1750-1765 Tulle what finish

[rambler]

I am finishing up a Larry Zorne Tulle, that someone got to about 85% on, need to know what finish to use on the metal for the F&I time period?

Brown?
Blue?
'

Thanks
Rambler

 

[tg]

Most likley just polished to whatever degree is wished, I have not seen much on blueing or browning French guns in that period, the new book may have something, out of curiosity what style of gun is it? Tulle is a town/armoury

 

[Al Parsons]

Armory bright, I think.

 

[bnail]

Most likley just polished to whatever degree is wished, I have not seen much on blueing or browning French guns in that period, the new book may have something, out of curiosity what style of gun is it? Tulle is a town/armoury

+1 for bright

 

[rambler]

Well, Larry just calls it a Tulle, but it looks darned close to the Fusil De Chase on Page 22 of Bouchard's book.

42" Octagon to round, wood all the way to the muzzle, Walnut, Iron mounted, three thimbles, 28Ga

Plain sideplate.

Best method for polishing to "armory brite"? I have been busy with 1000grit sandpaper, files, and steel wool, HOW polished is polished?

Thanks!

 

[akapennypincher]

Why not ask the same Question on the F & I Part of the Forum, as the boy who are into F & I Reinacting, and what is Period correct will give you great information. JMHO.

 

[Mike Brooks]

I wouldn't go past 320 grit if I wanted a historical finish.

 

[rich pierce]

Muskets of the period were polished with brick dust and oil, so definitely not a mirror finish. For a soft look use pumice, oil and a rag.

 

[jsn]

:thumbsup:

 

[tg]

"HOW polished is polished?"

Mike probably has as good of a handle on that as anyone, in the period accounts they mention various degrees of polish from just polished to highly polished but the meaning of these terms now and then could be quite different, the gun sounfds like a FDC it is odd that a builder would just call it a "Tulle" any photos of it? what lock does it have if you know? does the frizzen have small "spurs" on the backside of it? the walnut stock sounds good for that gun

 

[Rifleman1776]

What do you want?

 

[rabjr]

Looks like he wants a HC finish to me...

 

[rambler]

Historically correct is what I am after, having seen Brown bess's polished until you could see your reflection, and other fowlers in the white with a nice gray patina, I am trying to determine what and how to finish this one.

 

[rambler]

"HOW polished is polished?"

Mike probably has as good of a handle on that as anyone, in the period accounts they mention various degrees of polish from just polished to highly polished but the meaning of these terms now and then could be quite different, the gun sounfds like a FDC it is odd that a builder would just call it a "Tulle" any photos of it? what lock does it have if you know? does the frizzen have small "spurs" on the backside of it? the walnut stock sounds good for that gun

The lock Does not have any points on the frizzen but Looks to be a cross between the Jaeger lock and the tulle lock that track carries. Its exacly like the drawing in the bouchard fusil de tulle book on page 38 , lock on the right. The stock has been sanded and is ready for finish this weekend.

Rambler

 

[tg]

Some make them nicely polished if a new gun is the intened representation others add some patina if they are trying to represent a gun with some age/use on it, either one would be acceptable depending on what you wish the gun to be, if looking to have a gun that has been around for a while some consideration to some evidence of use on the wood is a good idea as both wood and metal would typicaly suggest the same age, there is really no absolute here.

 

[alex efremenko]

I recall reading the term "well filed" some where.The original Fdc's were not as finely finished as one thinks,By todays standards some were a little rough.

Alex.

 

[tg]

I cannot recall the source but the wide variety of terms such as de trait, demi de trait and such were also in the publication as well as polished, well polished highly polished and such and the price changed accordingly to the finish but I am certain that the defintion of higly polished now and then would look quite different, it may have been it some of the writtings of Kit Raevenshire (SP) some years ago that this appeared, I probably have it noted somewhere, maybe on then old 'puter, if it still runds I will take a look.
and as we talk amongstb outrseves I suspect there are different images of the degrees of polish mentioned?

 

[Tourblanche]

No finish at all for army guns .

As far as the late 1800 , the imported Winchester and Remington bought by the french army had to he cleaned from any factory blue .

The idea was to make any rust quickly visible at inspection .

For the " fusils fins " and " fusil très fins " ( very fine luxury guns ) it was another story .

So .... if the gun made at the Tulle factory was
" de chasse et de service " ( hunting and service gun )
it most probably had no finish at all .

And yes , archeological findings often show crude file marks that no modern maker would dare let go out of the shop . In one of his booklets , Kit Ravenshear said he dreamed of a customer bold enough to ask for " historically correct finish " file marks , knots in the wood and all .

Up to now , I have not been couragous enough to fufill
the dreams of my gouru :redface: