Kibler Colonial Kit .58 Smooth in Cherry, Examples of Finished Cherry Wood

[Zucatti24]

Hello all,

Just ordered a kibler colonial kit with a cherry stock as a birthday present for my dad. We have read numerous threads about cherry finishes with people staining, using lye to artificially age the cherry, and people just using oil and letting the Cherry age. We just wanna get an idea in one thread on the different colors and finishes y’all have gotten out of cherry and a step by step detail of how it was done. Pictures of course would be great. Personally, on all other wood we have used laurel mtn forge stain with great results and leaning towards choosing one of their colors as stain, then using chambers oil finish over the stain and letting the natural process of cherry aging to do its work after that. So any info, pics and processes would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

*

 

[Zucatti24]

Awesome thank you, I’m just trying to get some pics and ideas on processes to achieve certain looks. Also, just an idea on how grain on cherry stocked guns can look depending on how it’s finished

 

[hawkeye2]

*

Was I susposed to see a photo in this post?

 

[Pete G]

I like to mix a solution of drain cleaner (lye) and water. It gives a chestnut brown colour that does not fade or obscure the grain like so many stains do.

 

[Zucatti24]

I like to mix a solution of drain cleaner (lye) and water. It gives a chestnut brown colour that does not fade or obscure the grain like so many stains do.

Okay awesome, then would you just neutralize it and finish it with something like Jim chambers oil finish ? Also, if you were wanting a deeper red color can you use a coat of stain after the lye process? And do you believe even a higher quality stain like laurel mountain forge would obscure the grain? There’s been pieces of wood I barely seen grain in until I used their stain on it.

 

[Pete G]

Did not neutralize other than a good wiping with clean water. Cherry usualy has little visible grain so use a penetrating dye type stain if you go that route. I use several applications of a tung oil finish. I am sure Chambers is similar.

 

[Zucatti24]

Did not neutralize other than a good wiping with clean water. Cherry usualy has little visible grain so use a penetrating dye type stain if you go that route. I use several applications of a tung oil finish. I am sure Chambers is similar.

Okay thank you for the info. Would you happen to have any pics of a cherry stock that you did with the lye and tung oil?

 

[dave_person]

Hello all,

Just ordered a kibler colonial kit with a cherry stock as a birthday present for my dad. We have read numerous threads about cherry finishes with people staining, using lye to artificially age the cherry, and people just using oil and letting the Cherry age. We just wanna get an idea in one thread on the different colors and finishes y’all have gotten out of cherry and a step by step detail of how it was done. Pictures of course would be great. Personally, on all other wood we have used laurel mtn forge stain with great results and leaning towards choosing one of their colors as stain, then using chambers oil finish over the stain and letting the natural process of cherry aging to do its work after that. So any info, pics and processes would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all

Hi,
The first gun is cherry weakly stained with a mix of brown and orange aniline dye dissolved in water. The color matches an early 17th century French apple stocked wheellock on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The second gun is a New England fowler. I painted the stock with thinned black enamel paint and then rubbed it back with Scotch Brite pads. That highlights the fine and often obscure grain in cherry. Then a weak mix of brown and scarlet aniline dye on top to give a warm reddish-brown color, which improves nicely with age. The third gun is just nice cherry, no stain, and finished with polymerized tung oil
dave

 

[Zucatti24]

Hi,
The first gun is cherry weakly stained with a mix of brown and orange aniline dye dissolved in water. The color matches an early 17th century French apple stocked wheellock on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The second gun is a New England fowler. I painted the stock with thinned black enamel paint and then rubbed it back with Scotch Brite pads. That highlights the fine and often obscure grain in cherry. Then a weak mix of brown and scarlet aniline dye on top to give a warm reddish-brown color, which improves nicely with age. The third gun is just nice cherry, no stain, and finished with polymerized tung oil
dave

Wow all very beautiful and well done! Thanks for the info ! I really like the finish on the second gun you showed. I will have to show my dad these pics cause it’s his kit of course. I guess I will also know more when we have the actual piece of cherry in front of us when the kit comes. As far as grain and stuff