Did smiths in the 1700-1800’s fill stock inclusions with fillers?

[NDduckhunter]

Did gunsmiths in the 1700-1800’s use a filler compound on inclusions or did they always use a wood patch? If so what did these fillers look like? I’ve heard of a coal pine tar pitch mixture but I have never seen an original gun with a period filled inclusion. I’d love to see a picture!

[Bill in Md]

Let's say you got a little over zealous with your chisels while inletting a barrel or lock mortise, a good remedy would to take pure beeswax, stain it with and oil stain and fill in the gaps. This is only for small mistakes.....Bill

[Hungry Horse]

I own an antique rifle that hung on my wall for years, one day as I walked by it the sun caught it just right, and I noticed a circular ring under the cap box. I took the gun down, and examined it carefully with a magnifying glass. What I found was a meticulously fit wooden plug that no doubt fills a bark inclusion, or an insect hole. This gun has a walnut stock, with a dark finish which lends itself to being able to hide a well made, and finished patch.

Hungry Horse

[NDduckhunter]

I’m speaking of defects like bark inclusions mainly. I’ve seen lots of wood patches but no fillers like tar ect… you’d think it would be an easy therefore common fix but it seems that was not the case?

[Hungry Horse]

 I suspect that many a bark inclusion patch, explains why many old guns have unusual brass, or silver, inlays in unusual places. I don’t have knowledge of a material that goes on like a paste and hardens to a solid finishable surface. Reaction with finishes of the time might also have been a problem. I hope somebody has better information.

Hungry Horse

[davec2]

I can't comment on how historically accurate this is, but I have used shellac sticks to repair minor flaws on stocks and other wood items (finished and unfinished).  Since shellac has been in use for 3,000 years or more, I don't have too much of an issue using it on an 18th century rifle.....

https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/more/LB-shellacfillers.html

[T*O*F]

The answer is yes.  This German shotgun has several such repairs, which can be seen as the wood shrunk and left them slightly proud. There are 2 repairs on the right side and 3 small repairs on the cheek side.  This is a higher grade gun, not a common one.

Years ago, I ran across a period reference where a glue and filler was made from powdered charcoal and pine resin.  I experimented with the process by gathering a canful of pitch pine resin globs.  I placed the can near the campfire and cooked all the volatiles from it.  When cooled it formed a hard, glassy compound. 
At home, I remelted it and mixed a small quantity with powdered charcoal until it was still pliable but wouldn't absorb any more.  I forced it into a small bark inclusion on a rifle I was building at the time.  Then smoothed and sanded it flush.  When finish was applied it appeared as this gun does, but level with the wood.

Click on photos to enlarge.

[NDduckhunter]

Awesome! That’s the first time I’ve seen a filler but figured they must have used them. You see more finished over knots and spliced in patches on originals gun vs what builders put out now and I find them a very interesting part of the piece.

[David R. Pennington]

I did a cherry stock once a long time ago and trying to saw blank out with a cheap bench top bandsaw the blade slipped off and gouged into the wrong area. I was so frustrated I threw the saw in the garbage bin. It was a tapered and flared .40 caliber 44” barrel. I first thought about cutting barrel off. I walked away for a day or two and then decided to fill in the unwanted saw gouge. I had some boat builders powder glue that dried a dark red /brown color. I’ve had more than one person comment on what a pretty stock and then remark about how cherry is noted for such “bark inclusions”. It really does look like a small bark inclusion. I haven’t been able to find that same glue anywhere.

[Pukka Bundook]

Dave,
That German stock looks pretty influenced by French notoins.
Have you shown it here?
If not, I'd love to see it under the right heading!

In George Shumway's book Jaeger Rifles, he shows some with wood patches in high end stocks including guns for Royalty, but can't think I saw any patched with fillers.

Best,
R.

[bluenoser]

I did a cherry stock once a long time ago and trying to saw blank out with a cheap bench top bandsaw the blade slipped off and gouged into the wrong area. I was so frustrated I threw the saw in the garbage bin. It was a tapered and flared .40 caliber 44” barrel. I first thought about cutting barrel off. I walked away for a day or two and then decided to fill in the unwanted saw gouge. I had some boat builders powder glue that dried a dark red /brown color. I’ve had more than one person comment on what a pretty stock and then remark about how cherry is noted for such “bark inclusions”. It really does look like a small bark inclusion. I haven’t been able to find that same glue anywhere.

That would be Risorcinol glue, also known as Resorcinol-Formaldehyde glue.  I recall using the powdered product many years ago.  I don't believe the powdered version is still available, but it is available as a two part liquid product.

[David R. Pennington]

You are correct Bluenoser, but I had no idea how to spell it! It was good stuff.

[rich pierce]

I’m guessing there was a lot of wood available here in colonial times.  Possibly less in Europe or more expensive. My original Lancaster or York smooth rifle with a knot in the comb must have been from the bottom of the woodpile. 

[Stoner creek]

Brennan tells me that there is a big fancy Beck rifle out there with a period patch.

[Jim Kibler]

Brennan tells me that there is a big fancy Beck rifle out there with a period patch.

Yeah, patches are not uncommon.  Especially when looking at English or European work with highly figured or burl wood.  Even on American work, they are seen from time to time.

Fillers can work, but nothing beats a well done wood patch.

[BOB HILL]

I had a very high grade rifle brought to me a week or two after Hurricane Hugo it had been flooded with saltwater  during th the storm. I cleaned it up and returned it. The carving on this gun looked like it was done by the same hand that did the work on page 171 in Gusler and Lavin’s  book “Decorated Firearms 1540-1870”. There was a patch in this stock in the carving. It appeared to  be a rosin with a reddish  very fine pigment mixed in. My thought on seeing this was that I would sure have hated to have had to start over on because of this flaw. This gun was made in Prague in the mid- 19th century.
Bob

[Dphariss]

Did gunsmiths in the 1700-1800’s use a filler compound on inclusions or did they always use a wood patch? If so what did these fillers look like? I’ve heard of a coal pine tar pitch mixture but I have never seen an original gun with a period filled inclusion. I’d love to see a picture!

The better guns used wood glued in. And thats my choice as well. Most of the time they didn’t mess up. But I have seen plugged holes in a forend of a SMR type. And I have done this  . They can be made invisible if you are careful and play the right games with a chisel and a a little wedge of the right wood. In inletting I drive in a sliver of wood or glue in a piece and then inlet the spot. But make sure you watch the grain flow. And use paste wax on the metal.
I did pour epoxy in a large bark inclusion in a wrist but I was lucky. I covered it with a thumb piece. I found it when final shaping the wrist. Probably said something bad words.   

[Jerry]

The museums that I have visited showed that early smiths did fill voids in stocks, Jerry