Poor Boy

[GobblerKnob]

This rifle was stained using a brew of apple cider vinegar with very old barbed wire disolved in it to produce a crude form of aqua fortis. I rubbed in boiled linseed oil using 0000 steel wool. It was sealed with tung oil and then I finished it with several coats of Johnson's paste wax. The iron furniture, lock, and barrel were aged. The blank came from Gunstock's Plus. If you look close in the picture of the left side, you may see some worm holes that I discovered as I was nearing the final profile. I debated over what to do about them and in the end decided to leave them. I think they add to the character of the gun. How 'bout you?

It has a large siler lock and 42" Rice barrel in .58 caliber! Rick

 

[RickD]

I really like it

 

[Tommy Bruce]

Simple elegance. Very nicely done. What profile of stock did you get from Gunstocks?

 

[ol vern]

:thumbsup: You done good

 

[rabjr]

Very nice! :thumbsup:

 

[GobblerKnob]

Thanks for your kind words. Tommy, the profile is my own based on the customer's dimensions. Ott supplied the blank. Rick

 

[renovato]

That came out great! I'm glad you decided to leave the worm holes. They do add a lot of character and give it age. A real beauty! :hatsoff:

 

[Mulebrain]

Oh yes!

Very nice looking indeed :thumbsup:

I need to try that aqua fortis type of stain sometime.

 

[jimmy82]

I must admit Gobbler, I aspire to be as good as you. :bow: Here in the next few weeks my wife and I will be giving that grey finish a try on her next gun. Another great rifle. :hatsoff:

 

[David G]

You gotta love it and yes those worm holes just add to the charm of it. :thumbsup:

 

[GobblerKnob]

Again, thank you all. :redface: Mule Brain, that stain is a work in progress. It's been brewing since October of 2006. The important thing is to use old barbed wire. The newer wire is made of stuff that won't have the same effect.

I put mine in a glass mason jar with a glass lid. Don't seal it. The gasses need a way to escape. I fill the vessel 3/4 with vinegar then add the wire until the fluid comes to the top. Let it work. I skim the flotsam off occassionally. Add more vinegar when the level gets low; wire when it's dissolved.

After I apply it to the stock, I let it dry then use a heat gun to make it "blush". After neutralizing with baking soda, I apply boiled linseed oil with 0000 steel wool. I find that method tends to give the rootbeer color you see in these pictures. The hardest part about the whole process is finding the barbed wire!

Jimmy, I used a stain called, "Onyx", that I got at Lowe's. I applied it, let it dry, then rubbed it back with 0000 to what you see in the pictures. The beauty of it is if you go too far, just reapply and do it again. Don't be afraid of what others think. It's your gun, build it the way you want it. Rick