how can i re-finish and "age" a stock

[S.Kenton]

How can I darken my CVA Kentucky rifle stock? I would like to make it a deep brown.I realize it will need to be stripped and cleaned. With that in mind I am going to brown my barrel as well. A friend told me he set his barrel outside in the weather for a few days after totally stripping it..is this correct? He said to grease the end of the barrel and plug it, as well as the nipple. Hang it upside down so that the barrel is pointing toward the ground, after a few days it gets rusty. Then bring it inside and use a light steel wool on the entire barrel and oil it. Sound right?
Thanks!

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Not really. Read this thread.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/212853/

 

[Rogue River]

Sounds wrong! Go to Gun Builders page and at the top it will tell you how to brown a barrel! It has intructions on browning using LMF solution which I think is the best way to go. There are several other methods available that I'm sure you will hear about shortly!
Welcome to the forum! :grin:

 

[Zonie]

I'm moving your topic to the Gun Builders Bench because it really is about working on your gun rather than shooting it.

After stripping the finish off of the stock you may find that the wood doesn't lend itself to staining.
The wood is very tight grained and stains have difficulty penetrating into it. This is especially true with the oil based stains so I don't recommend them. Oil based stains tend to leave their color on the surface of this wood and will quickly saturate the wood so it won't accept multiple coats.

Some alcohol based shoe stains will probably work best. You can buy them at a shoe repair shop.
You can apply several coats if the first one doesn't darken the wood to your liking. Choose a dark brown color.

Another stain that will work well is Birchwood Casey Walnut. It is an alcohol based stain and you can apply many coats of it to get a dark color.
Some wood working stores carry alcohol based stains like Solar-Lux which is a good stain but it is rather expensive.

After staining a oil finish is best for a rifle.
Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil and many Tung oils made for furniture will work well.
Linseed oil is an old gun finish but it is not recommended by most builders.
Each coat can take weeks to dry and your stock will need several coats.
Linseed oil also is not very waterproof and will spot if drops of water get on it.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

birchwood casey rusty walnut:

 

[David W.]

First, you need to remove the old finish. Do so by using finish remover.

Next, can take nitric acid, place in in a large jar, throw in steel wool one piece at a time until the acid will not disolve any more. Wipe the solution on your stock. Heat with a hair dryer, sand, repeat. WEAR GLOVES! Finish with Tru-Oil or Watco Danish Oil finish. Watco is a mixture of BLO, varnish and thinner. That makes it cure very quick, hours instead of 2-3 days, or even a week in high humidity areas.

 

[Stubert]

You want a dark finish? a little tar thinned with turpintine, then a tru-oil finish. I did my rifle with tobacco, a plug of tobacco in about 8 oz. of ammonia, let set 2 weeks, strain and apply. when dry i used 11 coats of tru oil. try it on a scrap peice to see how you like it.

 

[S.Kenton]

You guys are AWSOME! KentuckyWindage : Thats the same two piece stock (CVA Kentucky??) I have..only in a percussion form...you have the look I'm after! I will certainly use a few of the tricks you guys have told me. THANKS for the warm welcome!...sorry about posting in the wrong catagory..Again thanks for the great advice!! This site seems to be full of knowledge that ya can't find at the local gun store..lol

 

[S.Kenton]

I might try the tobacco plug in the amonia...what is "period correct"? I mean..how did the gun smiths 250 yrs ago do it? The same would go for Browning..how did they do it back then? I'm gonna try and do it the way the gunsmiths of old did it. I say "TRY"...lol

 

[Kentuckywindage]

You guys are AWSOME! KentuckyWindage : Thats the same two piece stock (CVA Kentucky??) I have..only in a percussion form...you have the look I'm after! I will certainly use a few of the tricks you guys have told me. THANKS for the warm welcome!...sorry about posting in the wrong catagory..Again thanks for the great advice!! This site seems to be full of knowledge that ya can't find at the local gun store..lol

7 coats of BC Rusty walnut did the trick for me.

Its actually a traditions kentucky but its close enough. CVA and Traditions use the same wood on the kentucky rifles.

 

[fitter]

Ever done it before! Doubtful.