First Build Questions

[tr07416]

A few months ago, (after following along here on the forum for about a year and reading Dixon's book about three times) I figured I was ready for my first build. When my Track of the Wolf parts arrived I found out fast that putting a rifle together was going to be full of surprises.

I built my share of bird houses and gun racks in
wood shop class about forty-five years ago, but I was surprised how much inletting and metal work I would have to do. After my first slip with a chisel, I started to get cold feet.

After a little campfire went on in my head, (remember this is a traditional forum so we can't use light bulbs) I told my wife that the guys on the internet said I should buy a cheaper "In the White" gun to practice on and see how it goes together, before I mess up on the expensive stock. She didn't like the idea, but I convinced her that they (you) are experts and always know what your talking about. :wink: So now I'm "stuck" :haha: on working on two rifles at the same time.

Questions:

1. The "In the White" gun is going to be a little
36 cal Southern Mt.Rifle so it came with a
"plain" maple stock. It turned out to be not
so plain because it has nice striped figure on
it, but only on one side. Is this unusual? I
know that each piece of wood takes the stain
in its own way, but should it look like two
different guns from side to side? I'm using
Laural Mt. Nut Brown Stain.

2. The Chambers finish is very shiny when it goes
on and then dries to a nice "less shiny" look.
The can says one heavy first coat, wipe off
excess, and then one to three additional coats,
sanding lightly between coats. How do I know
when enough is on? Your going to say personal
preference, but I didn't see any difference
between coats three and four. Some people on
here talk about ten coats? What will that do
to the look?

3. It looks like the finish is starting to build
in some inletted areas in spite of my effort to
avoid it. I'm going to be able to get the build
up out of there when it dries, right?

I hope you can help me make these two projects look good. My wife hates it when I mess up. Anyway, she is still mad as hell at you guys for
getting me into this BP stuff in the first place.

Thanks and Happy New Year,
TR

 

[paulvallandigham]

I don't have experience using the Chamber's dyes, or stock finishes, but can give you some guidance on finishes in general.

As to the maple stock and your question about it looking so different from one side to the other: That is not at all uncommon in Maple. Usually you see fiddleback in the forestock, but not the buttstock, or in the buttstock but not the forestock. Every once in awhile, you find it on one side of the stock and not the other. That is just a quirk of maple as a wood. Some say that the fiddleback is caused by the tree trunk bending in the wind when it blows, causing stress in the wood that shows up as fiddleback( a/k/a "tigerstripes), and that the different result in the wood is related to where the prevailing woods hit the tree. I Think these people are trying to pull my leg, but I have not found any tree expert who can offer any other explanation. Another imponderable.

How do you know when you are done with the stock finish? It is personal choice, of course, but mostly you want to be able to hold the stock to a light at a shallow angle so that you can look down the stock and see if there are any pores showing. If you see pores, you may want to sand, and then put a couple of more coats on it. Walnut is worse, but maple can absorb lots of stock finish in its pores before they are closed. When they are filled with finish, or a "filler" used on the wood before putting on the stock finish, the finished wood will look smooth, even at that shallow angle, and the finish will have NO shiny spots. Whether you want a plastic style glossy finish, or a matte finish, or even a very dull finish-- that is your choice. we can tell you how to get what you want with oil finishs, but we can't decide your choice for you. The wonderful thing about wood is that if you later decide you don't like the finish, you can do it again. All it takes is stripper, or sand paper, elbow grease, and some new coats of finish.

Welcome to our form of madness. We always want to see others come over to our "dark side". :blah: :shocked2: :rotf: :thumbsup:

 

[50cal.cliff]

She didn't like the idea, but I convinced her that they (you) are experts and always know what your talking about. :wink: So now I'm "stuck" :haha: on working on two rifles at the same time.
TR

Man that was some slick thinking on your part and the best part the wife bought it!
If the figure is only on one side then it will probably look different from side to side. There is a way to put a fake figure to wood.
Perhaps Zonie or some of the others can explain this process. This might make the stock appear more balanced as far as figure. If you decide to try this, by all means experiment on another piece of wood till you get the process to look like you want it to.
As for the Chambers I can not personally refrence it because I have never used it. But as a carpenter who has finished wood. Building coats is a slow process and the change is slow, and alot is personal preference.
Once the finish dries it will be hard to remove from these areas, but then again if you are trying to achive an aged look those are the areas that tend to get a build up over time. In otherword thats where the grunge tend to show.
As for the last thing, been married now 31 yrs to the same woman and I always prefer my wife to be mad at (you guys) instead of me.
As to the build go slow and ask questions. The only dumb question is the one you forgot to ask!

 

[J.D.]

Chamber's oil is a wipe on, wipe off finish.

If you put it on heavy, it will NEVER dry.

After the wood is ready, slop the first coat on and keep on until the wood stops absorbing it and the oil begins to just lay of the surface. Wait a couple of minutes and wipe that off with a hard (lint free) cloth. Then let it dry 24 hours. This is the coat that seals the wood.

For the subsequent coats use a couple of drops and rub them in with your fingers or palm, then do it again, and again.....until the entire rifle is done.

Next day sand it very lightly with very fine sandpaper. Your just taking off the high rough spots.

Then repeat the hand rubbing of the finish.
Apply as many coats as necessary to get the finish you like. Some folks apply as many as 8 coats, or more, after the first sealing coat, depending on the look and depth of finish they want.

You can finish up with 0000 steel wool and just knock back the shine. Then rub and wax.

 

[Tommy Bruce]

TRR, of course I always blame my buddies when I get myself in trouble too. Pretty sure that's a man law. :hatsoff: Getting a gun in the white no doubt made things a little easier on you and built some confidence but it won't help you get any better at inlaying metal into wood. Get some scrap wood (maple or walnut or whatever you're using) and practice inletting and using your tools on it. When you feel a bit more comfortable with you're ability start on the kit. No need to rush now, you'll have a smokepole to shoot when the in-the-white gun is finished. And to think with an early slip of a chisel you ended up with two rifles. :grin: :grin:

 

[J.D.]

TRR,
Do you have any of the books on gun building,Other than Dixon's, or a DVD on building?

Books and DVDs are an invaluable resource for the type of information you are looking for.

 

[tr07416]

JD, thanks for the interest.

I have also read "Recreating the American Longrifle" a few times.

Any suggestions for a DVD. I have referred to
the tutorial here at the beginning of the forum a number of times.

Paul, Cliff, and Tommy thanks for your answers too.
TR