Has anyone here made a ramrod out of a dowel?

[Geofois]

I was looking for a 36" ram rod since I have a 2 band 1864 Springfield and the barrel is 33". My brother lends me his but I don't need it that long. I did see a fiberglass one on Scheels website but thought it would be cool to make one. What wood would be ideal, oak? Maybe need to oil it a bit. Do they sell a jag that can be mounted permanently? I see 3/8" and 1/2" wood dowels.

[IrishJoe3]

Why don't you get a reproduction of the correct type of ramrod and simply cut it to the correct length?

Something like this

https://www.lodgewood.com/1861-Sprin...nal_p_202.html

[Geofois]

Sorry I should have said just for something to clean the barrel. It has the/an original brass ramrod which I use to load. Just something to load and maybe leave the ramrod alone and to clean with the jag on it in.

I googled and read that dowel wood from hardware stores aren't the best so probably not worth using that. I'll probably just order one.

[Paul_R]

Yeah hardware store dowels are sure to be soft and completely unsuited. A hardwood supplier should have dowels made of the right stuff.

[THBailey]

Here you go:

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/833/1

[IrishJoe3]

Originally Posted by Geofois

Sorry I should have said just for something to clean the barrel. It has the/an original brass ramrod which I use to load. Just something to load and maybe leave the ramrod alone and to clean with the jag on it in.

I googled and read that dowel wood from hardware stores aren't the best so probably not worth using that. I'll probably just order one.

For cleaning my favorite thing to use on these rifled muskets is a surplus M2 machine gun sectioned cleaning rods. It's much thicker and stronger then standard cleaning rods so if you need to clamp vise grips on it due to a stuck patch or use a ball puller, you won't break your rod. And those surplus kits aren't that expensive.

Here's one for $10 on ebay
https://www.ebay.com/itm/30433315956...mis&media=COPY

[RNE228]

A one piece 12g shotgun rod is nice.

Otherwise Dixie or Track of the Wolf would be a good starting point
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Category.aspx/558

[kayaker]

A hardwood dowel should work just fine.
I've got 2 muzzle loader rifles and both of them use an Oak dowel with a brass jag on the end.

[19K]

Dowels from like lowes/Home Depot/ace are way too soft. Mine split when I tried to insert the threaded insert.

I ended up buying a plastic/PVC ones for cleaning. They work fine.

[bohoki]

i made a cleaning rod out of a brazing stick i beat one end flat then cut a slot with a dremel

dowels arent what they used to be unless you really know how to inspect it to make sure the grain is parallel its the same reason its not wise to make an arrow from dowel stock

[G-forceJunkie]

I would go with some sort of fiberglass rod

[CSACANNONEER]

A hardwood dowel soaked in diesel for a week works well. In fact, I soak my commercial wood ramrods the same way.

[CartridgeCalls]

I use a carbon arrow shaft in a pinch.

[kendog4570]

Originally Posted by CSACANNONEER

A hardwood dowel soaked in diesel ....

This for a under barrel rod. For loading/cleaning use 5/16" stainless rods.

[IrishJoe3]

CSA, I'm really curious. What does the diesel do?

[CSACANNONEER]

Originally Posted by kendog4570

This for a under barrel rod. For loading/cleaning use 5/16" stainless rods.

And? I soaked my first ramrod when I built my first frontloader from a kit. I used a SS ramrod for range and cleaning but for hunting, I use the wood ramrod under stored under the barrel. I probably should soak in again. I haven't soaked it since 1987, lol.

Originally Posted by IrishJoe3

CSA, I'm really curious. What does the diesel do?

The diesel keeps the rod from drying out just like it keeps roof shingles from drying and shrinking or wood fences from getting too dry, absorbing water, freezing and cracking.

Just get a length of 1/2" or 3/4" PVC pipe and two caps, cap one end, insert ramrod, fill with diesel (off road diesel works but will leave a reddish or pink hue in the wood), cap other end and let it stand for a week or so.

[IrishJoe3]

Originally Posted by CSACANNONEER

The diesel keeps the rod from drying out just like it keeps roof shingles from drying and shrinking or wood fences from getting too dry, absorbing water, freezing and cracking.

Just get a length of 1/2" or 3/4" PVC pipe and two caps, cap one end, insert ramrod, fill with diesel (off road diesel works but will leave a reddish or pink hue in the wood), cap other end and let it stand for a week or so.

Huh. I'm going to have to play around with that. Getting in the weeds here....but does the diesel offer an advantage that something like BLO, tung, or another wood finished doesn't?

[AR22]

I have made them before just like the originals....But I enjoy doing that kind of stuff..A repro sounds like the best option if you want the easy route..

[kendog4570]

Originally Posted by IrishJoe3

Huh. I'm going to have to play around with that. Getting in the weeds here....but does the diesel offer an advantage that something like BLO, tung, or another wood finished doesn't?

Lore has it that it makes the rod less likely to break. Tempers and toughens it up somewhat. Maybe it does, maybe not. The majority of posters on different long rifle forums claim it doesn't work. They claim the key is getting a good piece of wood to start with. The poplar dowels sold at most hardware stores are not good candidates for a ram rod. They also overwhelmingly agree that soaking it in diesel/kerosene/coal oil does make it stink and the smell never goes away!

I have a Lyman GP that is over 30 years old, on its second factory ramrod. The first one broke 29 years ago when I loaned it to a friend during a match because his Hatfield quit on him. He was all agitated and manhandled it, otherwise I am sure it would still be in one piece today. The current wood rod is mainly used for holding the wiping patch before using it a second time with the SS range rod, and occasional loading in the field.

[McNally M.]

I would NOT recommend crafting a ramrod out of wood. Years ago, a very naive and poorer version of myself didn't have a proper cleaning brass/aluminum cleaning rod and settled on using a dowel rod to clean his MN 91/30. Well, one day that dowl rod got wedged in the barrel so badly that it could not be removed. That rifle sat like this, effectively deactivated, for a decade. Only until recently was I able to find a courageous enough gunsmith willing to take on the project that managed to pull Excaliber from the stone, so to speak, and extracted that dowl rod.

I learned my lesson real quick to never use a cleaning rod made of a material like wood that could break, splinter, and get impossibly wedged inside a barrel.

Here are some pictures from yesteryear of that darn dowel seated in my Mosin.

[Geofois]

It's not so much that it's wood, it's that using cheap dowels are not good. Also never us a dowel that fits tightly into a small caliber. I used a dowel to knock out stuck cases but I sanded it till it fit loosely into a 30cal .308 barrel. Never use it to be tightly pulled out. Using Hickory which is what is normally used for Muzzleloaders is standard but I think you meant not to use cheap dowel wood which seems like we're all in agreement. Thanks McNally M. I wonder why your friend didn't use a brass rod to knock it out but if it was gouged into the rifling then that's probably pretty tough.

[mikeyr]

I would get a range rod and use it, I only use a range rod to load and also clean my BP rifles, the real ramrod just sits in the rifle for cosmetics or when hunting and I don't want to carry the range rod.

Cabelas has a brass one, I use this one
https://kiblerslongrifles.com/produc...32048832708726 Granted the Kibler one is 10" too long but he may have others or you can cut it.

[Geofois]

Originally Posted by mikeyr

I would get a range rod and use it, I only use a range rod to load and also clean my BP rifles, the real ramrod just sits in the rifle for cosmetics or when hunting and I don't want to carry the range rod.

Cabelas has a brass one, I use this one
https://kiblerslongrifles.com/produc...32048832708726 Granted the Kibler one is 10" too long but he may have others or you can cut it.

I'd like to stay with brass or wood. For now I'll use my brother's since we go at the same time. I saw a fiberglass one that was nice and short since I have the 2 band rifle. I think barrel is just 36".

[thegiff]

Second Track of the Wolf, that is where I bought mine when a buddy man-muscled my Grandpa's muzzleloader and broke the original. I also have an aluminum ramrod and a delrin one. The aluminum one is nice, easy to use but not original so-to-speak. The wood one is Hickory. The delrin one is really soft, only good for patching out, but chemically resistant to everything. Good to have a few and keeps from dinging up the wood one. I don't believe diesel does anything good to wood, it doesn't harden like a finish oil as far as I know, but I could be wrong.

Forgot to mention, Track OTW also has all the parts, end-caps etc. you might want.