Tiger striping

[Mtn Meek]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to do tiger striping. I am going to replace a stock on a tc hawkin and was going to buy a cheaper grade of maple. I would like to try to stripe it. Any info would be great
Thanks, Gary Rad

Gary,

You’ve received some good advice on how to do artificial stripes on a gun stock.  I thought I would show you some examples of Jack Brooks’ technique and compare it to an original Leman and a couple other Lancaster rifles.

Original Leman Rifle


Jack Brooks Leman Rifle


Another Jack Brooks Leman Rifle


Original Leman


Jack Brooks Leman


Three Jack Brooks Leman Rifles


Note that all three rifles above were stained and finished as described on Jack’s website.  The stocks were stained with 10% nitric acid (no iron dissolved in it) and heated.  The differences in color and tone between the rifles are due to variations in the wood.

Henry Leman was not the only Lancaster gunsmith that used artificial striping.  Here is a Dickert*Gill marked rifle with artificial stripes.  The technique used on this rifle appears to be the same as used by Leman and duplicated by Jack Brooks.  Note that the stripes repeat in patterns of at least six stripes.

Dickert*Gill Trade Rifle


The next couple of pictures are of a Henry marked rifle.  The stripes on this rifle appear to have been applied individually.

Henry Marked Rifle


Henry Marked Rifle


Surviving examples suggests that artificial stripes were fairly common on trade rifles and inexpensive rifles made for the civilian market.  They are historically correct on contemporary rifles and can add interest in an otherwise plain stock.

[Daryl]

For me, the top and bottom rifles are close to spectacular.  The middle one might have been, if stained darker.

[B Shipman]

I think that Leaman stained the stock and applied the stripes before any finish as you can see a little bleeding of the stripes. With the funky E,. Berks and late Lehighs that Eric spoke of I think some sealer was applied first, then the stripes and then the final finish. The lines on these are very distinct  like you were painting stripes on a piece of glass.

[Hungry Horse]

Some of the Leman's and the Dickert, and Gill, definitely have had some of the stripes done with a gang brush. I love it when something I've done turns out to be authentic.

  Hungry Horse

[Dmcmullen]

Dmcmullen - what did your friend do about that brass-lined joint in the middle of the forestock?

I have in mind to make a Leman out of a Traditions Kentucky rifle kit from MidwayUSA. Don't have kit yet, did order appropriate capbox from Track, am about ready to get some deer rawhide to hide the joint & gotta figure out how to paint those wonderful stripes like Mr. Henry L. did.

This thread is at a perfect time for me, thank y'all

I think the CVA / Jukar/ Traditions Kentucky has some good lines to it, you just have to take alot of wood off to bring them out.      I removed that brass plate spacer, tried to square up the two mating surfaces and glued the joint between the front and rear stock pieces together.     I used some new wood pins and tried to get it as solid and seamless as I could.       My striping job turned out a little disappointing.     The background color is good but the fiebings medium brown leather dye is too close a match for the background stain so the stripes just kind of disappeared into the woodwork.     So I think I need to use a lighter stain on the background and a darker dye color for the stripes next time. 

[Hungry Horse]

 The stocks I have done, I never stained the stock first. I used Lincoln's Leather dye instead of  Feibings because Feibings does not last when exposed to the sun, and has much less colorant in it.
 I stained my stock after striping them, and try to build the color slowly with several coats. Many of the original guns that were striped had some kind of colored varnish or shellac, and this is also a finishing possibility. I have tinted True Oil and used it over stripe jobs with some success.

  Hungry Horse