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Replicating military 18th century gun stock finish

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Frod733

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Greetings. Looking to reasonably replicate an 18th century military gunstock finish. Tried and true, tru-oil, permalyn, etc????. I suppose originally they were linseed oil, but if some modern finishes can replicate, OK with that. Don't want a shiny finish, more satin like. Thanks.
 
18th century military gunstocks didn't have satin finishes.

BLO cut with mineral spirits 50/50 is a very nice finish for military pieces.

Flood the wood with finish until it won't take any more.

Then rub off the extra finish with a rag and keep rubbing every half hour or so until the wood pours stop oozing finish.
 
From Cuthbertson's System, for the Complete Interior Management and Oeconomy of a Battalion of [British] Infantry.


1675444225462.png


1675444310515.png


"by laying on a varnish, to preserve them always in a glossy, shining condition."

Period documentation at least the British Army wanted their muskets to look like this, at least in peace time. Also remember British Americans had been trained in these same traditions.

A LIGHT polishing of the final coat with Tru Oil with the very fine abrasive pads like the following, then hand rubbed hard with a terry cloth rag and then beeswax applied gives a "warm" look to the finish.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-3-7-...shing-Hand-Sanding-Pads-2-Pack-7448/301118025
Gus
 
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It’s a commonly repeated misconception that boiled linseed oil by its self is a suitable finish for gun stocks. BLO is a component of many finish’s but with other additives and processes to make a durable finish. Eric Kettenburg’s articulation of this is very useful.
 
Thanks for the responses. Never having looked at an original 18th century gun in person, I asked the quetion. seen lots of pictures, but that does not necessarily show what they were origially. I have seen a number of CW rifled muskets that were in pristine condition (no one had dinked with them) and the finish appeared satiny, rather than shiny, perhaps a dull glow. Of course, given all the decades between then and now, finish could have aged. I believe they boiled the stocks in linseed oil?
 
The fascination with linseed oil comes out of Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, and Field and Stream gun writers who extolled the virtues while they had never actually finished a gun themselves. A gunmaker could put off a customer for months by saying they were “building up a linseed oil finish”. The writers figured if it had linseed oil in it, by golly, it was a linseed oil finish. Period. If anyone wants to have a permanently gooey, gummy gun, drench a walnut stock in linseed oil.
 
Our perception of any arm from the past taints our view. The original is two centuries old or more.
Military wanted ‘spiffy looking’
Contrasted to a modern soldier who tries to be invisible on the battle filed they wanted tall and menacing. An army of thousand of men who are members of a fife and big Al corps
Hundred of men, moving as one, red coats white pants, parade shinny guns, the ruler straight lines and quick smooth evolutions. And they’re coming to kill you. An unstoppable juggernaut
Perfect
Pitiless
 
Greetings. Looking to reasonably replicate an 18th century military gunstock finish. Tried and true, tru-oil, permalyn, etc????. I suppose originally they were linseed oil, but if some modern finishes can replicate, OK with that. Don't want a shiny finish, more satin like. Thanks.
Hi,
What military arm are you finishing?

dave
 
Hi,
Both would be finished with a linseed oil based varnish and both would have a slightly glossy finish when brand new. Tried and True oil varnish, Tru-Oil, or Sutherland Welles polymerized tung oil, medium sheen work well. Forget what you see on American guns from the Civil War and forget any advice about dipping in linseed oil for a dull in the wood oil finish. Woodworkers in the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries used linseed oil products not because they were particularly good but because they were readily available and cheap. When mixed with a copal resin varnish, linseed oil made a pretty good finish.

dave
 
I read Eric Kettenburg's article from Muzzleblast. I made boiled linseed oil using white lead (outside using proper safety equipment) and then made his 18th century brown varnish with it. I use it exclusively on all my firearms. I love the finish.
Depending on how many coats you apply, I can make a satin all the way up to a gloss finish. Be warned that it is a slow process with along learning curve.
 
Hi,
Making authentic brown varnish and boiled linseed oil is risky because of fire. All of the finishes I mentioned can be made to look exactly like the old oil varnishes without the risk and mess.

dave
 
as Dave mentioned they were of a polymerizing linseed base. Most finishes based on my observations appear to be linseed based.

18th century finishes contained a variety of different recipients, which would have likely included linseed oil, bees wax, Venice turpentine, pine gum and resins, spirits, and other organic such as egg whites.

I’ve viewed 3 original brown bess muskets, a few original 1816’s and an original charlevilles last year at the Baltimore Gun Show and compared some test pieces on small knife blanks of Walnut.

The knife blanks I had used true oil, polymerizing linseed, polymerizing tung oil, straight linseed oil, Windsor and Newton Artwork Varnish. The artwork varnish is very thin very much like mineral oils.

The risk here is that i have know way of knowing if the originals were refinished and I’m using american walnut.

The Brown Bess muskets (2 third models and 1 second model) ironically seemed to varnished with a very thin yellowish colored finish / varnish. The one it matched the closest to was the Windsor and newton varnish, which is polymerizing linseed oil used on art work.

The 1816’s, two had a very matte like finish, which seemed to be closest to the straight linseed oil, one looked like it was varnished with a tung oil, which was very shiny and dark.

the Charleville was varnished with what looked to me like it matched the tru-oil pretty close, with the major inconsistency being that the steel parts were also varnished. I think that is likely a protective varnish applied much later than its original production.

Per Jess Melot of the Rifle Shoppe, he feels that the finish that closest resembles original varnishes is by Dem Bart, and its their checkering oil. I’ve not had much luck finding any, contacted the manufacture and their shipping charges are almost equal to the cost of one very small jar.

Lastly, i think the best way to go to recreate the most ideal historical accurate finish is with a polymerizing linseed or tung oil. I prefer tung oil, it tends to cure stronger and more durable and can be burnished easier to the stocks.
If your goal is to maximize the protection of the gun, i think that is the way to go. If your goal is to be as historically accurate as possible, i think a very thinned oil like the artwork varnish is the way to go, however it will provide very little to no long term protection.
 
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