I have a dark ugly stained portion of a French flintlock musket that I’m not sure how to attack. Not wanting to sand it, then again not sure that would remove or lighten the stain. Any ideas on what to do about it?
-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
Ugly Stained Stock
- Thread starter acavdragoon
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
Enjoy it.
I'd leave it just as is.
There's nothing you can do to completely eliminate that short of completely refinishing the stock, and I don't really think you want to do that. It would ruin it, of course. But you might try a little Murphy's Oil Soap and hot water, lightly and judiciously wiping and rubbing to clean and degrease it, which should lighten it up a bit.
I like it as-is. Some people go to a lot of work to gain that appearance.
Cruzatte
50 Cal.
I'm with the leave-it-alone crowd. It shows honest wear.
I wouldn't mess with it, myself, except maybe clean exterior grime and wipe it down occasionally.
I understand that Oxalic Acid will take the black water stains out of wood, I might try that. Anyone used that?
TDM
Cannon
- Joined
- May 28, 2022
- Messages
- 9,656
- Reaction score
- 24,213
- Location
- Louisiana & My camp in Mississippi
Soak a soft cloth with 91% isopropyl alcohol and rub the area. That should tone it down some. Don’t get too aggressive.
bpalbee
36 Cl.
I was thinking that too, it gives an impression of looking fairly authentic for a military arm of that era.
If that's an original leave it as is.
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2016
- Messages
- 27
- Reaction score
- 14
Oxalic Acid WILL bleach out stains BUT you really need to totally disassemble the stock and mountings as it can wreak havoc on metal parts and the percentage of acid to mix in to lighten the wood also depends o n the wood itself…know this from working on wood blocks on our schooner, different wood shells all had remarkably varying responses to the mixes. You also have to be aware it MAY pop any glue or filler( like bedding) materials that could be lurking out of sight too!
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2004
- Messages
- 109
- Reaction score
- 205
I too recommend leaving the wood alone. There's nothing wrong with honest wear and discoloration; they are part of the musket's history, and part of its charm.
When I get my muskets I take them down, cleaning the stock to remove the dirt and grime that the decades has heaped upon it. After the cleanup I put BLO on the stock. I’ll asset it after the cleanup before the BLO application to see where I go from there.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2021
- Messages
- 246
- Reaction score
- 208
Leave it be.
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2018
- Messages
- 3,846
- Reaction score
- 2,882
That’s bro cause its not stained, its oiled.
Original guns were not stained.
The coloration on the side panel is from age and use.
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2020
- Messages
- 7,470
- Reaction score
- 20,909
- Location
- On the Border in Idaho looking at BC
leave it as is and order something from Kibler to finish bright and shiny!
There have been a lot of original guns ruined by "restoration".
Roger Blevins
32 Cal
- Joined
- May 13, 2023
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 6
I am the oddball around these parts. Have no use for patina. Never understood the love of patina....it is crud, dirt, neglect.
