Hawken Help Part Deux

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I used the Homer Dangler red/brown stain on my Gemmer Hawken also. I liked the finish. I used tru oil also, maybe 4 coats but I’m not sure didn’t keep track. The last 2 coats I hand rubbed very small amounts until my hand got warm. Finished with renaissance wax. I refinished my Tracker pistol with the same stain I liked it so much!
Oh, how do you use the home dangler stain? Do you cut it or apply strait?
 
Get number 2 unplated screws from Brownell's or elsewhere. They are a bit bigger than what comes with the kit, but do fit properly. Redrill the pilot holes to 1/16th. The stock certainly looks like european walnut. You should fill the pores. French red filler is available at MidwayUSA. It isn't very red. I'd stain it with an American walnut stain. Fug the aqua fortis. I refinished a tiger striped european stock for my gunsmith and used honey maple stain. It added a bit of red, and darkend the stock a little but didn't hide the fact it was european walnut.
Seriously thank you for the screw help, I will order some tomorrow... I am going to forgo the aqua fortis, as I think that it will only darken the stock beyond my liking. Do you know if the filler is compatible with homer dangler stain?

Best

Ryan
 
A beautiful rifle! How did you finish the underlug and the fixture to which the are attached? I was thinking to brown the barrel, the rack and rings. But would rather blue the rings and the rack for contrast. I have seen so many variations of original and copies alike. How did you polish your wedges and the echelons and barrel cap?

Thank you again

Best

Ryan
I did brown the barrel and rust blued the under lug and buttstock and trigger guard! I used Laurel Mountain forge browning solution and Florida humidity. I put the under lug in a piece of pvc pipe and just poured the boiling water in. The other blued parts were boiled in a pan of water for about ten minutes each time after browning. I just polished all the other parts with sandpaper up to about 400 or 600 grit . The stain was used straight up. 2 coats with a couple hours in between. Soaked in water a couple times before staining for 24 hours and sanded again. Then used a couple coats of tru oil with 0000 steel wool in between then a couple coats rubbed in by hand. That’s about it! The hardest part for me was all the stock removal! Go slowly and enjoy the process!
 
I'm pretty sure the filler and stain will work together. Don't remember if Dangler stain is water or alcohol based. Water base would certainly be safe. I belive the French red filler is linseed based. When dry alcohol shouldn't hurt it.

Rub filler in across the grain, let dry, and sand with the grain.
 
If its not corrected, then the screw will not conform to the recess within the tang.
Aha! That screw. That brings up another thing in reference to that area. Be sure that there is a little bit of relief in the wood at the end of the tang. Insurance against a cracked stock.
 
I used aqua fortis in the past, I think I will do so for this build. Will try a bit in the Chanel, back it down with some 0000, and try the Homer wood finish.

Best

Ryan
I used Kiwi shoe polish for a CVA stock and it was a little bit dark but was sure easy to apply. It was the couple hundred coats of linseed/turpentine that took the most time.
 
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