AmericanLongRifles Forums

General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: RichG on April 05, 2025, 07:29:15 PM

Title: leman stock finish
Post by: RichG on April 05, 2025, 07:29:15 PM

Building a Leman cap gun for the grandson. My question is about the stock finish. I have Gordons three vol. set witch shows a number of Lemans. The faux stripped are obvious, and the rest are a golden almost orange color. I can't imagine that they just put varnish over bare wood, but I don't think they would have done anything elaborate. Tinted varnish? Is the color a result of 200 yrs. of oxidation?

Title: Re: leman stock finish
Post by: Scota4570 on April 07, 2025, 09:56:15 PM

Maple?  I always use AF as the first layer of color. 

I have never done the faux fiddle back decoration. That said, I would speculate that applying some finihs before the stripes would be a good idea.  I would not want the India ink or paint to penetrate the dry wood or bleed away from the area it was applied.  More finish, probably varnish, then would go on top. 

I have seen this process done some place, book, magazine, or internet, I am not sure.  I would spend time experimenting on scrap wood.  Home centers sell 1 x 4" maple to practice on . 

Title: Re: leman stock finish
Post by: Joe Stein on April 08, 2025, 04:39:33 AM

Search on this website in the Gun building and antique collection sections for Leman stock stripes. There is plenty of information.

Title: Re: leman stock finish
Post by: RichG on April 09, 2025, 02:46:17 AM

More interested in the plain finished guns. I'm thinking nitric acid with varnish. They're not dark enough for aqua fortis. T

Title: Re: leman stock finish
Post by: rich pierce on April 09, 2025, 04:41:54 AM

Easy to dilute ferric nitrate or aquafortis 1:1 with water. Or even 1 part to 2 parts water.

Title: Re: leman stock finish
Post by: Steeltrap on April 09, 2025, 05:41:08 PM

Here's a few pics of my Leman build. Aquafortis with Chambers oil finish. The stock was not real fancy, but I built this as a hunting rifle.

(https://i.imgur.com/DXVnAVSl.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/RraI1oCl.jpg)

Title: Re: leman stock finish
Post by: reddogge on April 09, 2025, 07:02:58 PM

That's a well designed and well made rifle Steeltrap.

Title: Re: leman stock finish
Post by: tallbear on April 09, 2025, 08:08:38 PM

Rich

Here's a gun I did a while back with some info on how I did it.......https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=58755.msg587629#msg587629

Here are some photo's on the finished gun.......
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=59215.msg592349#msg592349


Mitch

Title: Re: leman stock finish
Post by: Steeltrap on April 10, 2025, 12:08:25 AM

Nice work Tallbrear.  You have a knack for that!! 8)