Alkanet root , how to mix with oil finish.

[Jim Kibler]

We have the Transtint in yellow available as well.

Jim

[flintlock hunter]

Thanks Stoner and Jim.

[AZshot]

I'm getting prepared to do a finish on American walnut, I do want the English oil finish look, with more red.  Have some Alkanet powder steeping in Mineral Spirits now. 

My question is when you use Chambers Oil, don't some people dilute it a little with Mineral Spirits?  What if I used my reddening Mineral Spirits? 

[smart dog]

Hi AZshot,
You can certainly mix the stain into the oil.  That would be the more traditional way.  However, let me mention a few things I have found about finishing any walnut, English or black.  The open pores need filling or you will need to apply many coats of finish. For fine guns in which I seek a completely smooth and sometimes glassy finish, I stain the wood then apply finish, that may also be tinted with stain,  using 220 grit sandpaper.  I sand the finish and wood into a slurry that I then let dry.  This is a method I learned from Taylor Sapergia on this forum.



The finish is thinned 25% during this first coat so it penetrates a little deeper and it stays liquid longer to allow the sanding. I then sand the crust smooth once dry and sometimes repeat but usually one filler coat is all that is needed. Then I use coats of untinned finish to complete the job.  Here are examples done this way.










However, not all walnut guns get this treatment.  When I finish a musket I do not do the filler step.  I simply apply thinned finish as a sealer coat, which may be tinted, and then untinned finish until I get the desired look.  This usually results in the pores of the wood not being fully filled.










That is more typical of military and utilitarian guns.

dave

[AZshot]

Thanks, that red stock about 4th down is the color I'm hoping for.  I know about filling the grain, and your method is approximately what I was planning to use.  See my other thread about the holes in the butt, someone decorated it with a "connect the dots" type of drawing.  I want to try to fill those to be as unobtrusive as possible. 

Another grain filling technique I've read about that is supposedly old school English is to add sprinkles of talcum powder to your oil finishing rubs...I'm thinking about that too. 

Love the color, and now I have 2 bottles of Alkanet soaking, one in Mineral Spirits, one in Boiled Linseed Oil. 

[Carl Young]

let me mention a few things I have found about finishing any walnut, English or black.  The open pores need filling. I stain the wood then apply finish, that may also be tinted with stain,  using 220 grit sandpaper.  I sand the finish and wood into a slurry that I then let dry.
The finish is thinned 25% during this first coat so it penetrates a little deeper and it stays liquid longer to allow the sanding. I then sand the crust smooth once dry and sometimes repeat but usually one filler coat is all that is needed.
dave

That's the way I learned from two old NMLRA members (both originally from Pennsylvania) about 40+ years ago. Sometimes I have used finely powdered charcoal in the mix as well.

Regards,
Carl