welshwarrior Posted January 18 Report Share Posted January 18 1 hour ago, Fellside said: In my experience, if you want to achieve the classic London ‘ruby’ colour and grain definition, apply the alkanet oil BEFORE you seal the pores. The wood needs to soak up a mixture of spirit and alkanet before the wood is sealed. Keep applying till you get the colour you like. After you’ve got the ruby tone sorted, then apply standard boiled linseed oil minus the alkanet. There’s plenty of info out there about building up a gloss oil finish. Boiled linseed oil with hardeners (thinners) are useful. London gunstock conditioning oil - I think it’s called - is a good one. You don’t have to wait forever between applications. Good luck! Sealing and filling the grain with water slurry the whole stock is still porous so absorbs the colour. If you use a shellac based sealer (sanding sealer etc) contains hardeners and reduces the porosity of the wood so changes the colouration effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted January 18 Author Report Share Posted January 18 16 minutes ago, welshwarrior said: Sealing and filling the grain with water slurry the whole stock is still porous so absorbs the colour. If you use a shellac based sealer (sanding sealer etc) contains hardeners and reduces the porosity of the wood so changes the colouration effect. Thats great will see what happens 23 minutes ago, Fellside said: It’s a nice piece of wood - worth the effort. It’s amazing how a good finish can transform a stock. I once ‘rescued’ an old browning with a factory finish which had lovely wood under a horrible coloured varnish. It was a completely different gun when finished…….even with me working on it…… 😀 Exactly. I was considering sending this one to Holts but Im glad I didnt now, the process is very interesting. looking forward to the end result Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fellside Posted January 18 Report Share Posted January 18 1 hour ago, welshwarrior said: Sealing and filling the grain with water slurry the whole stock is still porous so absorbs the colour. If you use a shellac based sealer (sanding sealer etc) contains hardeners and reduces the porosity of the wood so changes the colouration effect. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted January 24 Author Report Share Posted January 24 (edited) I recieved Alkanet oil [box in pic] and applied two thin coats, the stock remains darker than i hoped, I would have liked it to be more like the Beretta [bottom in picture] I now have BLO and artist turps along with a little TS-95 oil and 50ml of a mix that Velocette from PW kindly gave me, consisting of 75% blo, turps, and alkanet oil, along with a little hardener, I thought that the Alkanet oil might give the stock a reddish tinge, I stripped it down to bare wood and filled the pores with talc slurry, wondering whether to just apply a polish and accept the darker colour, I would prefer it to not be any darker.......any thoughts ? Edited January 24 by islandgun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charliedog Posted January 24 Report Share Posted January 24 Not sure you can really lighten naturally dark wood but for what its worth I much prefer the colour of top stock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted January 24 Author Report Share Posted January 24 10 minutes ago, Charliedog said: Not sure you can really lighten naturally dark wood but for what its worth I much prefer the colour of top stock Agreed I doubt its possible to lighten the colour without some sort of bleach, My concern is that with the advised multiple coats of oil, the stock would just become darker and the grain would disappear, [as it had before i started to sand it] or would muliple coats of oil make the grain stand out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted January 24 Report Share Posted January 24 1 hour ago, Charliedog said: for what its worth I much prefer the colour of top stock All day long. Shiny for clays if you insist, but I prefer matt for live quarry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocette Posted January 24 Report Share Posted January 24 It might be worth trying gently scraping the dark areas with a sharp blade from a Stanley or craft knife in the direction of the grain. Its awkward to do but I've found that you can remove enough of the dark surface to match the lighter sections without ill effects. Stay clear of the chequering though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted January 24 Report Share Posted January 24 Ok you can lighten the tone a bit using Oxalic Acid, the light areas are quite honey coloured in that stock to then redden them up more you’ll need to colour it. Each stock is different and there is no one size fits all, to get to similar to the bottom stock potassium pomanginate may be the answer, not a solution I like to use. Each piece of walnut is individual, I like to work with the walnut to show it to its best natural state as opposed to going at set colours, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted January 24 Author Report Share Posted January 24 22 minutes ago, welshwarrior said: Ok you can lighten the tone a bit using Oxalic Acid, the light areas are quite honey coloured in that stock to then redden them up more you’ll need to colour it. Each stock is different and there is no one size fits all, to get to similar to the bottom stock potassium pomanginate may be the answer, not a solution I like to use. Each piece of walnut is individual, I like to work with the walnut to show it to its best natural state as opposed to going at set colours, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Im reasonably happy with stock as is but certainly dont want it any darker, as that was its original colour [almost black] and the grain was barely visible. Im assuming further applications of oil of any sort will just make it darker. 27 minutes ago, Velocette said: It might be worth trying gently scraping the dark areas with a sharp blade from a Stanley or craft knife in the direction of the grain. Its awkward to do but I've found that you can remove enough of the dark surface to match the lighter sections without ill effects. Stay clear of the chequering though. Not sure Im to be trusted with a sharp blade 😉 also Im not sure there is a dark surface, its just dark...... Are two coats of Alkanet oil enough for weather proofing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted January 24 Report Share Posted January 24 No more alkanet then just plain stock oil coats will have less effect on colour then with each coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fellside Posted January 24 Report Share Posted January 24 The alkanet oil is only to enhance the figuring. If you keep layering coats of alkanet oil, you will have a finish which is changed by rain. Hard to describe - the rain drops leave dull marks on the shiny surface. Once you’ve defined the grain with alkanet, just use ordinary stock conditioning oil (as welshwarrior suggests) to build up a finish. This stuff is much more durable and rain proof. I was out in a down pour a couple of weeks ago - with a stock which I had only recently finished with 5 applications of CCL. It was completely unaffected. P.S I also recommend soaking CCL in to the internal surfaces of the stock - to prevent water ingress and swelling. It works very well. Not a huge amount, just enough to sink in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted January 24 Author Report Share Posted January 24 56 minutes ago, Fellside said: The alkanet oil is only to enhance the figuring. If you keep layering coats of alkanet oil, you will have a finish which is changed by rain. Hard to describe - the rain drops leave dull marks on the shiny surface. Once you’ve defined the grain with alkanet, just use ordinary stock conditioning oil (as welshwarrior suggests) to build up a finish. This stuff is much more durable and rain proof. I was out in a down pour a couple of weeks ago - with a stock which I had only recently finished with 5 applications of CCL. It was completely unaffected. P.S I also recommend soaking CCL in to the internal surfaces of the stock - to prevent water ingress and swelling. It works very well. Not a huge amount, just enough to sink in. Sorry me being dense what is CCL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 24 Report Share Posted January 24 17 minutes ago, islandgun said: Sorry me being dense what is CCL Clive Lemon of Worcestershire formulated a range of wood finishing products commonly known as CCL. Not cheap, but very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 24 Report Share Posted January 24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted January 24 Author Report Share Posted January 24 Just now, TIGHTCHOKE said: Thanks, yes just looked that up, thinking in for a penny etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted Friday at 18:20 Report Share Posted Friday at 18:20 3 hours ago, islandgun said: Thanks, yes just looked that up, thinking in for a penny etc if you want to water proof it, put a small amount of silicon grease or oil on your hand and rub it in, It will be like water off a ducks back, only do it once you are happy with the finish colour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokersmith Posted Friday at 18:20 Report Share Posted Friday at 18:20 I’d give up on the project. Happy to take it off your hands 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted Friday at 18:26 Author Report Share Posted Friday at 18:26 3 minutes ago, old'un said: if you want to water proof it, put a small amount of silicon grease or oil on your hand and rub it in, It will be like water off a ducks back, only do it once you are happy with the finish colour. Will look into that, cheers 4 minutes ago, Smokersmith said: I’d give up on the project. Happy to take it off your hands 😁 Get out of here, Im enjoying it to much..😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellors Posted Friday at 18:52 Report Share Posted Friday at 18:52 What a absolute stunner. I could take it of your hands just think so much less stress worrying about what to do. It would look a lot more Shiney down here in the midlands. I could even send you pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted Saturday at 05:35 Author Report Share Posted Saturday at 05:35 10 hours ago, mellors said: What a absolute stunner. I could take it of your hands just think so much less stress worrying about what to do. It would look a lot more Shiney down here in the midlands. I could even send you pictures. That's a very kind offer. If only you were closer..😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted Saturday at 17:54 Report Share Posted Saturday at 17:54 Not tried CCL but have played with Trade Secret and Napier London Stock oil both ok just prefer my own blend but both would do the job. TS95 is a great product and can save you if you let the oil go to far before running up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted Saturday at 19:06 Author Report Share Posted Saturday at 19:06 1 hour ago, welshwarrior said: Not tried CCL but have played with Trade Secret and Napier London Stock oil both ok just prefer my own blend but both would do the job. TS95 is a great product and can save you if you let the oil go to far before running up. Sorry could you explain go to far and running up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted Saturday at 19:27 Report Share Posted Saturday at 19:27 Rubbing not running the auto miscorrect. when you apply the oil after about an hour it goes slightly tacky at this point you need to rub up the stock. There are various methods depending on your technique. If let the oil go to hard it’s won’t harden off and leaves a tacky mess in time, by rubbing TS95 hard into the oil with the palm of the hand you can safe the oil finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted Saturday at 19:38 Author Report Share Posted Saturday at 19:38 10 minutes ago, welshwarrior said: Rubbing not running the auto miscorrect. when you apply the oil after about an hour it goes slightly tacky at this point you need to rub up the stock. There are various methods depending on your technique. If let the oil go to hard it’s won’t harden off and leaves a tacky mess in time, by rubbing TS95 hard into the oil with the palm of the hand you can safe the oil finish. Right thanks very much...for all your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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