Hi Edh and others
Now this problem with the finishing oil has intrigued and worried me to the point I want to know the cause of the problem, so I contacted an Artist friend of mine so see if he may know what the cause may be? He has now shed some light on what the problem may be, he also has put the problem to some other artists and the consensus of opinion it is the Copal. Now even though I have had no problems he has told me it can still occur from one batch of Copal to another, the Copal I am using is from a five pound bag of ‘Cornelissen Gum Copal Manila’ I purchased from a company in Birmingham who supplied the trade with finishes some thirty years ago. So I can only apologise for this problem and my only excuse is I did not know there could be a problem with Copal from batch to batch, and I am also extremely sorry that I may have antagonised many members of the US gun restoration fraternity. So maybe I may have to cancel the family vacation to New York in the spring next year in case I may be recognised. Though the method of oil finishing a stock I posted is identical to the way it was demonstrated to me by a Birmingham craftsman in the late 1960s and it is the basic finish I have used for more years than I care to recollect, though using the same batch of Copal.
Ernie
