bone black application steps

[StevenV]

My question is what are the steps to incorporating bone black into the finishing/staining phase of building a flintlock ? The gun is sanded / scraped and ready for staining.
Apply aquafortis
Blush over heat
apply 50/50 turpentine to stock
make sure its dry!
steel wool
apply wood sealer of your choice
Where does the application of bone black fit in???
Thanks Steve

[KC]

There was a bone black discussion just two days ago. Look down the list about 10 or 12 threads and read there.

[StevenV]

yes i saw that and that is what  brought this question up. Is the gun stained and then bone black applied over your stain or is the bone black applied first and then stain applied over top???

[KC]

I'm not really the guy to be giving advice on this since I've never used it. I bought some for a project and when I get to that point, I was going to follow Jim Kibler's instructions that are posted on his web site. My understanding was that it was over whatever stain you use, applied mixed into the finishing oil at areas that would naturally darken and rubbed back till you get what you want.

Again, that's just my understanding from reading, not from actual experience with bone black.
K.C.

[bowkill]

My advice is to not get too many coats of oil on before you use it.  I never could really get it to stay for me. It hung around in a few places, but everytime i used oil again it would rub right off. Had about 5 coats before i tried the bone black.. Start earlier..

[rich pierce]

I agree bone black gives nice highlights or lowlights and enhances contrast. Brooksie uses flat spray paint.

For simulating aging, which often presents as a textured, thick, black area where there is little wear on an original, I use charcoal. I make charcoal from soft punk wood, then grind it fine with a spoon on a cutting board. I sift it through a sieve.

I put a thimble full of charcoal in a soda bottle screw cap and add finish oil like Chambers oil and mix with a match stick until it is like pancake batter. Take a paint brush about the diameter of a pencil and cut the bristles short so it is stiff. Jab the brush into the slurry the smash the bristle tap tap tap tap in overlapping stabs where you want the simulation of blackened old varnish. Wipe off the overlaps onto highlight areas. Let dry overnight. Keep building and rub back until you get what you want.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=49721.25

[WadePatton]

Honestly I cannot recall what I blacked my rifle with, but it's obvious that I did, and I'll do it again.

Why post you ask?  Well because this stuff, especially the finishing, is never going to be plug-n-play, or one size fits all.  Test on scrap or where you can scrape off and start over. The more you do, the more you find out.

Sorry if you don't find that helpful, but is the intent. Also that there's a myriad of ways to make up a finish.  One quite common process used by those who prefer an aged look is to "overfinish" and rub back.  More than once for best effect. 

 

[Ed Wenger]

Steve..., stain the stock first, then apply the bone black.

I agree with Bowkill in regards to “start early”, and Rich described a good method for application. 

Lots of methods to do this, and like Wade said, probably not a “plug-n-play”.  Experiment and have fun!


                Ed

               

[M. E. Pering]

Rich Pierce and I use a pretty similar method with charcoal instead of bone black.  But bone black is just charcoal made from bone, horn and hooves instead of wood.  It is easier to make wood charcoal though, since you don't have to deal with fatty residues.

Start after you first coat of finish is on, apply the charcoal-finish mix, and once dry, recoat with finish.  Repeat until you get the darkness you desire.  Final couple of coats should be pure finish with no charcoal.

Matt