inletting finish

[Ken G]

Just curious how most of you finish your inlets.  Lock mortise and under the trigger guard, barrel channel and buttplate?  I normally stain and finish it all just like the exterior.   What do you do?
Ken

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Ken, I stain and use Q tips or a small brush with stain to make the inlets darker, if anything, than the rest of the stock.  When I apply the finish, I make sure all the mortices and under the butt plate gets well sealed.  When I first started this craft, I made my inlets WAY too tight, so that when it came time to assemble the finished rifle, I had to scrape inlet walls to get parts to go in.  I still have to do so from time to time, but I'm much more generous with my inlets now.  There are still no gaps (ha ha) but locks or triggers come in and out easily now.  I stain and finish the barrel channel too.

[ironwolf]

  Me too. Everything, even the smallest pin holes.  Screw holes are usually sealed with wax by this point anyway.

  KW

[caliber45]

Ken -- I'm the last guy you should listen to, since I finish my stocks with Watco "blond" oil (after staining), and finish up with melted beeswax/turpentine mix (50/50) that I try to "drive in" with a heat gun. I touch that up with regular coatings of jojoba oil. As to the inlets: I shellac them all -- barrel channel, lock inlet, buttplate, sideplates, etc. I figure that won't hold up if the rifle is submerged in saltwater for a year or two, or even if it soaks in a fresh-water creek for 15 minutes. But it might slow things a bit. Since you asked . . . -- paulallen, tucson

[Jim Kibler]

Keep the stain out of the inlets.  If you consider that the vast majority stocks were stained with ferric nitrate, you can understand why inlets on originals were not typically stained.  First it's hard to blush the acid stain of an inlet without burning corners.   Second, if there's any residual acidity in the stain, you don't want it near or in contact with the metal parts.  I can't recall ever seeing the inlets of an original that show evidence of staining.  Sure they are often darkened from oxidation, but not stained.  If others, who have had more contact with originals, have other thoughts, I'd like to hear them.

[Acer Saccharum]

Never seen an original with any kind of sealer or finish on the inside surfaces of bbl channel or lock inlet. Finish might have run under inlays, but I never saw one stained or finished under the inlays intentionally.

I'd say it's up to you.  If your inlaying is sloppy, like Tayor's, stain under the inlays certainly will help hide the gaps later on.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Am I that transparent?  Now my secret is out.  what a pal!!

[Acer Saccharum]

Now my secret is out.

I thought I could get away with that, since your inletting is so sloppy...NOT.

Tom

[flintriflesmith]

Keep the stain out of the inlets.  ... I can't recall ever seeing the inlets of an original that show evidence of staining.  Sure they are often darkened from oxidation, but not stained.  If others, who have had more contact with originals, have other thoughts, I'd like to hear them.

Jim,
I agree 100% that interior surfaces of period American rifles show no evidence of interntional stain, or finish either for that matter.
It is also interesting to note that none of the modern rifles and handguns I have owned or worked on were stained or finshed under he actions, barrels, or butt plates.  Here I'm talking about many types of arms from fine English duoble shotguns to a Model 29 S&W. Draw your own conclusions but I think staining and finishing interior surfaces is unnecessary.
Not to mention historically incorrect--if that matters to you.
Gary

[Andy A]

Guys,
I have a small ohio type rifle by Henry Deringer that is beautiful on the outside but the inletting is really rough--barrel channel & lock mortice. The wood is walnut and the inlet areas are not stained.

Andy A

[stuart cee dub]

Interesting thread .
I stain and seal everything ,the mortises with less finish simply because it is easier to get the inletted parts back in at the final assembly.
My thinking is that weatherproofing and waterproofing the stock has real long term value.
Having carried and shot rifles in the driving rain,I can concentrate on what I am shooting at at not what the weather is doing  to my stock with upteen hours of labor into it. IMHO Utility trumps that final piece of recreation the 18th century art form.
I have tremendous respect for the purists and their reseach and authenticity.But I guess I am still a creature of the late 20th century .
Just dragging my feet a bit.

[Stophel]

How many of these old guns have survived HARD use with virtually no finish on them whatsoever?

Basically, the finish on wood is for making it shiny, and for keeping dirt from grinding into the grain.