Tennessee Rifle hardware finish mix and Beeswax Q

[WadePatton]

I have a brown bbl, grayed loops and guard/toe/butt and a polished lock. 

Just how ignorant does that look?     Wait now, TN builders only.  I don't need everybody beatin' me up.

I thought I'd polish the lock up up and then let it brown itself over some years.  Well it's just too dang easy to keep it bright.  Dangit.  [He says as he 1000-grits it.]

But I sorta like the "works" to be clean and neat, a bit like I put a new lock into an old gun maybe?

Opinions?

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SO i pulled the bbl today and started working down the stock some more and tweaking some fitments.

BUT what I've really really noticed is that it's MUCH LESS nerve-wracking than the original build.  Now that I have had time for a lot of stuff to sink in, and to run some lead/crush some rocks, it's easier to tweak on the gun.  Not sure what it is. 

Of course the metal and wood shaping is easy enough, I don't know how the wood finish is going to take to re-doing (beeswaxed).   But I figger the more times I have to re-do and grunge it up, the more original it might look-or, in the alternative, the more i'll learn about what not to do.

And then I'm in a rush because we club shoot tomorrow (depending on storms) and I have all the parts to start 2 more builds.  PLUS I have a regular day job now and this steady income is some kinda nice thing, no matter the size of it. 

Anybody have success at patching up a beeswax finished gun?  I'm reworking a lot of the stock from the breech back, fore-end needs nothing (but will get a poured cap when I get my paws on some metal--I splintered off a piece taking the bbl out today).  SO i want to try to patchwork the raw wood into the AF'd/waxed wood. 

IIRC (if i recall correctly) I added tannin to the maple with box wine (once or twice), then used a commercial AF solution, twice, blushed with propane, then beeswax (a hard one), then iron stove polish wiped on/off.   Or something pretty close to that.

[Mark Elliott]

I think everybody is going to have a different opinion on this.   I believe we all age iron mounted guns in some way because we really aren't certain how they should look "as new".    Personally,  I like everything to be some shade of gray with the lock being somewhat LESS gray as I believe most were polished bright.    In looking at original longrifles,  I have never seen anything that made me think locks started out as anything but bright. 

Now,  as to barrels and mounts;  I currently think that an "as new" finish would be either charcoal blued or browned.  For mounts,  I think blackened would also be an acceptable "as new" finish but would only expect to see this on blacksmith made/quality mounts. 

This is my current opinion.   Ask me in a couple of years,  my answer is likely to be different.   

[WadePatton]

So I'm not real far off according to our current ideas? huh well.   I do like the rubbed blue bbls but I went with brown out of respect for the opinion of my local guru, Mr. Anderson.  The brown is getting rubbed back naturally.

I reckon I won't go as slick on next lock polishing.  My guard is a little too slick too.  


Now anybody ever re-work a beeswaxed stock with success? I was in a rush to get to the Woods last year.  I'll likely use oil next few--depending on the weather.  Also I don't anticipate re-working them as much.  

Looking for metal* for poured nosecap.  Appears that everyone uses something different.  I like using what is handy.  Found out why a nosecap is preferred today when i splintered off a piece of wood removing the bbl from the stock.  

*found it.  Have some linotype bullets from way back, probably never going to use them for bullets so shazam!

[bob in the woods]

I just re-did a cherry stock, i.e. fixed it and then patched up the finish. It was easy. All you need is beeswax, and a heat source. A heat gun works great. A hair dryer on high will do. I use my forge and a hot iron. Simple.
Rub the stock down with some old canvas pieces after the wax is soaked in   , and I'm done.

[WadePatton]

Good to hear.  No refinishing tonight.  Ran out of time and the humidity is 9000% give or take 2. 

Plus more rain/sun/rain predicted...arg.  Spend all year waiting for October! 

gettin' close.