's always the possibility the ramrod was made from a naturally very crooked piece to begin with and no amount of trickery is going to make it into something it was never meant to be.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Why bother? Use as is. And, more better, replace with a Delrin rod.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

I thought arrows had to be ramrod straight? Or like darts or something

 

[Eric Krewson]

I should mention as to not slam Mr Kibler, I call some arrow shafts wet noodles, they have the right spine but have a noodle like lack of density. You can bend out a crook and the shaft goes the opposite way and stays, once you have it straight a slight flexing turns it into a noodle again.

The 5/16" ramrod blank I got with thee Kibler was a noodle, no way to tell this unless you spend some time trying to straighten it.

I throw noodle arrow shafts into the burn pile, I do the same with bad runout or noodle ramrod blanks.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Soak in water for three hours, hold pointing at a full moon and chant un katcha walla three times. Oh wait that is for boomerangs that won't come back.

 

[S.Kenton]

Maybe go crazy and replace the ramrod. Should not break the bank.

They’re not expensive at all... if it bothers you, replace it and keep the bent one for a back up.