two question post underlugs/stain

[armymedic.2]

For the underlugs- i cant find it now but remembering seeing some slot the underlug so that when wood swells it does not stress the pin and wood horizontally. I did not yet .....is this necessary if i am using lmf finish and sealer?

Secondly...i am using lmf stain. "Maple" has anyone used this without using nitric acid and did it bring the curls out nicely? I would like to avoid the chemicals if possible while still getting my moneys worth out of the beautiful and expensive wood.
Thanks!

 

[wattlebuster]

I always slot mine. Dont know if it helps but it sure cant hurt an it dont take much time to do :thumbsup: #2 I use LMF stain along with bout 20 coats of tru oil an here is the results so you can form your own opinion :thumbsup:

 

[Birddog6]

Definitely slot them. IMHO

Keith Lisle

 

[Vtsmoker]

The slotting tip is at the end of Mikes building tutorial. :thumbsup:

wattlebuster, what color stain was that and any other pre-stain color used? That is beutiful!

 

[sc45-70]

I always slot the under lugs.

I use LMF stain all the time!
I usually use Lancaster maple for the first coat and follow it with Maple.

Maple by itself is a little to red for my taste but that's just me.

This wood was stained with LMF lancaster followed by LMF maple and finished with Tung oil.

If there is figure in the wood LMF will bring it out!

SC45-70

 

[RHill]

Easy to do with a needle file. I usually do it last, when reassembling the rifle after finishing stock and metal.

 

[armymedic.2]

Wel gentleman that was certainly conclusive! Thankyou and beaaauuuuutiful guns!

Ill slot them tonight! I looked back into mikes tutorial today where he explained installing the lugs and didnt see it but "knew"i needed to do it! Thanks for tip vt!

 

[Vtsmoker]

Bottom of page 7 my friend. I think it was an "oops, forgot to mention :haha:

 

[wattlebuster]

VT that is nut brown. IIRC I think I put bout 3 coats. I did'nt use anything else. In a couple of weeks I'll be posting a pistol build that Im gonna try two different colors on a super premium stock.

 

[bioprof]

I've tested LMF Maple, and it didn't bring out the curl at all on maple and is a bit too light in color. Nut brown is much better at showing off the curl. Use Zonie's trick with it for best results.

 

[Hangfire]

What is Zonie's trick?

 

[armymedic.2]

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/231642/post/690300/fromsearch/1/#690300

Here is zonies trick. The reason i wasnt looking to use it was the lye. Same reason i didnt want to do aqua.


I reallylike a reddish brown stock so i think i may still try the maple. If i dont like it i could always darken with nut brown as long as i have not put a finish on i think......cojld2 be wrong!

 

[armymedic.2]

quick update,

given my vast recent experience,if anyone is interested i can do a great tutorial on how to:

put drill bit through bottom of underlug so that the pin will no longer grab the barrel.

solder another strip of metal to the top (bottom maybe?) of said lug, which is now oversized and even after filing down needed to be inlet just a smidge, while squinting your eyes just right so the solder holding the lug to the barrel doesn't melt while you are fixing the other side of it.

slightly burn you finger when picking up the said metal strip you just cut.

drop an open inletting black four feet so that upon impact half of the contents shoot out into your shop giving a really nice "patina" to the brand new bench you just put in.

taking an hour and a half to do a two minute job

but most of all,,,,.....and this is a the hard part.....the part where i felt sepecially qualitfied.......i can show you how to smile like a knucklehead when all was said and done, thinking "i like this gun building thing!"

haha, what a horrid/fun night after starting work at 3 AM. ahh well, tomorrow.....smoke!

 

[bioprof]

Yes, just think of it as a learning experience and remember not to do it the same way next time. Learning by doing is sometimes the only way to go.

 

[Ft. Jefferson]

A properly cut piece of gun stock wood will only show swelling in vertical plane, up and down. Exposing tangs and buttplate edges, etc. Virtually no movement of the wood should occur front to rear or side to side. The key here is "properly cut". The slotting of pins and keys is usually not necessary. Allowing a stock to fully dry and season before the build is of utmost importance. That's 6 months to a year depending on where you live and the humidity level in your area. Here in west central Ohio, i've learned that 6 months in my clothes closet is enough time for a freshly ordered stock from Pecatonica to be ready to begin a build. Longer doesn't hurt either. Good Luck, Buzzard

 

[Zonie]

IMO, there is more going on here than just the movement of the wood when discussing elongating barrel pin slots.

The barrel will grow or shrink in length depending on the temperature of its metal.

For instance, if the barrel pins were installed in a room where it was 70 degrees F and the gun was laying out in the sun where the barrel heated up to 140 degrees F the pin holes would move .015 away from one another if they were spaced 30 inches apart.

Likewise, if that gun were taken out hunting on a zero degree F day the holes would move .015 towards each other.

While these numbers don't sound very large, combined they add up to a slot that is .030 longer than the original drilled hole size.