Has any one used hoof tar for stain.

[Ken Cormier]

Hi I an thinking about trying to stain a stock black. I have thought about black leather dye.
Then was reading about taring hemp rope for sailing. Then the article mentioned seaservice muskets stained black with pine tar.l do not want to ruin the stock by messing up the stock stain. Too much work to get to this point.
Any and all opinions will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
PS I forgot to mention this is a first build and I know very little about stains.

 

[necchi]

l do not want to ruin the stock by messing up the stock stain. Too much work to get to this point.

I think you answered a big part of the question yourself.
It may be a modern technique but the alcohol stains are proven.

It's your build, but I'd question my motive for going black,,
You can always stain darker but black is kind of a permanent thing and a lot of wood has to come off to get stains out,, :hmm:

 

[LaBonte]

You don't say what wood you're using but both walnut and maple have been ebonized for a long time by using an iron based "stain" such as vinegar black aka vinegaroon aka ferric acetate(iron dissolved in vinegar) or aqua fortis aka ferric nitrate(iron dissolved in nitric acid).
Vinegar black is easy and safe to make, while aqua fortis can be purchased either as ferric nitrate crystals which one dissolves in water or alcohol or a pre-made mix from various dealers.
Look up ebonizing wood for more info - but the basics are apply the iron based stain, DO NOT neutralize, and put in the sun to darken. Apply you're favorite wood finish - the most common for the period was either a linseed oil based varnish or a spirit varnish.

 

[Col. Batguano]

What ever you do, experiment on test strips first. They're easy to take to the belt sander and re-do if you don't like it. With the stock you will cry and cry and cry if you don't like the result.

 

[JeffG]

Definitely go with test strips first! :thumbsup:

 

[JeffG]

Here is an integral sheath and knife I made for a friend. The handle and sheath are curly maple dyed with USMC black Fiebing's leather dye , then sanded and steel wooled to the desired lightness. Use test strips of your wood type first.

 

[Mickc01]

This might be a stupid thought but what about simply painting the stock black?...Mick

 

[ncmtmike]

My God Man,,,I wish I could do my smoothbore that color :bow: :bow: :bow: I thought the wood on it was beautiful until I seen what you have done with the same wood. :applause: :applause: :applause:

 

[longcruise]

Mike brooks paints some of his.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

That looks really nice, is that a Swedish mora blade per chance?

 

[bubba.50]

don't know if they still do or not but, Dixie Gunworks Catalogs used to have recipes for makin' stain out of tar & kerosene, chewin' tobacco, walnut hulls & who knows what else.

 

[JeffG]

Yes a mora blade, thx.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

I think I have one of those somewhere, I'll have to put it to use like you did. I really like mora knives, great value.

 

[Billnpatti]

Why in the world do you want your stock to be black? I mean, it is your stock and you have the right to paint it pink if you want but I can't understand the desire to have a black stock. If it were mine, I'd want it to be a nice dark walnut color. I have one that I did several years ago. I got some stain from TVM that was, in fact, leather dye. I put it on my stock and it went on very dark. It scared me at first but I did as they said and used 0000 steel wool to buff it back to the desired depth of color that pleased my eye. I started buffing and it kept getting a bit lighter and a bit lighter until it was a gorgeous, to my eye, dark walnut. I stopped buffing and started applying my finish. I finish all of my stocks with Tru Oil. About 6 to 8 coats applied very lightly with my fingertips. Let each coat dry over night and then buff with 0000 steel wool between every coat. Let the last coat dry completely for a few days and then buff it lightly with 0000 steel wool to remove the shine and get the soft finish that looks like an oil finish but wears and protects like a good varnish. If you want, after about a month to fully cure the finish, you can use a Birchwood Casey product called Stock Sheen to give your stock an absolutely gorgeous soft luster finish. But, you may not want to use Stock Sheen if you need to keep the finish on your gun looking HC.

 

[longcruise]

Hey, what's wrong with black?

For my next project I'm thinking about going with a black ebonized maple stock with the lock and barrel polished and left in the white.

 

[Billnpatti]

Ain't nothing wrong with black if black is what you want. :hmm: Not my choice but ain't my rifle either. :shake: Like I say, it's his rifle not mine so he can paint it pink if he wants. Like the man said when he kissed the pig...."To each his own." :haha:

 

[Col. Batguano]

Does steel wool work on Aqua fortis "stained" stocks to buff out the color if it's too dark?

 

[LaBonte]

Does steel wool work on Aqua fortis "stained" stocks to buff out the color if it's too dark?

generally yes....Scotch brite pads also work...

 

[Luzur]

i´ve actually heard that shoe polish can be used to darken a stock, but i never tried it..

 

[longcruise]

Here is a pretty one.