Bone black

[Lippy984]

Good afternoon.
Any tips on using bone black? I’m finishing my Kibler SMR with tried and true oil varnish like Jim uses in videos. But I’ve tried several times with bone black in between coats, and can’t get it to stay. I know when I had it too wet it turned to paste. Too dry, it was powdery and didn’t stick at all. I’ve felt like I had it just right, several days of drying, and it’ll still lift off. Does it sometimes just not take to the wood? Maybe I’ve already applied too many coats of oil for it to grab on?

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I tried it with about the same results and don't have the patience to learn to get good results. I use a black leather dye to get the results I want if I need a little highlighting. I do mix bone black with rottenstone to color it and then rub it into the pores on open grain wood with stock finish as a pore filler.

 

[Norman Brooks]

Link to Jim kibler using bone black. If you haven't already watched it.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...D0BF98D68623661F1181D0B&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

 

[The Appalachian]

I mix bone black, or any other dry pigment with Tru Oil in a still flowing liquid state, and with a flat artist brush just paint it on and leave it to dry. It takes several to many coats to achieve a desired result. I scuff it between coats with 3M 000 synthetic steel wool (ace hardware stores). The more tinted coats you apply the more depth the finish will have. Always exactly what I'm after when it's done.

The maple stick in these pictures has bone black and burnt umber tinting with Tru Oil finish and a few coats of Renaissance Wax......

 

[Lippy984]

Link to Jim kibler using bone black. If you haven't already watched it.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...D0BF98D68623661F1181D0B&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Thanks. Yeah, I’ve watched this several times. I can get it on there like he does, but no matter how “gentle” I apply a thin coat of oil overtop, it’s coming off

 

[The Appalachian]

Thanks. Yeah, I’ve watched this several times. I can get it on there like he does, but no matter how “gentle” I apply a thin coat of oil overtop, it’s coming off

Something ain't right for it to come off.

I stepped into the realm of "oil painter" when I came up with how I do it. Many oil painters use dry pigment and a polymerizing oil and mix their color shades on the fly. The oil is often a high grade linseed oil. The main ingredient in Tru Oil is linseed oil and it dries very quickly. I've never had it "come off" with my method.

 

[deertraks]

I tried the bone black but like you said I couldn't get it to stay.

 

[Lippy984]

The only thing I can think I’m doing wrong is not letting it dry long enough. I’m assuming with the pigment mixed in, it must take longer to cure/set up.

 

[deertraks]

The only thing I can think I’m doing wrong is not letting it dry long enough. I’m assuming with the pigment mixed in, it must take longer to cure/set up.

I think that's what I did wrong.

 

[TDM]

The only thing I can think I’m doing wrong is not letting it dry long enough. I’m assuming with the pigment mixed in, it must take longer to cure/set up.

I too have had the same problem with Bone Black, and I've used it on several guns. Looks great, but wipes right off. Think I'll try using it with a little Tru Oil like @The Appalachian suggested.

 

[Lippy984]

Well I applied another coat of it this morning. I’m going to try my best to completely forget about it for 2-3 days then take a look.

 

[The Appalachian]

Don't try to get it in one coat. It takes several thin tinted coats as the finish you're mixing it into is just tinted opaque not a solid color. Make sure you scuff between coats just like you normally would.

 

[The Appalachian]

The only thing I can think I’m doing wrong is not letting it dry long enough. I’m assuming with the pigment mixed in, it must take longer to cure/set up.

With Tru Oil I can do a coat a day.

 

[Lippy984]

Don't try to get it in one coat. It takes several thin tinted coats as the finish you're mixing it into is just tinted opaque not a solid color. Make sure you scuff between coats just like you normally would.

I can see how some areas took…I’ve probably tried this process 3-4 times already. I think I just expected more. Thank you for the advice

 

[poker]

Try shellac before the bone black and again after.

 

[Scota@4570]

Mix it with the finish on a cloth then rub it on the stock. Do not rub it on dry. You can make the stock jet black with a finish and black as mud in one swipe, don't do that though.

 

[Art Caputo]

It does take some time and practice to get it right. As mentioned, the key is to get the coloring you want is to use an oil finish that has a sufficient level of driers in it it….Let it dry thoroughly….repeat if neccessary…Then apply a top coat, applied without excessive rubbing to “seal” blacked area. Once totally dry, additional
protective layers of finish can be applied to get the desired finish.

 

[Lippy984]

I’m pleased to report, I may have figured out my “technique”
I waited out the last coat of bone black for 48 hours. Figured I’d give it a shot…so I warmed up my can of Tried and True next to the wood stove, then gently applied a thin coat of oil by hand on the stock. None of the bone black rubbed off.
Another mistake I might have made, just can’t remember cause I usually do, is before I applied the bone black, I scuffed the finish lightly with scotchbrite. Maybe I’ve accidentally skipped that step in the past, idk. But so far so good. After this dries, I’ll go at it with another coat of bone.

 

[Scota@4570]

Hmmm? Another thought, I add the black early in the finishing process, before the pores are filled. If you are floating on a glass smooth finished surface that will be more difficult. I just added some to a previously finished stock. I scuffed it back with maroon scotchbrite. I mixed black iron oxide with linseed oil. It absorbed in and left it pretty dark. BTW, before I ever heard of bone black I used fireplace soot the same way.

 

[Lippy984]

I like that idea with the soot/charcoal. Something tells me I wasn’t scuffing it, or letting it dry enough. I think I have it down now. We shall see