Dark red finishes

[Zutt-man]

Good evening, folks.

I’m finishing up my 2nd Kibler colonial. It’s a .58 smoothie, mainly a turkey and small game/upland gun, but I’m sure I’ll dabble in a few deer hunts as well. The barrel is currently being jug choked and I just finished up aging the parts. Essentially, it’s ready to go outside of the barrel.

I have a vision of patinated hardware with a DARK red curly maple stock. The curl in this stock is exquisite. I’m having troubles reaching the red color I want, though. Have been working with tannic acid, iron nitrate, cherry LMF, and Tru oil in the barrel channel in certain segments to test without avail (yes, I will neutralize the channel when I’m done to prevent corrosion).

Does anyone have any suggestions or examples?

 

[64Springer]

Trans Tint makes reds that are really red.

A few drops in your top coat and you'll have any red you want.

Feibing's leather dye comes in reds too.

 

[t_carlyle]

User Timmit came out with a nice dark red on his Woodsrunner with details in his thread.

Thread 'Woodsrunner completed'
Woodsrunner completed

 

[PathfinderNC]

I use alkaline powder dyes, namely the Keda brand, with nice results I think. Below are some examples but you could easily get a darker color if desired like on the curly maple Fusils or pistol.

 

[Zutt-man]

I use alkaline powder dyes, namely the Keda brand, with nice results I think. Below are some examples but you could easily get a darker color if desired like on the curly maple Fusil or pistol.

Your cherry stocked Kibler is pretty well along the lines I want to follow.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Your cherry stocked Kibler is pretty well along the lines I want to follow.

Available on Amazon.

 

[Zutt-man]

Available on Amazon.

Do you know about how much you used?

 

[PathfinderNC]

Do you know about how much you used?

They come in small plastic packets with red, yellow, blue, brown, black. I mix each batch separately and do test strips. One packet lasts a good while. I mix the brown, red and a pinch of black in water for mine.

 

[Zutt-man]

Just for y’all’s entertainment. These are my first major carvings. My last gun wasn’t near this intricate. Have a little edge cleaning to do yet. My plan was to let the curl enhance the plumage.

 

[64Springer]

You guys and your carving chisels.

I don't have it in me.

Wish I did.

 

[oldwood]

I was born in S/W Pa. south of the m/l gun industry around Pittsburgh , Pa.. My father's garage we used as an at home business , mechanic shop. In the corner of the garage , mixed with some shovels , etc. , was two original local made longrifles. One had a very red stained maple stock. Later in years , a friend , and I tried to research the stain used on that original red colored rifle. the wood was curly maple, and after reading what would be used back in the day this piece was made , we came up with a naturally grown common plant called "blood root". We went out along a stream in the spring time , when we had an idea this blood root might be found. The plant , if torn from the ground and cut open , yields a thick sap emulating blood. Ureka , we found it. However , draining each tiny plant of the bloody sap , yielded about a dime size puddle of liquid. We abandoned the effort to use a stain made by this process , due to the amount of plants needed to generate the stain. Any way , we got some dark red alcohol dye , and kept thinning it w/ alcohol until the test sample looked good. First , to highlight the curl , we took black alcohol dye , cut the consistency to 50% black. Used the black stain first , dried the wood w/ heat gun , and then applied the red alcohol over the black . the process is , apply the black , dry with heat gun , polish with OOOO steel wool that's washed in solvent to remove the preservative oil from the wool. Over the black alco. stain , apply the red alco. stain , and dry with heat gun. Last , again polish the wood w/ oil less , OOOO steel wool. Put the finish on and , we had emulated a blood root stained gun. That was back in the mid 1980's and haven't yet stained a gun , that color. Just never got an inquiry for a red stained s/w Pa. squirrel rifle..............oldwood

 

[Zutt-man]

I was born in S/W Pa. south of the m/l gun industry around Pittsburgh , Pa.. My father's garage we used as an at home business , mechanic shop. In the corner of the garage , mixed with some shovels , etc. , was two original local made longrifles. One had a very red stained maple stock. Later in years , a friend , and I tried to research the stain used on that original red colored rifle. the wood was curly maple, and after reading what would be used back in the day this piece was made , we came up with a naturally grown common plant called "blood root". We went out along a stream in the spring time , when we had an idea this blood root might be found. The plant , if torn from the ground and cut open , yields a thick sap emulating blood. Ureka , we found it. However , draining each tiny plant of the bloody sap , yielded about a dime size puddle of liquid. We abandoned the effort to use a stain made by this process , due to the amount of plants needed to generate the stain. Any way , we got some dark red alcohol dye , and kept thinning it w/ alcohol until the test sample looked good. First , to highlight the curl , we took black alcohol dye , cut the consistency to 50% black. Used the black stain first , dried the wood w/ heat gun , and then applied the red alcohol over the black . the process is , apply the black , dry with heat gun , polish with OOOO steel wool that's washed in solvent to remove the preservative oil from the wool. Over the black alco. stain , apply the red alco. stain , and dry with heat gun. Last , again polish the wood w/ oil less , OOOO steel wool. Put the finish on and , we had emulated a blood root stained gun. That was back in the mid 1980's and haven't yet stained a gun , that color. Just never got an inquiry for a red stained s/w Pa. squirrel rifle..............oldwood

@dave_person was this the root/process you used on your walnut guns?

 

[Zutt-man]

You guys and your carving chisels.

I don't have it in me.

Wish I did.

I’m not sure I have it in me either

I have to put something on a flintlock. My first gun had some small stuff. The finishes around a cross I put behind the cheek piece was left to be desired. It was mine though. This gun I’ve taken more time and had a good idea what I wanted to do. Theres still some touching up to do and the wing certainly isn’t great, but it’s mine. Once the finishes go on, I think I will be a very happy guy

 

[oldwood]

The only gun I've ever seen with the redish black highlighted stock was a S.W. Pa. curly maple one. I've put red ,yellow , and orange dye on walnut stocks ,to lighten the walnut color a little to make the wood have an aged look. All I can say is , try it on some test walnut. .....oldwood

 

[Brokennock]

Do some research into violin finishes. They have been mentioned here and on the ALR forum before. It involves adding a red pigment to a clear varnish finish, if I'm not misremembering also associated with Lehigh style rifles.

 

[Zutt-man]

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Just for y’all’s entertainment. These are my first major carvings. My last gun wasn’t near this intricate. Have a little edge cleaning to do yet. My plan was to let the curl enhance the plumage.

I guess I didn’t put an updated picture of my quail wing up

 

[Bobby MacAlphin]

Good evening, folks.

I’m finishing up my 2nd Kibler colonial. It’s a .58 smoothie, mainly a turkey and small game/upland gun, but I’m sure I’ll dabble in a few deer hunts as well. The barrel is currently being jug choked and I just finished up aging the parts. Essentially, it’s ready to go outside of the barrel.

I have a vision of patinated hardware with a DARK red curly maple stock. The curl in this stock is exquisite. I’m having troubles reaching the red color I want, though. Have been working with tannic acid, iron nitrate, cherry LMF, and Tru oil in the barrel channel in certain segments to test without avail (yes, I will neutralize the channel when I’m done to prevent corrosion).

Does anyone have any suggestions or examples?

I used iron nitrate and laurel mountain forge maple stain on mine , don't know if this is color your looking for !

 

[Sean E Bug]

I would do a test of good old aqua fortis and tung oil. BLO seemed to make it too dark for my taste.

 

[Zutt-man]

I used iron nitrate and laurel mountain forge maple stain on mine , don't know if this is color your looking for !

That’s a gorgeous red. I actually tried just a little maple and got a brown result. Must be a different maple stock

 

[vintovka]

You guys and your carving chisels.

I don't have it in me.

Wish I did.

I have the "fecal" touch when it comes to fine wood work!! My milling machine is my friend.