stain color help

[alex e.]

Or at least a starting point;
I'm going to start working on a piece of European  walnut for a French FDC of mine.
The attached pic is of an original Tulle ,circa 1750's all were stained,but with what?
Euro. walnut is blondish to begin with,what might opinions be as a starting point to try to match this color?It will be rubbed back a little to antique and highlight some of the wear areas. I have a few ideas in my mind but am open to others thoughts.
Many thanks in advance,Alex

[James Rogers]

Mike did this one in nothing but Chambers oil. No stain except the color that is carried in the finish.
I think this looks about right unless you are attempting to get the 250 year old look on top of it.
All but the last picture you posted has a blue cast to it. Compare these to your last pic.

[alex e.]

I like that,nice gun also.Did anyone notice how the comb hits the wrist on the Tulle?


That gun was full of "things" like that,A prodution gun of the time I guess
more:

[Captchee]

Good morning .
 Myself I do not stain walnuts .  Oils will darken them considerably .

 this  SXS is stocked in  Claro walnut  which was rather light colored , prior to oil .



 these photos may give you a better Idea .
 this stock is  Black Limba
 if you look past the  rifle , you will see the plank  of Limba   i used . notice how light colored it is



 yet after oiling , here is the color


English walnut  is very much the same
 here is and english walnut stock  prior to  oil


 compaired to after  the oil finish

[keweenaw]

European walnut can vary widely in color from blonde, which is always low grade wood, to rich dark chocolate color.  Because of that there is no simple answer to how to get a particular color.  Besides that, background color and age patina are radically different things.  One needs to do considerable experimentation of scraps from a given piece of new wood to match the color on an old piece.  I've found that the water soluble aniline dyes are most helpful.   Some pieces will match that color with simply the application of an oil finish.  Some will be darker than that with just the oil finish.  If you get a lighter color with the oil, I would try a standard mahogany dye which will give a fairly good brown color with just a faint tinge of red.  If you need it redder, add a touch of something redder which can be one of the red mahogany dyes or my preference is the dark wine red cherry.  But in any event you'll have to experiment to get the background color you want.  

On an original stock like you have you can be almost 100% certain that no dyes or stains were used.  The color is just from the oxidation of the original finish and the wood plus the addition of patina.

Tom

[James Rogers]

European walnut can vary widely in color from blonde, which is always low grade wood,

Tom

Tom,
That's an interesting point. I have conversed with quite a few gun people from Europe and they prefer the lighter blonde walnut while Americans value the darker to a higher degree.

[Bill of the 45th]

The color I'm seeing is 260 years of oxidation of the oil varnish that was used, along with that many years of grim, and honest sweat.  To get it you might try asphalt-um, or ebony stain, that's rubbed back.  That's my guess, just honest age, on a plain varnished stock.

Bill

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Catchee, when you say oiled, what exactly do you mean?  A medium oil varnish or just BLO? or something else??  Yhey are beautiful guns BTW!!!

[Captchee]

 thank you for the kind words

 basically i use two oils .  
Linseed and  tung . thats it.
  the tung i use as a sealer  only . so its very light   light couple of  coats . i only put it on after im finished  with the  linseed .
 the wood and finish I  am after dictate’s the number of coats and wet sanding, I need to do .

 Through the years I have used many different oils . Cotton seed , even sunflower  oils  with dryers added . But I always seem to come back to the  boiled linseed

 I also have used   many things as stains ,  Asphaltum ,  tobacco resin  even   plant  concentrates like Beet juice  and Log wood , 
 In fact the laminated barrels you see on the  SXS that  was restocked   in  Limba . Those barrels were finished with log wood to help  define the pattern.

  I am of the opinion that many  oils  simply never dry 100% .  They feel like it  and we treat them as such .  However they  collect  and over time build a  very dark patina   that comes with age .
 Duplicating that  can be the real task


  Again though for the most part  oils , when applied to walnut  or  like  woods , often darken the wood greatly .
 As another poster suggested .  Apply your finish to a test  piece . Sometimes its very surprising just how dark  the wood becomes .
 It also  sometimes changes  as the oil dries . Sometimes with like the Limba , the wood lightens a couple shades as it dries . Other times with like the little rifle   I posted . It becomes  even darker

[alex e.]

Thanks for the replies and comments.I'll experiment with some oils first Ithink,Then go from there.I'll get there sooner or later.

Alex.