Funny delema

[ottawa]

a quick up date on a rifle for a youngster.barrel is coming along slowly mite need to fresh it. the dilemma came the other nite my daughter and i where in the shop and she pipes up about her rifle (she is jazzed) and told me she ant wait for it to be done so she can have her PINK rifle with Purple flowers so i guss saving up for a fancy wood stock is out Therese no talking her out of it  besides its her rifle my  not be PC but if it gets her into building and shooting great if not just shooting great as well we are having fun working on it
Ben

[Acer Saccharum]

I am just rambling, but I feel your pain. A strong willed woman is a force to be reckoned with.

You do the fitting and shaping, she does the decorating?

Let me ask you, has she been to shoots, and seen other boys and girls shooting? Sometimes an appreciation of what others are doing will give you a different perspective, even to to the point of changing what she wants to do. Also at this stage in her life, her ideas change faster than her shoe size. Expose her to different things, history, and watch where her interests lie.

It sounds like the two of you might have different expectations. If each of you hold firm to what you want out of this project, then you might not be enjoying it as much.

Suppose you finish the stock or seal it so that it can be easily stripped when she grows out of the pink phase?

[ottawa]

the sealing thing is a must like you said she changes her mind like shoe lol but for the passed tow years that's all shes talked about is her pink muzzleloader because no one els has one so she would be different it could be worse she could want pink and purple hair  she been to modern shoots and seen the pink guns there but shes the one that pointed out that they wernt like daddy's guns that you pore the powder down the barrel can't argue with logic

[Dave B]

Maybe its sacreligious in pink but painting guns is period correct to my understanding with some trade guns. But the need to change ones mind about this down the road raises the question, is it possible to seal the stock with several coats of varnish then paint it so if you change your mind the stripping of the paint would be much easier?

[RobertS]

Could you somehow use a pink-colored stain, to allow the grain to show, and still be in the spirit of her request, without resorting to paint?  People are always coming up with funny colors by accident. 

[tallbear]

Ottawa
Something else you might think about would be colored dyes.Link;http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=1718They would give your daughter the color that she wants and still show the figure in the wood.I believe that should she get tired of the pink you could strip the finish and then stain a more conventional color over the pink much the same as some stain their stocks bright orange first then a darker color.Never done it but it might be worth giving a try.

Mitch

[b bogart]

As far as flowers on the stock (painted), check out some of Mr Kettenberg's painted stocks, and the one Mr Crosby (Tim) had posted. Both very floral, both  a young ladies dream, and period correct. Now about that pink, dude good luck. If I didn't want pink on a rifle it would show up somehow Remember, this should be fun! If she enjoys now, she just might later too!
Bruce

[Collector]

Get her a .22 cal. bolt action w/scope in the girlie pinks of her hearts desire, so that it matches her shoes and build her a traditional ML while she's distracted. 
You're a military man-it's tactics, man, tactics!  It's the feint, the slight-of-hand, the distraction, the trick to gain an advantage. 
If her focus is on color... give her the color.  Don't complicate the problem.  After that, she won't be paying attention to anything else you're doing, nor will it matter.  In the end, she'll be able to see the context of modern v. traditional... hopefully. 

[Bill of the 45th]

Give her what she wants on this one. If she likes it, it won't be the last build for her.   It'll be a strong father/daughter bond, and will be a family tradition.  They're only young once.  Cherish it.

Three daughters, and 10, and 1/2 Grandkids (one on the way)

Bill