Yet Another Kibler Longrifles Kit Build...

[troy2000]

Per Jim's instructions, I kept the aqua fortis out of the inlets, but did give them one coat of the thinned BLO. According to him:

1. Traditionally, inlets weren't finished.

2. It's hard to convert the aqua fortis with heat in the inlets, and

3. Unconverted aqua fortis in contact with the metal parts will cause corrosion.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Troy,
Please take this in the spirit it is given. BLO is NOT a wood finish. It’s just that, an oil. It will NEVER dry, and is water permeable. You need a varnish that will harden into a protective finish.
There are many out there that will do the job well. One of the easiest, and best looking is Chambers Oil. Wipe on, wipe off. 4 coats is enough.
Hope that helps.

 

[JeffG]

Thanks for asking

I may start my own thread on my first build.

View attachment 44013

Please do!!

 

[troy2000]

Troy,
Please take this in the spirit it is given. BLO is NOT a wood finish. It’s just that, an oil. It will NEVER dry, and is water permeable. You need a varnish that will harden into a protective finish.
There are many out there that will do the job well. One of the easiest, and best looking is Chambers Oil. Wipe on, wipe off. 4 coats is enough.
Hope that helps.

With all due respect, I completely disagree. Linseed oil IS a wood finish. It's been used as such for at least 6,000 years, going back to the ancient Egyptians. And you'll find it discussed in almost any modern discussion of wood finishes.

It's misleading to say linseed oil 'is just that, an oil, that never dries.' Like tung oil and other organic oils, (and unlike petroleum-based oils) linseed oil polymerizes, hardens and stabilizes.

Having a high content of di- and tri-unsaturated esters, linseed oil is particularly susceptible to polymerization reactions upon exposure to oxygen in air. This polymerization, which is called "drying", results in the rigidification of the material.

Linseed oil - Wikipedia

I've been using linseed oil in appropriate situations for fifty years with no problems, on everything from furniture to musical instruments to gun stocks. Is it as impervious, waterproof and bulletproof as some modern finishes? No... but thank God, it doesn't look like them either. I don't want what I create or refinish to look like it's been dipped in plastic.

add: like most finishes, linseed oil shouldn't be left to face wear and tear and the elements with no protection. Plain old Johnson's paste wax works surprisingly well; I usually hit even painted furniture with a coat of it. On my gunstocks, I usually rub in a few coats of Gunny's paste (equal parts linseed oil, turpentine and beeswax) when they're done. In fact, I have a couple of milsurps with stocks that were finished from bare wood with nothing but multiple coats of Gunny's paste, and they've held up well.

add 2: This may be my first muzzleloader, but it's hardly my first gun.

 

[MTGUNNER]

Oh no. Was hoping to get mine in time for deer season. Not looking good. When did you order yours? I ordered mine mid August.

I ordered mine on June 15th :>((

 

[totonap]

May I ask, What grade wood is you stock. It's a beauty .

 

[troy2000]

May I ask, What grade wood is you stock. It's a beauty .

I agree; it's a good-looking chunk of wood. I coughed up for the 'extra fancy' maple, and I'd say I got my money's worth.

 

[Art Caputo]

While I am an avid user of linseed oil(generally mixed with dryers/thinners), I do agree with the notion that it’s not very good at resisting water. I think that treating the un-exposed inletting of a muzzleloader with one of the polymer based sealers provides a greater degree of sealing and protection. I have used both approaches On the inletting over the years and have, on occasion, experienced wood swelling and grain lifting using Linseed oil based products in the inlet areas exposed to water and moisture. IMO, this is one of the reasons for widening the the pin slots in the barrel escutcheons with a full stock flintlock. I do prefer, and will continue to use Linseed Oil based products(formulated with dryers) for exterior wood which alternatively may help to maintain the moisture content of the wood. I personally think the beauty of the finish is in a class of its own.

From Wilkapedia:

Wood finish
When used as a wood finish, linseed oil dries slowly and shrinks little upon hardening. Linseed oil does not cover the surface as varnish does, but soaks into the (visible and microscopic) pores, leaving a shiny but not glossy surface that shows off the grain of the wood. A linseed oil finish is easily scratched, and easily repaired. Only wax finishes are less protective. Liquid water penetrates a linseed oil finish in mere minutes, and water vapour bypasses it almost completely.[6] Garden furniture treated with linseed oil may develop mildew. Oiled wood may be yellowish and is likely to darken with age. Because it fills the pores, linseed oil partially protects wood from denting by compression.

Linseed oil is a traditional finish for firearm stocks, though very fine finish may require months to obtain. Several coats of linseed oil is the traditional protective coating for the raw willow wood of cricket bats; it is used so that the wood retains some moisture. New cricket bats are coated with linseed oil and knocked-in to perfection so that they last longer.[7] Linseed oil is also often used by billiards or pool cue-makers for cue shafts, as a lubricant/protectant for wooden recorders, and used in place of epoxy to seal modern wooden surfboards.

Additionally, a luthier may use linseed oil when reconditioning a guitar, mandolin, or other stringed instrument's fret board; lemon-scented mineral oil is commonly used for cleaning, then a light amount of linseed oil (or other drying oil) is applied to protect it from grime that might otherwise result in accelerated deterioration of the wood.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Troy,
I’ll just say this, and won’t plague you any longer.

Varnish is the finish that was used on 18 and 19 century Longrifles. It may have been linseed oil based, but it dried hard. It doesn’t have to be shiny to repel moisture.

 

[troy2000]

While I am an avid user of linseed oil(generally mixed with dryers/thinners), I do agree with the notion that it’s not very good at resisting water. I think that treating the un-exposed inletting of a muzzleloader with one of the polymer based sealers provides a greater degree of sealing and protection. I have used both approaches On the inletting over the years and have, on occasion, experienced wood swelling and grain lifting using Linseed oil based products in the inlet areas exposed to water and moisture. IMO, this is one of the reasons for widening the the pin slots in the barrel escutcheons with a full stock flintlock. I do prefer, and will continue to use Linseed Oil based products(formulated with dryers) for exterior wood which alternatively may help to maintain the moisture content of the wood. I personally think the beauty of the finish is in a class of its own.

Hitting the inletting with a polymer-based sealer makes sense to me, especially if you're going to be in a wet environment. But I'm a desert rat from way back, and I don't believe I've ever gone plinking or hunting in the rain in my entire life. On those strange and rare occasions when water starts falling from the sky, I hide.

I did slot the pin holes in my barrel lugs, and lengthen the lug slots in the wood, to allow for humidity or temperature changes. In one of his videos, Jim pointed out that curly maple tends to shrink or grow longitudinally more than plain-grained woods.

 

[troy2000]

Hit the wood a lick this afternoon. I wiped a coat of un-thinned BLO onto the stock, rubbed it down with #600 wet and dry sandpaper, adding BLO as needed to keep it wet, then rubbed it with my hands for a while, hard enough to generate some heat. Wiped off what little excess there was with paper towels, and put it up to dry for a day. Was planning to go after the metal parts again tomorrow, but I've been called in to work.

My dog decided she wanted to play, and tripped me as I was putting the stock away. Have I mentioned she's young and rambunctious? According to a couple of dog breeders who've seen her, she's most likely a border collie/pit bull mix. Whatever she is, she's strong, playful and hyper.

Anyway, I dropped the stock onto the concrete floor and knocked a corner off the lower point of the butt. I'm looking for the chip, but haven't found it so far. If I do find it, I'll glue it back into place; if I don't, I'll have to come up with a plan B...

 

[Art Caputo]

Sounds like something my very rambunctious Brittany would do.....Good luck finding that chip!!

 

[gabedard]

Ouch!

 

[troy2000]

Yesss!!! Found the chip that was broken off, and it's in good enough condition to glue back into place. I'll have to do a little minor cleanup where the leading edge is a bit smashed, but that shouldn't be a big problem.

Went to work at 5:00 this morning, got off at 1:30 after running a couple hundred feet of 1" tubing, to convert a mainline valve from gas-actuated to air actuated on a 30" natural gas pipeline. Came back and ignored the world for three or four hours while I had a few drinks, played an ancient video game, and nuked a potato I buried in harissa and butter. Not that I was procrastinating, or anything like that...

Finally I grabbed a small trash can, got down on my hands and knees, and started picking up everything in my shop that looked remotely like a small chunk of wood. I have a 20' x 35' foot Quonset hut for a wood shop and I'm a lousy housekeeper, so I wasn't liking my chances. But about half an hour later, I scored.

I don't really see a way to clamp that little odd-shaped piece into place while any normal wood glue sets up. So I think I'm going to go the superglue route, untraditional as it may be.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Troy,
Who do you work for? I used to do a lot of work for El Paso gas, then Kinder Morgan. Baja pipeline?
By the way, really glad you found the piece. Might consider adding a toe plate for added protection.

 

[troy2000]

Troy,
Who do you work for? I used to do a lot of work for El Paso gas, then Kinder Morgan. Baja pipeline?
By the way, really glad you found the piece. Might consider adding a toe plate for added protection.

I work for Southern California Gas Company, at the Blythe Compressor Station. I've been here since 2000, except for a one or two year stint as a pipeline Tech in Beaumont, CA. The gas we pump comes across the river from El Paso/Kinder Morgan.

I was a shift Station Operator for most of my career here, and still remember getting a phone call from one of our dispatchers. He said in an embarrassed voice, "I just picked up the phone to tell you El Paso is whining and crying again, and wants you to cut back, and the voice on the other end said, "ummm, this is El Paso..."'

A toe plate sounds like a good idea if I can't totally hide the crushed edge; inletting for the toe plate would disappear the damage. And I had thought about adding one anyway, just for the heck of it. But the butt plate extends a little past the wood, and when it's reinstalled it should provide all the protection needed under ordinary circumstances.

 

[Troyfairweather]

Be sure to stain the wood before gluing it, otherwise you will see the glue line.
will say when I get one it's getting a toe plate, I like guns simple but they seem to be a very good idea.

 

[troy2000]

Be sure to stain the wood before gluing it, otherwise you will see the glue line.
will say when I get one it's getting a toe plate, I like guns simple but they seem to be a very good idea.

Good advice.

But the stock was already stained and had a coat of linseed oil, before I dropped it and knocked the chunk off. Or to be more precise, before it spun out of my hands after my idiot dog Ginger ran between my legs, then turned and glommed onto my left pant cuff while I was trying to regain my balance.

 

[Troyfairweather]

Good advice.

But the stock was already stained and had a coat of linseed oil, before I dropped it and knocked the chunk off. Or to be more precise, before it spun out of my hands after my idiot dog Ginger ran between my legs, then turned and glommed onto my left pant cuff while I was trying to regain my balance.

At least the dog didn't eat the chip, that would be my luck.

 

[troy2000]

At least the dog didn't eat the chip, that would be my luck.

Please don't give her ideas...