doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Gunstock stains/dyes question

I have an assortment of dye stains, Pilkington and Gale Lock Co. and I would like to know what dye most closely comes to the color of the old British rubbed oil stocks. I don't use BLO, since the finish is not very water resistant, I use a tung oil, or spar urethane finish after the stain. Any help out there?
PS: Got tech help on Brownells, to explain the difference between 4 types of Gale stain, all labeled "Walnut" on line, the guy comes back with "I don't do the product descriptions"! Ehhh?

The stain that was used to colour vintage Brit gun stocks is �Red Oil� which is Alkanet Root steeped for some months in Linseed oil which provides a dark rich red colour.

The Gale Lock stains are gross.

It's like dipping your stock in Sherman Williams "walnut'.

Result: a gunstock shaped Hershey bar.

Bilious again thanks, wonderful insight
What do you use?
Mike

p.s.
http://www.hallowellco.com/alkanet_root.htm

The Behlen Solar-Lux stains from Klingspor are really good:
http://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/b5036a235/

Also, Minwax's "English Chestnut" is much nearer a true reddish brown walnut color than either of their walnut stains. It is a wipe-on stain, whereas the Behlen is a penetrating dye type of stain.
JR

xs hedspace

I have used a mixture of Pilkingon's English Red & Pre 64 stain with satisfactory results. The exact mix will depend on the wood you are working with.

The "English Red" used alone rarely gives the correct look to my eye.

Can Alkanet root be steeped in Lin-Speed?

You can steep alkanet dried roots in surgical alcohol and use it on the bare wood. It imparts a pinkish tint, but when oil is applied it turns the finish reddish. Applying the alkanet separately gives some control over how red you want the finish.

Surgical alcohol is pure. Methylated, also called denatured, alcohol will darken wood, leaving a brown tint. So do not use it!

Also bear in mind that some stains and some oils will cause allregies. As a victim of oil containing essential oils of lemon or some such, I can tell you the experience is not at all pleasant. It can be life threatening.

You may have just told me the reason why every time I de-oil an old stock in acetone, then denatured alcohol, the wood always has a grayish look to it after drying. Can I prevent that by using surgical alcohol ?

I was under the impression that it was just because the wood was so old. It never looks anything like "new" walnut.

SRH

P.S. Is surgical alcohol the same as isopropyl alcohol?

I usually use the Gale stains to match patches, and grain enhancement. I use a powdered red walnut dye mixed in with the tung oil finish to match old oil/varnish finishes. Also, it's nice to brush into checkering, to give it the old-crud-in-the-lines enhancement.