Question on painted stocks

[Tim Hamblen]

I am building a g type smoothbore with a rather non descript walnut stock and want t do a painted finish. I will be going with the red oxide color with painted vines. My question for those who have done one is how far do you go with sanding , ie: final grit ? Also do you put on a coat and once dry sand it to help fill the pores ? and then a final coat ? Do you put any kind of clear finish over the paint ?

[Hungry Horse]

 I would sand it as if you were going to put on a traditional finish. I would use milk paint, available on line from several suppliers. As for any kind of clear finish, I would not put a clear finish over the paint. If you feel you need protection from the elements, I would use bee's wax rubbed into the paint surface. Milk paint is a flat paint, but will achieve a low luster from a little hand rubbing. Wax will change the color to a darker shade, and add a low luster.

                  Hungry Horse

[rich pierce]

If emulating originals,remember these were the lowest priced guns available.  I would not be surprised to see scraper and file marks on originals.

[Keb]

I just finished a 28 gauge today in Barn Red milk paint. I sanded it with 220 & wicked 3x before paint. I used 2 coats of paint then carded with green scotch brite. I applied paste wax after that. I like the looks of it.
The picture was taken with my phone :/

[David Rase]

I would use an oil based paint.  Oil paint has been around for centuries and is (IMHO) probably more period correct than milk paint.  It would definitely withstand the elements better than milk paint.
David

[HIB]

Gentlemen,  There are a few more high end rifles in existence then previously thought that were in fact painted. Not many, but enough to make the discussion interesting. There are two theory's. The first has to do with Faux Finish furnature favored during the late 1700's and the other, probably just as easily proven, was that many gifts presented to important Indian chiefs during the treaty negotiations of the times were painted guns.
The below rifle is an exquisite Faux painted rifle by John Bonewitz. Paint strokes are actually visible in the second photo. Appears the base coat is red and the Fauz application a black pigment. The rifle itself could be classified as straight grain maple which might lend more of an attribution to the furniture periods of the time. It is a beautiful piece regardless. Regards, HIB

[mr. no gold]

A fine, signed Peter Neihart rifle is known that has red paint on it. And, there is said to be another one, both in private hands. The type II in Colonial Williamsburg has painted vine like designs on the butt stock which appear to be drawn in an India ink medium or other black agent. Some trade guns were apparently painted blue, as well. Thing may have been more colorful back then than we have supposed.
Dick

[Tim Hamblen]

Good looking gun there Keb. Since we are among friends here I'll confess something. I am building the gun for my grandson. I have been studying the gun in "Of Sorts for Provincials" and some of Clay's guns and was intrigued by the idea of a painted gun along with the vines. But I was on the fence about it. Last evening after I got the lock in I took it to the bandsaw to slab off some excess belly wood to prep for the trigger. Due to a brain @$#% I forgot to drill a couple small holes in the bottom of the barrel channel to check the ramrod hole as I always do and well, as you might have guessed when I slabbed that belly wood off I was left standing there looking at a 3/4 round slot in my stock. Yep the drill wandered down on me. I'm off the fence about a painted stock now LOL. The wood has been glued back on and is drying. If I had not considered the idea of a painted stock I would have walked it over to the saw and cut it into pieces but since I was 50/50 on it I guess the Gun gods made up my mind for me. LOL.

[Tim Hamblen]

I would like to ask a follow up question. Any of you done the painted vines on a painted gun ? The new paint pens look promising but I do not believe they can do some of the finer lines. I am no artist and a brush is out of the question. I thought about Sharpies but do not know if they might fade over time.

[Mark Elliott]

Clay Smith offers his trade gun in blue paint.    I recently asked him about the paint he used because it looked very much like a Federal Blue milk paint that I use.   He said that the historically correct paint would be oil paint (linseed oil plus pigments).   However,  since he has to mass produce these things and it takes authentic oil paint days to dry,  he uses latex house paint.    Personally,  I would use exterior acrylic if I was going to cheat.   

[RAT]

That's interesting... that they would choose a paint that takes days to dry on a very low price trade gun that needs to be produced quickly to keep the costs down. I don't doubt that's what they used, and Clay obviously had access to the original for study, but the same conditions that he described (the need to mass produce) existed back in the day too. Just curious... not criticizing...

[kaintuck]

as long as it ISN'T pink with a hello kitty on it!

guess a body could use a low grade maple stock, and then paint it.......

marc

[Mark Elliott]

The blue paint on the trade guns that Clay Smith duplicates is based on a Virginia colonial government order of blue painted guns for the magazine for militia use.   I think they wanted to make sure they could easily identify the government owned guns.     

[Clark Badgett]

When did they stop offering painted trade guns, approximately?

[PPatch]

I would like to ask a follow up question. Any of you done the painted vines on a painted gun ? The new paint pens look promising but I do not believe they can do some of the finer lines. I am no artist and a brush is out of the question. I thought about Sharpies but do not know if they might fade over time.

Nix on the marker, it will fade and wear off and more importantly be very hard to control for a smooth look. What you need is a pinstriper or sign painters brush. Those long thin brushes. Use the same type of paint you used on the rifle, obviously in different but complementary color(s). The advantage is controllability, the long thin haired brush allows a long slow stroke in a very controlled manner. You could practice with it before tackling the stock design. Practice especially the loading of paint in the brush so you avoid runs and blotches, load it just enough to lay down a line without it going thick and thin on you. Load it with paint, lay it down and move slowly with constant pressure along your pencil sketch line, when you approach the end of the line come straight up off the work.

dave

 

[Keb]

If I'm not mistaken painted trade guns were offered late in the 19th century. I can't remember the boat's name or the exact year but someone found a bunch of crates with painted trade guns in them in a ship wreck. I remember reading they were painted 6 or 7 different colors, red, blue, green, white, black, yellow & maybe brown or orange. This was from the mid to late 1800's. Sorry I can't give exact dates or the boat's name. I just don't remember those details.