ronaldrothb49
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2021
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My trade rifle was made with a true Plain Maple stock blank that had been sitting around my workshop for at least 30 years. From the start of this project I had intended to artificially stripe it just to see what I could do.
Back in the early 80's I had rebuilt my first rifle a CVA mountain rifle that I wasn't shooting anymore. Used Potassium Permanganate to stipe it and within 30 minutes of hanging it on the club house wall it had a new home. I did some test strips with that but just wasn't what I really wanted.
Next I did some test strips with India Ink which was recommended for this. Not what I was trying to do it went on like paint. I could actually feel it above the level of the stock and it chipped and sanded off with no penetration into the wood.
Next tried Frieberg Leather Dye which is water based. The test strip was sanded to 400 grit. as I was putting the stripes on I just sat there and watched them bleed together making an ugly mess.
Then I found Angelus Leather Dye which is Alcohol based. It had a little bleeding which gave the edges of the stripes an irregular look that I liked and dried very fast. Also penetrated into the wood So this is the winner.
I intended to use Aqua Fortis with a small piece of rusty barbed wire sitting for about a year for the stain. Did one more test strip to decide how to apply the stripes.
#1 was the Aqua Fortis then blushed it and then the stripe. turned out OK.
#2 was the Aqua Fortis then painted the stripes then blushed it. Definitely not what I was looking for.
#3 I painted the stripes onto the bare wood then the Aqua Fortis and blushed it. Got exactly what I was looking for in the color of the stain and the contrast with the stripes.
I used several different size round and flat artist brushes, they are only a few dollars each. The flat brushes seem to be the most versatile. You can do wide stripes or turn them on edge for narrow stripes, or you can start with the narrow and roll the brush to make the stripe wider as you go. I just put the stripes on totally random like the stripes on real curly maple. I kind of got carried away with the stripes. I had intended to finish with the third pic but came back the next day and just had to add some more stripes. I then stained it with the Aqua Fortis blushed it to get the beautiful reddish brown that I love the killed the stain in the hope that it won't get darker with age.
The finish I use I got from John Schippers, the last two steps are from John I added the first step to speed the process up. It is different combinations of Boiled Linseed Oil, Turpentine and a teaspoon of vinegar. The vinegar separates the wax from the Linseed Oil. If you look at the pic of the final finish bottle there is quite a bit of wax in just a couple ounces of oil. I don't use the wax until the final coat or two. You don't need a lot of the mixtures especially the last two. If you leave the wax mixed in through the whole process it will build up especially in carving and over time will turn white, UGLY.
I start with a mix of 1 part Linseed OIL 2 parts Turpentine and a teaspoon of vinegar. I use a piece of cotton T shirt and put a heavy coat on and rub it in. The wood is really going to soak this up. Wait 30 minutes then wipe the stock down to get any excess oil, Probably won't be any excess oil on this stage. Let it sit 24 hours then lightly steel wool and put on a new coat. I do 4 coats like this.
Next I do 1 part Linseed oil 1 part Turpentine and teaspoon of Vinegar. I use a cotton swap to put a few dabs on an area. Then rub it in good by hand or I prefer to use a piece of cotton T shirt. Wait 30 minutes then wipe down to get any excess off. 24 hours steel wool and repeat for 4 coats.
For the final finish 2 parts Linseed Oil 1 part turpentine, and teaspoon of Vinegar. Use just small dabs rub it in good wait 30 minutes to wipe off excess. let it sit 24 to 48 hours, It depends if the finish feels tacky. Steel wool and repeat. don't have any set number of coats on this step you just watch till you get what you like usually 3 or 4 coats. For the final coat or two I shake the bottle up mixing the wax back into the oil.
Hopefully this will inspire some of you to spice up those plain wood stocks.
GOOD LUCK
Back in the early 80's I had rebuilt my first rifle a CVA mountain rifle that I wasn't shooting anymore. Used Potassium Permanganate to stipe it and within 30 minutes of hanging it on the club house wall it had a new home. I did some test strips with that but just wasn't what I really wanted.
Next I did some test strips with India Ink which was recommended for this. Not what I was trying to do it went on like paint. I could actually feel it above the level of the stock and it chipped and sanded off with no penetration into the wood.
Next tried Frieberg Leather Dye which is water based. The test strip was sanded to 400 grit. as I was putting the stripes on I just sat there and watched them bleed together making an ugly mess.
Then I found Angelus Leather Dye which is Alcohol based. It had a little bleeding which gave the edges of the stripes an irregular look that I liked and dried very fast. Also penetrated into the wood So this is the winner.
I intended to use Aqua Fortis with a small piece of rusty barbed wire sitting for about a year for the stain. Did one more test strip to decide how to apply the stripes.
#1 was the Aqua Fortis then blushed it and then the stripe. turned out OK.
#2 was the Aqua Fortis then painted the stripes then blushed it. Definitely not what I was looking for.
#3 I painted the stripes onto the bare wood then the Aqua Fortis and blushed it. Got exactly what I was looking for in the color of the stain and the contrast with the stripes.
I used several different size round and flat artist brushes, they are only a few dollars each. The flat brushes seem to be the most versatile. You can do wide stripes or turn them on edge for narrow stripes, or you can start with the narrow and roll the brush to make the stripe wider as you go. I just put the stripes on totally random like the stripes on real curly maple. I kind of got carried away with the stripes. I had intended to finish with the third pic but came back the next day and just had to add some more stripes. I then stained it with the Aqua Fortis blushed it to get the beautiful reddish brown that I love the killed the stain in the hope that it won't get darker with age.
The finish I use I got from John Schippers, the last two steps are from John I added the first step to speed the process up. It is different combinations of Boiled Linseed Oil, Turpentine and a teaspoon of vinegar. The vinegar separates the wax from the Linseed Oil. If you look at the pic of the final finish bottle there is quite a bit of wax in just a couple ounces of oil. I don't use the wax until the final coat or two. You don't need a lot of the mixtures especially the last two. If you leave the wax mixed in through the whole process it will build up especially in carving and over time will turn white, UGLY.
I start with a mix of 1 part Linseed OIL 2 parts Turpentine and a teaspoon of vinegar. I use a piece of cotton T shirt and put a heavy coat on and rub it in. The wood is really going to soak this up. Wait 30 minutes then wipe the stock down to get any excess oil, Probably won't be any excess oil on this stage. Let it sit 24 hours then lightly steel wool and put on a new coat. I do 4 coats like this.
Next I do 1 part Linseed oil 1 part Turpentine and teaspoon of Vinegar. I use a cotton swap to put a few dabs on an area. Then rub it in good by hand or I prefer to use a piece of cotton T shirt. Wait 30 minutes then wipe down to get any excess off. 24 hours steel wool and repeat for 4 coats.
For the final finish 2 parts Linseed Oil 1 part turpentine, and teaspoon of Vinegar. Use just small dabs rub it in good wait 30 minutes to wipe off excess. let it sit 24 to 48 hours, It depends if the finish feels tacky. Steel wool and repeat. don't have any set number of coats on this step you just watch till you get what you like usually 3 or 4 coats. For the final coat or two I shake the bottle up mixing the wax back into the oil.
Hopefully this will inspire some of you to spice up those plain wood stocks.
GOOD LUCK
