Northwest trade gun finish

The Track of the Wolf Northwest gun project is going well. I believe the originals had a varnish finish. Would any of the modern Polyurethene finishes be appropriate? Or should I use a more traditional varnish or something else? Thanks in advance!

Putting a poly finish on this gun is like ...like... like....

Is there a danger of criminal charges here? This travisty cannot be expressed in words!!

Why pay $500 to $700 for the parts to build a gun that duplicates an origional in as many details as possible, then totally distroy its value as a repro, collector, or represenative example of the type, by applying a modern finish?

You could have saved a bundle of $$$ and just bought a synthetic stocked inline!

Please do not ask if it is safe to drill and tap a trade gun for a scope!! I don't think we can take that.

Never fear, there are people here that can help you !! We offer unlimited counceling and theriputic assignments at no cost and operate in the strictest confidentiality. No one need know you have made this statement and in a few months it will be only a dim memory and your recovery will be in progress!!

Please forgive me, my shock led to an uncommon outburst of sarcasm!

HBC records indicate that the guns with dark finish sold better that brightly finished guns. What this tells us is not only were a majority of the guns done in dark finish, but some were actyally done in a light color, because they was not selling well. That means you can scrape down the wood and apply linseed oil directly to the raw wood if you wish. You can also use an aquafortis type stain for a dark finish. Rusty nails boiled in vinigar and allowed to age in a dark place for a few days, applied to the wood several times and followed by linseed oil gives a deep rich stain to most maple.

These are traditional finishes and acceptable for a NW gun. Follow either of these finishes with a coating of beeswax to seal the grain, espically inside the inlets. Watch for wax buildup causing enough preasure to crack the wood around the lock inlet if too much wax is applied.

I use yacht varnish, I think it's just polyurethane under another name. In the 1600's they liked paint, in the 1800's they liked the wet look and the 1700's was a transitional phase where anything goes.

There are those who like to cut their yacht varnish with all manner of oils and thinners, but I reckon the varnish maker knows one heck of a lot more about varnish than me so I do exactly what it says on the tin ::

Why don't we just melt down some 2 liter soda bottles and smear that on? Come on fellas, we have the HBC records, we know how they finished these guns. There is not a single documented instance of a HBC factor ordering trade guns finished with polyurithene or yacht varnish!! This is a historic replica, show it a wee bit of respect.

Perhaps historic repros coated with poly will work in England, but there are way too many knowledgable people here in the States and Canada for one to get away with such behavior over here. The history police will wrestle you to the ground and flog you with riding crops!

Perhaps historic repros coated with poly will work in England, but there are way too many knowledgable people here in the States and Canada for one to get away with such behavior over here.

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I do have a repro somewhere, can't rightly say I remember what it's finished with though. That's the kind of thing that happens when you aren't knowledgeable ::

Trot, I used polyurathane on my recently completed TOTW Jaeger and I've already stripped it down and restained it and used True-Oil. Save yourself the trouble and skip the polyurathane, it just didn't set well with me and I think you will be more satisfied with the True-Oil finish, it contains linseed oil which is more of an authentic substance for your peace of mind( and the peace of mind for others). Just tryin' to save you some hassle. Have fun!

I lent a Starr .44 to my brother in law and he generously refinished the grips using linseed oil :shocking:

I wash it over with tricho every once in a while, maybe one day I'll be able to varnish it so it looks believeable again ::

Yikes! I didn't mean to stir up a hornets nest here! I did use the linseed oil and wax finish on my flintlock long rifle, but, all my information says this is not correct for a northwest gun. Charles Hanson quotes a Hudsons Bay Company source as requesting the guns coated with a fine sable brown varnish. The book by Pryor Mt. Bill Newton also states two coats of brown varnish. Polyurethene being a varnish I was wondering if some form of it would in any way resemble the varnish of the early to mid 1800's. I love the finish on my long rifle, but I don't think it would be proper on one of these guns.

Hi Trot

Don't worry about it, just having fun ::

I think it is most important that you can show your gun without worrying about anyone criticising your choice of finish. When in Rome, do as Rome does, so if polyurethane is disapproved of where you are then you'd probably best avoid it.

IMHO a thick layer of coloured urethane to hide poorly done repairs is normal, it's like filling wormholes with Plasticine, a "trick of the trade". If you see a thick layer gloop, assume the worst. Putting on a thin layer of clear gloss varnish to give an authentic look is okay by me, others obviously think not.

Chrome is out of fashion it used to be desirable. The wet look used to be "in", it is now "out". They used to varnish everything in the 19th century, there is a whole modern industry cleaning the stuff off old paintings because it has darkened after 150 years or so. They thought it looked good, we say not, who can say which is "right"?

Just my .02p

Squire Hewitt
GHH

im with ghost , :shocking:. poly .:: .poly ...!!!!!!!POLY!!!! :cry:
use an oil take your time not only will it look better it will feel better and the spirits of flint and steal will bless you .
you have went this far why take a short cut now :redface:

You probably have a leaded steel barrel, lost wax castings for lock and furniture and a stainless steel touch hole liner, but using Tru oil which contains a hint of linseed means "the spirits of flint and steel will bless you" :: ::

Most excellent :: :: ::

sure they just dont like plastic you know that

Marine spar varnish, linseed oil and turp. makes a nice gun finish and is probably not to far from some of the original ones.....light coats dried in the sunlight is the trick.

As I recall, before Poly Urathane was born she had some older sister who was just called Varnish. Terrible name for a kid, but that's what they called her.
I wonder what happened to her? Probably old and gray, but you never know.
She's probably sitting on some shelf somewhere and you could make her day by taking her home with you. I'm sure your wife would understand. I bet she would help you with your gun too.

In fact, I would bet that if you could find a good Art Store and tell the person running it exactly what you wanted and why you wanted it, they could find old Varnish and sell her to you for slightly more than an arm and a leg, but what's a few bucks more? At least you would know you had the Real stuff and when someone says "Well, I see you coated your gun with Poly Urathane!" you could reply, "no, it is coated with the same finish that the originals were coated with!". ::

As I recall, the European trade gun builders did not stain the wood seperately, put the stain in the varnish?? Don

I'm with tg - spar varnish.

( ghost... you alright?! Thought you were gonna have an aneurysm :haha: )

Whats wrong with a plain old oil hand rubbed finish???? Except it takes lots of elbow grease?

Trot:

First and foremost, it's your gun, finish it the way you want to...

Now if you are not sure what you want to use, then you take suggestions and wade through them to get the one that best suits your needs...

Having typed that, I opt for the hand rubbed linseed oil finish as well, it just seems right and compliments the wood's beauty...

Whats wrong with a plain old oil hand rubbed finish???? Except it takes lots of elbow grease?

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Nothing's wrong but it ain't a Purdey and Trot said he wanted to varnish it in the traditional way. ::

Trot-

There is a reason for the brown varish...they were building the trade guns with inferior gun wood. Think CVA wood! They had to paint them with something to make them look like walnut. Just like a Brown Bess.

IMHO, if you have built the gun with a good piece of wood it would be a shame to cover it with pigmented varnish.