What Stain for Tiger Maple?

[ekettenburg]

In thinking about the color on original guns we can observe and copy today I wonder if they are not considerably darker from age than they were when built.

Probably 99% of original guns you're looking at today have been refinished multiple times. There are very few of the 18th century that can actually be utilized as a good example of original finish, and even up through the 1820s-30s period, the vast majority have been refinished. In the case of those that do retain original finish, one has to speculate as to what the effect of 200+ years may have had on any stain or finish material that is still present.

RCA #42 is a spectacular example of an original finish rifle, clearly an aquafortis stain under a thin, hard oil varnish that has a slight red tint with some unknown material (I suspect a resin). The 'ghost' Peter Resor rifle is another fairly early piece that does not appear to have been ever refinned, and that's on the opposite side of the spectrum: it was clearly a very light stain, if any, under an oil finish that has darkened with time and oxidation.

There are a couple of signed John Moll rifles that retain good proportions of original finish, and it's clear that he was obtaining a good amount of color in a hard varnish, probably a copal resin varnish. Of the two that I think about most often, one is a really warm orange-amber, almost all in the varnish, and the other is a good dark 'burnt'red, also mostly in the varnish.

There's a lot to be said for Wallace Gusler's approach in not staining an extensively-carved rifle but rather hitting it with a few coats of a sealer and/or finish that is oil based and has color all it's own. Very fast, efficient, and doesn't bugger the carving that you just put so much work into!

 

[M. De Land]

Probably 99% of original guns you're looking at today have been refinished multiple times. There are very few of the 18th century that can actually be utilized as a good example of original finish, and even up through the 1820s-30s period, the vast majority have been refinished. In the case of those that do retain original finish, one has to speculate as to what the effect of 200+ years may have had on any stain or finish material that is still present.

RCA #42 is a spectacular example of an original finish rifle, clearly an aquafortis stain under a thin, hard oil varnish that has a slight red tint with some unknown material (I suspect a resin). The 'ghost' Peter Resor rifle is another fairly early piece that does not appear to have been ever refinned, and that's on the opposite side of the spectrum: it was clearly a very light stain, if any, under an oil finish that has darkened with time and oxidation.

There are a couple of signed John Moll rifles that retain good proportions of original finish, and it's clear that he was obtaining a good amount of color in a hard varnish, probably a copal resin varnish. Of the two that I think about most often, one is a really warm orange-amber, almost all in the varnish, and the other is a good dark 'burnt'red, also mostly in the varnish.

There's a lot to be said for Wallace Gusler's approach in not staining an extensively-carved rifle but rather hitting it with a few coats of a sealer and/or finish that is oil based and has color all it's own. Very fast, efficient, and doesn't bugger the carving that you just put so much work into!

Good point I had not considered (refinished)! I was thinking more of them being preserved as originals rather than them being refinished while still working guns in earlier life.

 

[Harry Marinakis]

...or you can use ammonia to lighten and add more red/gold to the color *after heat blushing.*

A stock stained with homemade stain is also going to react more with most commercial linseed oil as there are fatty acids present that will react with the acidity of the stain unless it's been neutralized with ammonia or lye. Have to be very careful if using lye solution and linseed oil, too much lye and the oil will start to get cloudy and patchy white usually in high humidity.

Tell me more.

I just refinished my 35-year old stock with iron nitrate. First I cleaned up the stock with hydrogen peroxide. That got rid of all the crud and lightened the stock. Then I lightly wiped the stock with iron nitrate, applied heat, and washed-down the stock. Finally I rubbed in linseed oil and, when that was dry, a little wax.

I'd love to get some red hues. What do you think about applying some gentle heat, rubbing down the stock with alcohol to strip it, and then applying some ammonia? I live in the hot, humid mid-Atlantic region.

 

[ekettenburg]

Once you've had any kind of penetrating oil on a stock, I don't care how it's stripped, it's not going to take any water-based stain or solution (aquafortis, ammonia, water-soluble dyes) in the same manner as raw untreated wood. An ammonia wash can add a hint of red/gold (more golden or amber than red) after an initial aquafortis stain but I doubt it will add anything in this situation.

Also that stock looks great, I wouldn't touch it again!