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Forums10
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Jul 28th, 2025
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 659
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 659 |
I have a circa 1890 Brit gun that is stocked with a beautiful piece of (what I have been told) is Circassian. When I first got the gun it was so dark that you could not see the grain. I had professionally stripped, checkering recut and oil finished by a stock maker but now it looks "light" What would be the "proper" coloration for an english gun of that vintage and what is the best way to achieve it?
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 13,883 Likes: 19
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 13,883 Likes: 19 |
Steve,
Could you post some pics?
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,307
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,307 |
The traditional "slackum" finish employed by English stockers of that period was heavy on linseed oil with chopped alkanet root steeped into the brew for some time to give it a decidedly red color, much like a fine red burgandy in appearance. When several coats are rubbed into the wood, it imparts a redish brown tone that is very popular. Very light or blonde finishes were not commonly seen. Find out what your finisher used, you might well be able to simply go over the top with several coats of something like the above brew to achieve what you are after. I prefer a mixture of tung oil and linseed, (75% tung/25% linseed or so) and leave the chopped alkanet root right in the bottle with the mixture. The bottle I am using now must be five years old at least, works very nicely. Others boil the root in alcohol first, then infuse it into the oil mixture. Either way works well. The alkanet root dye is what gives the walnut the nice reddish brown tone.
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,544
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,544 |
Just steep dried alkanet root inraw linsed oil for three or four months in a warm place. Use the resultant red oil on the bare, unfinished stock until the contrast an colour is enhancesd sufficiently. It is very difficult to over-do it.
The background wood should be a red-brown and the figure will be much darker (black) streaks. End result is also dependent on the wood - natural colour and figure, hardness, variation in grain etc.
I do not darken the oil finish mixture, as is the norm in the UK gun trade, I try to get the colour I want right and then add the finishing oil (which has no alkanet root in it), which brings out the lustre and depth in the figure.
If I do want the finish to darken, I use turpentine as a drier with the linseed oil and I first soak this turpentine in alkanet root for three months. However, I almost never use this recipe anymore.
To my mind the wrong colour really makes the difference between a good job and a bad job.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 659
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 659 |
Steve,
Could you post some pics? I would be happy to take some pics and send them to someone, but I really don't know how to post them myself.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 659
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 659 |
The traditional "slackum" finish employed by English stockers of that period was heavy on linseed oil with chopped alkanet root steeped into the brew for some time to give it a decidedly red color, much like a fine red burgandy in appearance. When several coats are rubbed into the wood, it imparts a redish brown tone that is very popular. Very light or blonde finishes were not commonly seen. Find out what your finisher used, you might well be able to simply go over the top with several coats of something like the above brew to achieve what you are after. I prefer a mixture of tung oil and linseed, (75% tung/25% linseed or so) and leave the chopped alkanet root right in the bottle with the mixture. The bottle I am using now must be five years old at least, works very nicely. Others boil the root in alcohol first, then infuse it into the oil mixture. Either way works well. The alkanet root dye is what gives the walnut the nice reddish brown tone. The finisher would not divulge his, "secret blend" of oils that he used to finish the stick with. I actually use a blend of Boiled linseed oil and Tung Oil using it in nearly identical proportions as you do. I have heard of Alkenet root but have no idea of where to obtain this magical root. I would prefer to get an ounce or two of some oil that is already infused with it as to make a batch that will outlast my own lifetime. Any ideas of where I may locate this elixer?
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,544
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,544 |
I'll send you some if you like.
Post me an address via my e-mail.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,307
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,307 |
That's a very nice offer from Dig. You can make your own very easily. Alkanet root is sold by many mail order houses dealing in naturalists supplies and candle making stuff. I am not sure I understand that connection, however. Just google alkanet root and you'll have ample sources. I think it's available on eBay as well.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 674
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 674 |
if you do a search for alkanet root" on this site you will find a thread that went on for about 6 months and was roughly 30 pages when done. It gives many formulae and sources throughout the thread
skunk out
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,698 Likes: 46
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,698 Likes: 46 |
Alkanet root is the root from the European plant Anchusia Tinctura or Anchusa officianalis a plant with little red flowers that grows in profusion once planted, often found growing by the roadside as a weed.(Weed = flower growing in the wrong place)
Madder root can also be used, and also beetroot.
Alkanet oil is readily available from quality stock finishers or good gunshops.
Steve I personally think that any stocker who talks about 'secrets' is an insecure BS merchandiser.
The answer to what should be the correct colour is purely your choice, the colour that lights your fire.Look in any of the quality books like Macintosh, Dodd-Hughes, Spanish Best, etc., and then replicate the colour you like.
We covered this subject in depth here some months ago.Use the search facility for 'Alkanet Root'
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