Hello, I'm new to this site and muzzleloading. I just acquired a CVA Sharpshooter 50 cal. I'm wanting to rebuild it. I've refinished a stock before but never a whole rifle. I'm wondering if someone could give me some tips on browning and traditional stock finishes.
Restore CVA Sharpshooter
- Thread starter Varnadol
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you can use fieberings leather dye.
Nit Wit
Nit Wit
Col. Batguano
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How much rebuilding do you want to do? Among other things, those factory guns are known for having way way way too much wood on them, incorrectly profiled, as well as having parts that might need changing out.
A lot of times, it's actually easier to start out with an entire scratch build from a blank than it is to try and fix someone else's mistakes.
Then, if you want to try your hand at carving and engraving, well, that can really really get in to chewing up the time, but at the same time, expand your skill set and let your creative side come out.
Do a search here on browning and finishes and check out those threads. There are a zillion of them here. Browning isn't the only finish available for the metal however. There's natural white, or shiny, hot bluing, graying, blackening, rust bluing, hot and cold browning, and case coloring (though that's mostly for parts rather than barrels).
When it comes to stains, the "go to" finish for most is Aqua Fortis, especially for maple. Not sure how it works on other alternative woods (beech, birch, mystery hard wood) except walnut, where it will turn it black as coal. Nothing brings out curl in maple the way this stuff does.
When you're getting in to stains other than AF, the sky is the limit. Stains, dyes, gel stains, soot, paint flecks. It's all over the place.
For top coats you can go with oil finishes, or varnishes. Some people mull paint pigments in to their varnishes to create a "red violin varnish" finish. You can spend a week or more researching this stuff.
A lot of times, it's actually easier to start out with an entire scratch build from a blank than it is to try and fix someone else's mistakes.
Then, if you want to try your hand at carving and engraving, well, that can really really get in to chewing up the time, but at the same time, expand your skill set and let your creative side come out.
Do a search here on browning and finishes and check out those threads. There are a zillion of them here. Browning isn't the only finish available for the metal however. There's natural white, or shiny, hot bluing, graying, blackening, rust bluing, hot and cold browning, and case coloring (though that's mostly for parts rather than barrels).
When it comes to stains, the "go to" finish for most is Aqua Fortis, especially for maple. Not sure how it works on other alternative woods (beech, birch, mystery hard wood) except walnut, where it will turn it black as coal. Nothing brings out curl in maple the way this stuff does.
When you're getting in to stains other than AF, the sky is the limit. Stains, dyes, gel stains, soot, paint flecks. It's all over the place.
For top coats you can go with oil finishes, or varnishes. Some people mull paint pigments in to their varnishes to create a "red violin varnish" finish. You can spend a week or more researching this stuff.
You can use any paint and finish remover you wish to, to remove the existing finish.
The stock is made from Beech wood and without a stain it is a very light colored blond.
Beech wood rapidly fills with oil and once that happens it will not absorb more.
For that reason, any attempt to darken the stock more than one coat with an oil based stain will accomplish nothing.
If you use a water based or an alcohol based stain like Birchwood Casey Walnut, Laurel Mountain Forge or Solar-Lux stain you can apply multiple coats to darken the color of the wood. Allow the stain to dry between coats and remember that the appearance of the dry stain will be much lighter than it will be after a finishing oil is applied.
If you choose to use Fieberings Leather dye remember it is very strong so I recommend first thinning it with some denatured alcohol. That allows you to "sneak" up on the final color by applying several coats.
Browning the barrel and other steel parts is fairly easy.
There are two kinds of browning agents.
Birchwood Casey Plum Brown requires heating the steel to 280°F before wiping it on. It almost always takes more than 2 coats to get a even, un-streaked look and if the metal is shiny before browning, it will be shiny after your done.
(Real, rust browning almost always gives the surface a non-reflective dull finish.)
After using Plum Brown on several barrels, I cannot recommend it for large parts.
It works great for small parts like lock plates, steel butt plates and steel trigger guards.
Laurel Mountain Forge Barrel Brown & Degreaser is a traditional rust browning agent.
It does require the air around the steel part to be very humid for it to work.
Usually, at least 2 coats are needed with the loose rust that forms rubbed off with a course cloth between the coats to fully brown the metal.
If you want the rusted surfaces to be black rather than brown it can be converted by boiling the part in distilled water before any oil is applied.
The stock can be finished with old fashioned linseed oil, tung oil, Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil or varnish.
These finishes are always "rubbed in" rather than painted on. It takes several coats to build up the finish to withstand the hardships a gun must endure.
The stock is made from Beech wood and without a stain it is a very light colored blond.
Beech wood rapidly fills with oil and once that happens it will not absorb more.
For that reason, any attempt to darken the stock more than one coat with an oil based stain will accomplish nothing.
If you use a water based or an alcohol based stain like Birchwood Casey Walnut, Laurel Mountain Forge or Solar-Lux stain you can apply multiple coats to darken the color of the wood. Allow the stain to dry between coats and remember that the appearance of the dry stain will be much lighter than it will be after a finishing oil is applied.
If you choose to use Fieberings Leather dye remember it is very strong so I recommend first thinning it with some denatured alcohol. That allows you to "sneak" up on the final color by applying several coats.
Browning the barrel and other steel parts is fairly easy.
There are two kinds of browning agents.
Birchwood Casey Plum Brown requires heating the steel to 280°F before wiping it on. It almost always takes more than 2 coats to get a even, un-streaked look and if the metal is shiny before browning, it will be shiny after your done.
(Real, rust browning almost always gives the surface a non-reflective dull finish.)
After using Plum Brown on several barrels, I cannot recommend it for large parts.
It works great for small parts like lock plates, steel butt plates and steel trigger guards.
Laurel Mountain Forge Barrel Brown & Degreaser is a traditional rust browning agent.
It does require the air around the steel part to be very humid for it to work.
Usually, at least 2 coats are needed with the loose rust that forms rubbed off with a course cloth between the coats to fully brown the metal.
If you want the rusted surfaces to be black rather than brown it can be converted by boiling the part in distilled water before any oil is applied.
The stock can be finished with old fashioned linseed oil, tung oil, Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil or varnish.
These finishes are always "rubbed in" rather than painted on. It takes several coats to build up the finish to withstand the hardships a gun must endure.
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