wood finish for flinter

[canepole]

I'm finally finishing my flintlock that I started 20 years ago.The rifle will be southern mountain style,iron furniture and pretty curly maple.Here's my question:I have a bottle of aqua fortis that is 20 years old,and some high percentage nitric acid,which if either, would best bring out the grain on that maple?With or without trying to accent the grain, I plan to use some combination of red and brown shoe dye.Tru oil will finish it up.Having never used acid/aqua fortis,does this sound like a reasonable plan?Kinda groping my way through the dark on my first one.

 

[MSW]

beanrifle, i'd see if there's a similar bit of maple, and try the aqua fortis on that before you commit to the whole stock.

just one guy's free advice, and no doubt worth the price.

 

[Birddog6]

IMHO, If you use Aquafortis & the shoe dye, it is going to be black. Use one or the other. Personally I would use the shoe dye or Danglers stains, as I don't like using Aquafortis. But that is just me........

Keith Lisle

 

[hoochiepapa]

Keith,
Do you use the nitric before the dye? I've heard that, but not liking af either, I would like to try it on this project.
Way to go, guy, on finishing that gun. Sound like you got the fever!

 

[jsn]

This doesnt necessarally apply to the specific question you asked but I found an Interesting product much like linseed oil, Ever heard of Tung oil? I believe its non toxic and you can use it on wooden bowls, cups, floors, etc..... It seems very strong.....

 

[canepole]

I thought of tung oil and linseed oil finishes but,Randy Heil (TVManufacturing) recommended Tru oil, as he said the other two mentioned never seemed to dry completely.I did a stock refinishing job on a shotgun 40 years ago with Tru oil,it stills looks fine.At least I know I'll get a good finish, if I do my part.

 

[jerrywh]

The reason those two other finishes didn't dry right is because of they were probably too old. with the exception of linseed oil almost all stock finishes will have that problem when they get old. One way to avoid it is to keep the bottle full when storing it by putting something in the bottle to take up the space like ball bearings. True oil will do that also.

 

[Birddog6]

Keith,
Do you use the nitric before the dye? I've heard that, but not liking af either, I would like to try it on this project.
Way to go, guy, on finishing that gun. Sound like you got the fever!

What I meant was not use the Aquafortis at all. I just don't care for it or the proceedure of doing it, but again, that is just me.... Others like it & that is fine....

I like the leather dye or Danglers stains. I have used allot of both with very good results. I use Dangles most of the time. I have tried LOTS of dif stains, but lately have been using mostly Danglers.

As for the Tung Oil, it is Not waterproof, nor is the BLO. I use TruOil or Permalyn on everything first to waterproof & seal it, then may use Tung oil or something else over top of it.

Keith Lisle

PS: On every stock I finish, I use a NEW bottle of Tru-Oil or Permalyn... I save the old stuff for sealing under the buttplates, barrel channel, lock inlet, RR hole, etc. Seal up knife handle wood, etc with the old stuff. This way the new stuff is clean, no lumps or junk in it, drys well & etc. And you can easily touch up a place if you see a place you missed & never see it was touched up.

 

[Capt. Fred]

Yup, I wish they made a 1 Oz bottle of Tru oil. The Chambers oil I use for the top coats keeps well just so long as I keep it filled up to the top by adding marbles to it. The tru-oil, on the other hand, seems to get gooey once you've opened it. And the 3 Oz bottle is way too much for one gun.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Guys: Try storing oils and varnishes with the containers UPSIDE DOWN. That keeps any air in the " bottom " of the can or bottle, while leaving the rest of the finish up near the open top. I learned to do this with paints, and oils many years ago, and it works.

 

[Birddog6]

If I put 1K in parts on a rifle parts, a new bottle of Tru-Oil or Permalyn is not an issue in the build & well worth it for the ease of using new stuff. When I have two half bottles, I pour one into the other & save it. And also use it for re-sealing any stock blank ends if I don't think I am going to use them for a while. I use the old stuff on lots of things & seldom have to toss any away.
When I put the lid on an old bottle, I take some turpentine on a rag, wipe the threads on the bottle clean, take a Q-tip & clean out the threads on the cap, take a Q-tip & smear a tad of patch grease in the lid & put it on the bottle & put it upside down, it will come right back off when I need it to. Open it up, take a paper towel & wipe off the excess lube & use the oil. Repeat when I put it away. Works for me...

Keith Lisle

 

[paulvallandigham]

Nice comment, Keith, about cleaning the threads, and then lubing them. I have always cleaned up the threads on both the bottle, or can, and the lids. I had not thought to put some kind of lube on the inside threads of the lid, but that's a very good idea.

I used a small bottle Linspeed Oil to finish a stock, when I was a teen, and stored it upside down. I then used the same bottle to finish the stocks on a couple of more guns a year or so later, again, storing the bottle upside down. When I went back to use the oil to do yet another stock a few years later, I had two visible, and separate Rings in the bottle, air between the layers, each with a dried coat of finish that prevented the good finish from going to the bottom of the bottle, when I uprighted the bottle and opened it. After that last stock, I used a nail to pierce the layers, then closed it up and threw the rest away. There was not enough left to do another stock.

I had seen the same kind of thing appear in partially used cans of paint that were stored upside down, when opened later, but with the glass bottle used for the Linspeed, I could see the layers through the glass.

It made me a believer of my father's advice, and direction. That's pretty important when you are a teen, and think everything your father tells you is "Suspect" at the very least!

 

[Birddog6]

Paul, actually just about any grease on the threads will work. I just use patch grease because I have a small tub of it laying there open on my workbench.
It is important that you pipe the excess off the bottle mouth prior to using the finish, as if not you could contaminate the wood & the finish will not soak in as it normally would. And also the reason I don't use the old stuff on anything important as a outside finish.
Years ago I would put marbles in the jars, but it got to where the marbles cost so dang much, & now you hardly ever see a bag of marbles in a store...... ff as a kid I traded my best bag of marbles for a Mickey Mantle Rookie Card...... then after a week used the card for a clicker on my bike spokes ! :shocked2: after all, it was just a card & only cardboard..... :idunno:

Keith Lisle

 

[Capt. Fred]

Yup, I keep them filled up, cleaned up, and upside down. But, the tru-oil still gets thick on me. I don't mind buying a 3 OZ bottle in the least for each new gun either, I just hate throwing the unused away. I use Formebys for the sealing coat so I don't really have a use for the old Tru-oil. Of course, most of my problem is that at the pace I build, it is many, many moons till I need it again!

 

[BillinOregon]

Keith: You talking about Feibings leather dyes? What would you use to make maple look most like walnut. I have this fusil de chasse kit that just needs the maple stock finished ...

 

[Hawken Dan]

What about linseed oil? any good to use for stocks?

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Keith: You talking about Feibings leather dyes? What would you use to make maple look most like walnut. I have this fusil de chasse kit that just needs the maple stock finished ...

You really can't because the grain is different. If it's non-figured, many use nitric, don't neutralize and get as dark as possible.
It will still only look like dark maple.

 

[Zonie]

What about linseed oil? any good to use for stocks?

IMO, linseed oil is great for stocks but as was mentioned it never really dries and it by itself is not waterproof.

I usually apply one coat of it and give it time to soak in. A day or more.

Then I use Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil for all remaining coats of finish. This may be as many as 15, rubbing down the finish between each coat before it drys.

Tru-Oil is basically linseed oil with special driers added to make it actually dry unlike regular boiled linseed oil does.

 

[canepole]

Thanks again,Zonie I have often wondered about Tru oil.I thought it most have tung oil or linseed oil as a base.Th drier makes perfect sense to me.

 

[backgear]

Doesn't adding Japan dryer to boiled linseed oil shorten the drying time?