Need advice regarding stock staining/ inlet swelling.

[Rolf]

The last practice stock  was made of a piece of strait grained birch. I have a jar of vinegar/iron stain that's been brewing for a year. I tried to stain the stock with it.
It turn a nice reddish brown but colored the stock very uneven. There were large spots where the stain didn't penetrate the wood. I compensated by putting on several coats of the stain. When it was dry I sealed the stock with a Sprite varnish and let it dry over night, without the lock, barrel, trigger and furniture in place.

The next day the stock had swelled. I could hardly get the lock and other parts in place. When I pushed the barrel into the channel the stock cracked from the front of the lock panel to the end of the lower forestock. Thank god, it was only a practice stock. No real damage done.

Two things might have caused this:

1. The stock was left over night without the lock and barrel in place. Could this have cause it to warp?

2. I put several coats of vinegar stain on the stock. Did the water cause the swelling? I dried the stock in a heated electric oven (70 degrees Celsius) for 2 hours.

How do you stain and dry a stock? Have you had any problems with swelling and how do you fix it?

Best regards
Rolfkt

[rich pierce]

Generally water-based stains (unclusing dyes, vinegar and aquafortis) are applied somewhat sparingly and allowed to dry half an hour before heat is applied (that's how i do aquafortis).  I  use quite a lot of water and baking soda etc to wash after aquafortis and heating so probably get the stock as wet as you did with the vinegar stain.  I always let the stock dry out slowly at moderate temperatures after staining, before adding any finish.  2 days is about the minimum for allowing the wood to equilibrate after a water-based staining.  70 centigrade is very warm indeed (I think it is 158 Fahrenheit) and too hot to apply to a wet piece of wood.  I think that was the major problem.  Plus sealing it so soon after all that water going in and out was not helpful.

Did you apply any finish in your inlets?  if so it is absolutely necessary to go very carefully putting the parts back in and you may need to scrape certain areas to get the parts to fit.  Many makers do not seal the inlets.

[Rolf]

Richpierce,
I didn't  stain or varnish in the barrel channel and lock mortise. I stained the other inlets but did not varnish.

When you dry the stock after staining, do you leave the lock and barrel out of the stock until it is completly dry? I've been told that the stock over night without the barrel in the channel would cause warping.

Best regards

Rolfkt

[Stophel]

When I finish a stock I always basically have to re-inlet everything.  The finish will swell the wood and freeze it there, and you have to scrape it out a bit to get the parts to fit again.  I don't know of a way to avoid it.  I cannot finish with the parts in the stock (other than maybe the buttplate).  I can sometimes finish with the triggerguard in...depending upon the type of finish...and the type of triggerguard.  It makes a nice handle while finishing!

[rich pierce]

I never left the barrel in a stock that was drying.  This is a pistol with a short barrel and it should never warp that much in such a short distance.

I agree with Chris that parts often need re-seating.  Usually a little scraping will do it.  Never had to go back to the chisel much if any.

[Stophel]

Sometimes swelling the inlets is a good thing.....