"Correct" Stains and finishes for historical accuracy ??

[James]

Hello, I don't want to take another's  thread and I've read many different opinions here. I am curious and not in a trying to start a fight kind of curious, about what should be used to stain & finish a late 1700s early 1800s rifle. I have purchased LMF Honey Maple and Walnut stains with the intent of mixing. I also got LMF Permalyn, but I'm reading this is not correct. I am not to the point of using these yet so can someone educate me? Thank you, James.

[keweenaw]

OOPS! Tom sorry I hit modify instead of reply - too many late nights

Anyway to re-iterate Tom's post the best I can: the most common staining of the period was Aqua Fortis aka ferric nitrate/nitrate of iron and perhaps ferric acetate aka iron dissolved in vinegar. AF is available pre-made, you can make your own, use the ferric nitrate crystals which are generally dissolved in water.
Finishes were generally real heat boiled linseed oil, linseed oil based varnishes, and spirit based varnishes.

....there is no commercial source for appropriate boiled linseed oil or varnishes

[Chuck Burrows]

there is no commercial source for appropriate boiled linseed oil

Actually there is at least one source - Tried and True makes a true boiled linseed oil (aka heat poylmerized) - they also  make a varnish. I now use the latter as a base for my own varnish and add white lead along with add'l rosin, even by it's self it's not bad just bit on the soft side.
I used to make my own boiled oil from scratch and then the varnish - the T & T with additions works just as well if not better.....

[Rich]

I've never bought from them, but see http://www.woodfinishingenterprises.com/coating.html as a source for linseed oil. Woodcraft also sells a varnish that I do use. It is Tried and True. It is linseed oil allegedly polymerized with heat.

[Joe S]

I’ve had good results with their Varnish Maker’s Linseed Oil.  Just add lead and resins.

[Swampwalker]

Check or Gary Brumfield's website for pictures of rifles stained with tar dissolved in turpentine, with melted beeswax as a finish.  These were materials readily available during the time period. 
Personally, I like the AF stain, with an oil-based varnish finish.

[James]

I must admit I have been a little nervous about trying aquafortis.

[Acer Saccharum]

Nervous about Aqua Fortis?

Try a small bottle from Wahkon Bay or some such source. Do some sample staining on scrap. It is surprisingly easy. Note that the color you get is hard to predict. Brown, reddish brown, dark brown are within the practical range. If you want honey, or reddish tones, you can try modern stains or pigmented varnishes.

[James]

OK, I ordered a bottle of aquafortis. My concern is I'll goon up this lovely piece of wood by getting it too dark to see the wonderful pattern it has to show. School me, please. Thanks, James

[Ron Brimer]

Just watch the heat you apply. My late friend Ron Ehlert said he turned his first stock as black as plastic never could get it to lighten up
 Ron B

[James]

Thanks for the encouragement Ron  That is kind of what I'm hoping to avoid

[rich pierce]

I would test stains in the barrel channel if I didn't have slabs off the blank.

[omark]

my first try with af turned out black also, i eventually refinished the stock and got it to show the grain some, but was still too dark. i used a torch to do it and it was way too much heat. apply heat very sparingly, you can always heat it a little more or even add more af if its not dark enough, but its hard to lighten it up, so go easy.   mark

[Jim Kibler]

With properly prepared ferric nitrate (aquafortis) there should be no chance of it going black on maple.  I have difficulty pushing it to produce darker tones. 

[Stophel]

I've never had A.F. turn maple black...

I have noticed that generally the softer the wood, the darker A.F. will turn it.  Since I avoid such soft wood, maybe that's why I've never gotten any to turn black!

Most people seem to want their wood black now anyway.....   

[pathfinder]

I use the tar in turps on Ash stocked guns. A lifelong re-finisher,my Grangpa use to make us kids go out in the street on hot day's to get the soft tar from the road cracks to make stain.