Pendersoli Pennsylvania Longrifle Build

[kje54]

Started work on the kit a couple of weeks back, taking my time (the kit's kinda rough) but when I first opened the kit I realized it wasn't their typical walnut stock, it's maple. Not only that but as I've been sanding the stock down what appeared to be the rough, vertical saw marks are much to my surprise actually the end grains of curly maple. Never mind the amateur carving, you can see the curl in the wood if you look closely. Had already ordered Iron Nitrate from Kibler, just ordered some Tannic Acid from them also.

 

[LawrenceA]

That does not look like Maple. The colour is wrong and the grain too open.
It looks like European walnut with curl.
I am told that Aqua Fortis will turn walnut black so I wouldn't try it except on a trial piece.

 

[kje54]

That does not look like Maple. The colour is wrong and the grain too open.
It looks like European walnut with curl.
I am told that Aqua Fortis will turn walnut black so I wouldn't try it except on a trial piece.

I thought it was light enough to be maple but I should have known better, guess it was wishful thinking on my part and the fact that every walnut stock I've ever done has been much darker. Just seems too light to be walnut. What's best to bring out the curl on walnut?

 

[kje54]

I thought it was light enough to be maple but I should have known better, guess it was wishful thinking on my part and the fact that every walnut stock I've ever done has been much darker. Just seems too light to be walnut. What's best to bring out the curl on walnut?

I don't know, looking at maple blanks on line and it looks like either straight grained (with some curl) or possibly curly red maple.

 

[Trot]

That is European walnut, it is lighter in color than American black walnut. It has the typical darker streaking of European walnut.

 

[LawrenceA]

I don't know, looking at maple blanks on line and it looks like either straight grained (with some curl) or possibly curly red maple.

Don't be upset.
Walnut is a good wood for stocks. Damn nice in my opinion.
Watch what happens when you wet it. Goes brown.Maple goes beige

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

I’m no expert, but my Pendersoli Kentucky pistol kit was made from American walnut. Your wood is lighter in color than mine was. I used dyes (not stain) and tried to lighten it up to emulate English walnut when finished. I was happy with the result. Would have preferred maple even more, but in my case, the kit was not very expensive so the value was there.

 

[kje54]

Don't be upset.
Walnut is a good wood for stocks. Damn nice in my opinion.
Watch what happens when you wet it. Goes brown.Maple goes beige

I have American walnut stocks, I like them a lit also. Guess I've never seen European walnut, that's a huge difference in shades between American and European walnut.
And you are correct, I looked up curly European walnut and that's what this is.

 

[kje54]

Now that we've determined I don't know my woods as well as I thought I did, (that's embarrasing), is there a way to make the curl in this wood "pop"?

 

[JHB]

I just finished one of their scout carbine kits. I first stained it with LMF cherry stain and wow talk about red. Then I used LMF Lancaster Maple stain that toned the red down quite a bit but you can still see red in the stock not quite like AF on maple but it still has a red tint.

 

[SOLANCO]

Built a side table in curly maple from a kit ages ago. They included a small bottle of (I think they said) black aniline dye to bring contrast to the grain before finishing the wood. Worked well and no I don't have pics nor do I remember what the finish was. I suspect poly.
Mixed the dye with some water and just slopped it on. Some just sat on the raw wood surface but where the curl brought open grain to the top it sucked it right in.

 

[kje54]

Built a side table in curly maple from a kit ages ago. They included a small bottle of (I think they said) black aniline dye to bring contrast to the grain before finishing the wood. Worked well and no I don't have pics nor do I remember what the finish was. I suspect poly.
Mixed the dye with some water and just slopped it on. Some just sat on the raw wood surface but where the curl brought open grain to the top it sucked it right in.

We've discovered my wood identification abilities aren't as good as I thought......... It's now evident the stock is curly European walnut.

 

[LawrenceA]

Now that we've determined I don't know my woods as well as I thought I did, (that's embarrasing), is there a way to make the curl in this wood "pop"?

There is not a lot of curl there so do not expect miracles. Traditionally strong tea has been used and works to a degree (Tannic acid I guess). It also adds a very very slight stain to the stock. It's all I have ever used on walnut.
Any stain should take the end grain better than straight but wet it and see how it colors before thinking radical.
It looks to me that a Tru oil is all you will need for a very pleasing finish.

 

[JL]

I built one of these last year as my first kit having not done enough research, training, etc... so please disregard the bad inlays and wild carving lol. Wish I hadn't done any of it! The reason I'm sharing these photos is because I do feel the finish came out well and may give you an idea of what to expect. Base coat of BLO with the slightest touch of red mahog stain. Followed w/ multiple coats of tung oil and Renaissance wax finish. Everything was finger applied/buffed

.

 

[kje54]

There is not a lot of curl there so do not expect miracles. Traditionally strong tea has been used and works to a degree (Tannic acid I guess). It also adds a very very slight stain to the stock. It's all I have ever used on walnut.
Any stain should take the end grain better than straight but wet it and see how it colors before thinking radical.
It looks to me that a Tru oil is all you will need for a very pleasing finish.

I was thinking about using some tannic acid powder, try it in the barrel channel to see how it looks. I already know about using water to get an idea of how it would look finished. I also have some Linspeed oil (TOTW) I might try instead of my usual tung oil.

 

[LawrenceA]

I was thinking about using some tannic acid powder, try it in the barrel channel to see how it looks. I already know about using water to get an idea of how it would look finished. I also have some Linspeed oil (TOTW) I might try instead of my usual tung oil.

Barrel channel sounds good but is there any curl in there ?
Here is tru oil (no tea) on curly english. Not a tight curl like yours though.

 

[kje54]

Barrel channel sounds good but is there any curl in there ?
Here is tru oil (no tea) on curly english. Not a tight curl like yours though.
View attachment 66332

Yeah there is curl in the channel. I like the matchlock BTW.

 

[LawrenceA]

Yeah there is curl in the channel. I like the matchlock BTW.

Thanks
Thinned and shaped the stock more and fitted sights now.
New project is a Chambers York. A VERY different build. I am finding it much more challenging.

 

[kje54]

Decided to try a little experiment, if it didn't work there's sandpaper and elbow grease. First I tried it in the barrel channel, looked pretty good so I wiped the whole stock with tannic acid solution, once that was dry I applied the iron nitrate. It did turn the stock black but I expected that, after a couple of hours drying I applied heat and it turned more of a dark reddish brown. Now comes the hard part, sanding it back down almost to bare wood then applying the stain of my choice over the whole thing.

 

[LawrenceA]

certainly made the carving pop