Achieving this Stock Finish

[Covurt]

I've got a Kibler SMR on the way. And I'm already planning my next build.  While looking at Sitting Fox kits I noticed this squirrel gun that I really like the finish of. How would one go about achieving a wood finish like this? https://sittingfoxmuzzleloaders.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Ripley-Squirrel-Gun.jpg

[dogcatcher]

Mix some used motor oil, diesel and automatic transmission fluid.  About a third of each to start with.  I say this jokingly, but it looks like the finish we put on wood trailer beds when I was a kid.   

[Top Jaw]

Looks something like a beeswax finish that Tip Curtis was using for awhile.  I don’t know the exact process or ratios, but believe it involved heating And rubbing the mixture into/onto the stock.  Left a similar flat surface, reported to shed water.  Might be info online. 

[Daniel Coats]

Here's a link to a topic that might help.

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=37723.0

[Mike Brooks]

Looks like a scraper finish followed by AQ with very little finish

[Hungry Horse]

Looks like what you get when you try to do a traditional linseed oil finish, but don’t use boiled linseed oil, and don’t add any bees wax, or japan drier. Yup, looks like used motor oil.

  Hungry Horse

[Bob McBride]

Covurt, these are salty old traditionalists who are PHD level students of the American Longrifle here on ALR so you won't get the same 'woohoo! Great choice' you get over on the MLF. You have to recognize and balance the comments from the guys who know what's appropriate for a particular gun/period/region from the ones who are a little more 'do what you think is best' over there. Take it all in and make the choice you think is right based on what you want, but I'd pay a little more attention to these guys for technical advice. Maybe we could give him some pics of what might be more appropriate if we think there may be another way to go.

[WadePatton]

Second Bob's sage words.

I'll just add that I too was captivated by strongly reddish finishes on complicated maple when I first got into these guns, but the captivation eventually left me as I began to prefer my things look more like original gear than something that is more often seen in contemporary work.

ATF is nice and red though, that and farm diesel. 

 

[redheart]

Second Bob's sage words.

I'll just add that I too was captivated by strongly reddish finishes on complicated maple when I first got into these guns, but the captivation eventually left me as I began to prefer my things look more like original gear than something that is more often seen in contemporary work.

ATF is nice and red though, that and farm diesel. 

Wade,
How long have you been using your ATF/farm diesel formula for your stocks, and how's it working out for you?

[Jim Kibler]

If I had to guess, it would be they used aniline dyes.  Maybe just leather dye.

Jim

[bob in the woods]

Fiebings brown leather dye on maple looks pretty much like the photo.
+ some sort of oil.    Whatever you do, try it first on some scrap maple bits, so you don't risk a catastrophe

[David Rase]

Mix some used motor oil, diesel and automatic transmission fluid.  About a third of each to start with.  I say this jokingly, but it looks like the finish we put on wood trailer beds when I was a kid.

You forgot to add that once it is applied to the wood, light it on fire for a few minutes, then put the fire out and rub it down with linseed oil.
David

[Not English]

The color of the gun is not my choosing. Some gloss would go a really long way. It doesn't need a bright glossy finish, but it does need some depth. Wade has it right. I've got an Andrew Verner rifled in plain grain with reddish colonial maple stain. It's still a good looking gun. As I've built more guns, the styles and colors are going backwards time wise.

[Marcruger]

Hello Covurt,

Please don't let to tongue-in-cheek comments above put you off, and I am sure they didn't mean anything negative.

In longrifles, as in furniture finishing, there are certain time-honored looks that have "passed the test" so to speak over time. 

I agree that I think the finish on the rifle you showed was possibly done with dye.  It resulted (in my opinion) in a very blotchy look.  The grain is pretty obscured. 

If you like the dark contrast, I would suggest using Kibler's tannic acid by the directions.  After rubbing back it will certainly give you the dark in the soft grain and the contrast. 

I'd suggest using the time-honored Aqua Fortis in a couple of coats for the traditional look that does not fade. 

Be careful with dyes. Many will fade with time and light exposure.  I am all about the long term look, not only the here-and-now look.  As a way to alter slightly the color after Aqua Fortis on a certain piece of wood, stains can be useful.  Again, do your research and seek the ones that fade the least.

As a top finish, Jim Chamber's finish has a great reputation as does Permalyn sealer or finish.  My personal experience with Permalyn is that it is pretty tough and resistant to chemicals when cured.   

I am no expert on wood finishing, but  know some folks who are.  I hope this helps you a little. 

Welcome aboard, and you'll find a lot to learn here on the forums. 

God Bless,   Marc

[WadePatton]

Second Bob's sage words.
...
ATF is nice and red though, that and farm diesel. 

Wade,
How long have you been using your ATF/farm diesel formula for your stocks, and how's it working out for you?

Was entirely in jest. Dyes were used to make the reddish tones I craved early on.  I would not use those sources of color.

If I was going to add colors, I'd only use natural pigments/oils of the day.  Some do use modern dyes all the time. I'm no longer interested in those. I'm assuming the color is what you're after, not the flatness of the finish.  Looks super flat, and that often takes "rubbing back" of a shiny finish, rather than using a "flat" finishing compound.

The longest but bestest way to get a piece of wood the color you choose is to have a scrap bit to practice on and get started with the experiments.  The natural finishes vary according to the minerals/tannins and such in each tree. The modern dyes are more predictable, but many argue against them for various reasons. I couldn't get the colors I was seeking with them the one time I tried (on Maple).

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Here's the reddest gun stock to come out of my shop.  This rifle was made by a freind in my shop, and he stained it with Feibing's alcohol based leather dye...mostly dark brown with a good shot of red.  Personally, I don't like it for a number of reasons, but it's whatever floats your stick.  Over time, UV will cause the colour to fade into something you definitely didn't want.  I abandoned leather dye many years ago, favouring ferric nitrate over tannic acid.  But you will suite yourself.

[Dennis Glazener]

The color sure is purty now! But I like you don't like shoe dye! Or any other dye I have used unless used with AF. Just my preference.
Dennis

[Cory Joe Stewart]

I am going to second Mr. Kibler.  It looks very similar to what I achieve on maple using Medium Brown Leather Dye.  I use it on horn plugs and smaller projects.

Cory Joe Stewart

[oldtravler61]

  When I built my first rifle. I used leather dye. Came out like the one.pictured..Still looks good an used a lot. But not what I have used since. Their are better processes...Oldtravler

[Covurt]

Thanks for the information. Much appreciated. Maybe I should have been more specific and asked about the color instead of the "finish" Time to get some scraps and experiment.

[FALout]

I was wondering if some of the guys scared you off with their comments

[Covurt]

I was wondering if some of the guys scared you off with their comments

I didn't fully 'get' them all. But they didn't seem to be hateful in nature

[AsMs]

Covert,

The last one I finished had the color you are looking for at one point in the process. I was not looking for that color so I continued until I got what I wanted. Here is the process I used to get to the point you are looking for.

The rifle was a maple jaeger that I picked up at Dixon’s that was in the white with a few mistakes that needed fixed. It was a good practice piece for me so I experimented on the stain and finish process. The curl was kind of blotchy but would make for some interesting if it could be pulled out.

First I made a vineagroon with apple cider vineager and some rusty screws and old tang trimmings. No steel wool was used (I believe would have had better results with iron and not steel).  This mix sat about three and a half months.

I whiskered the stock with a strong tea. Two cups of water and 5 black tea bags boiled down and concentrated to about one cup. I whiskered with this about 4 times.

Next step was apply the vineagroon. This turned the soft grain very black and the hard grain a dark grey. This was rubbed back a little to make the hard grain a light grey and then hydrogen peroxide was  applied. This added a little light tan shade to the hard grain (not what I was looking for).

Over this Laurel Mountain Forge Honey Maple was applied. This gave the stock a black and gold appearance (great color for Steelers fans but not what I was looking for).

Over this, Laurel Mountain Forge Cherry was applied. This gave me the color you are looking for (once again not what I wanted so I continued).

I continued with another application of Honey Maple over the Cherry and got something close to what I wanted and then stopped.  Marine Spar varnish (about 5 coats) and Dragon Wax to finish.  Remember everything was just an experiment and you may get different results. It may be worth a try if that is what you want.

AsMs