Finishing a Smoothbore in the White

[Ontario Hawken]

What off the shelf products would you recommend for finishing the metal and wood on a smoothbore "in the white"?

I am planning to use this gun for hunting so it will need a durable finish.

Thanks,

Scott

 

[Vaino]

LMF browning and whatever dull finish you choose. Many of the finishes yield a shiny surface and require rubbing back w/ either steel wool or pumice in mineral oil.

My builds have a dull finish and need some rubbing w/ a fluffy towel to bring out some shine. The finish is composed of 2 products and is very easy to apply, but won't go into the details in this post....Fred

 

[Ontario Hawken]

thanks. We have a chain here called Lee Valley that specializes in woodworking tools and finishes. I expect they can recommend a wood finish. The metal browning advice is of more importance to me.

 

[Black Hand]

I'd leave the barrel "white" or give it a "grey" finish with some cold bluing rubbed back.

Aquafortis on the wood followed up with Tru-oil or Chambers oil finish.

 

[galamb]

It's difficult to get the rust blue/brown solutions up here.

Not many will ship it up from the US and if they do there is added fees that make it wicked expensive.

You can drive it across the border yourself (which is what I do), but again, unless you have some reason to be across the border (more than a bottle of LMF) it's just not worth the drive.

When I was building Ohio rifles, which historically didn't have the metal treated in any way (at least the ones that I tried to emulate had the wood finished, but the metal left "in the white"), in order to get kinda "greyish" finish that the metal takes on after 100 or 150 years of age, I simply applied a couple of coats of Birchwood Casey Perma Blue (which you can find all over).

As to your wood finish, you have tons of options. You can go with Minwax or Varathane, either oil or water based stains (again, most of the stains guys use on this site are not available for export due to shipping liquids etc etc) I often used the water based stains from Saman - available at Rona - you can mix them to come up with zillions of colours - so if you want "lighter walnut" then their light walnut, you can add a little extra white (or whatever).

Lee Valley does have a whole whack of aniline dyes in powder form that can be mixed with alcohol to try and mimic the old style violin red (or whatever you might like). I have played around with their "ruby" dye over top of aqua fortis treated maple (aqua fortis is another one of those items you pick up when you happen to be south of the border).

For your top coat you "can" get Tru-Oil (Sail stocks it) if you want to go that route. Other options would be spar varnish (super tough - used on wooden boats below the waterline, so more than enough for wet/snowy weather up here) or you can even go with "modern" polyurethanes (varathane diamond coat - exterior) etc.

So while you can appreciate the advice from most of the guys/gals here that toss around names like Aquafortis or LMF etc, we just can't get them up here and shipping them from the US is almost never an option.

If/when you make the pilgrimage to Dixon's one year for the Fair, bring a full wallet and take back a couple years supply of the "liquid stuff" that is near impossible to ship across the border - they don't care if you drive it, just nobody much want to carry it for you.

 

[Ontario Hawken]

Thanks for the advice, Graham. Glad to see another Canuck on the forum. Excuse the dumb question what/where is Dixon's?

 

[ehoff]

Dixons Muzzleloader Shop, 9952 Kunkles Mill Rd, Kempton PA 19529. Is probably the largest muzzleloader shop in the northeast. Every year in July they host a Gunmakers fair the 2016 fair will be July 29,30 & 31. The fair features seminars on gunbuilding and other topics. There are are suppliers and custom builders from all over the US.

 

[Ontario Hawken]

Thanks!

 

[eggwelder]

can you post a pic of your rifle? id like to see how you are finishing it.
I`m located near Gananoque

 

[galamb]

Yes, Dickson's has become the Mecca for muzzle loaders - you have to make the "pilgrimage" at least once if you are a true believer :rotf:

It's almost always the last full weekend in July.

As posted, it's in Pennsylvania just a little west of Allentown. It's a fairly easy drive from my area (Kingston area) and just a couple extra hours from Ottawa.

Even waiting to get through customs I can be down there in about 4 1/2 hours. Since the dollar took a nose dive I didn't go down this year (2015), but most years I go down, stay over in Allentown or Bethlehem and take in a couple days of the fair.

Everybody who is anybody in the muzzleloading community (as far as vendors etc) are there - lot's of great deals on stock blanks, barrels, locks, cast parts plus all the "stuff" if you are into "period dress" etc.

Plus there is a number of demonstrations or presentations - everything from discussing twist rates in barrels to little workshops to show you how to do carving or engraving.

And the best part is, it's all free (save the 2 bucks for parking which pays for the portable toilets they truck in).

So absolutely worth making the trip, especially if you have a build or two in your future and you are looking for "parts". Just what you save in international shipping pays for an overnight in a hotel and the gas to go down and back.

 

[Ontario Hawken]

Thanks again. I think it would be a fun trip to go down. Certainly better than going to Toronto. I've gone to Fort Henry twice just to look at the gun displays. I am expecting my first custom build to be delivered this week. Once I have something in my hands I hope to use this as a template for building my own guns (I just don't have the brain power to make one from videos or books; I need to see it to understand it)

 

[Ontario Hawken]

Iw as able to order Plum Brown and other Birchwood-Casey products from the Log Cabin Shop in Ohio. Their shipping costs were very reasonable