I need a finish for wood that is extremely tough, I once saw a TV documentary showing
a country gunsmith, he makes everything, the barrels and all the parts and stocks himself.
But my curiosity is that it showed him using a chemical that disolves iron shavings, which
he used as the finish on the wood, soaked in and further topically with more coatings.
Does anyone know what this chemical is?
Thanks all,
Alex
Tue, Jun 22, 2004, 9:24pm (EDT-3) [email protected] (AArDvarK) again
asks:
<snip>
What the Hell? I just responded to the same question in a post
with a time of 10:09 PM. You don't see it pop right up, so you post
again? Try giving it a day to show up, next time.
JOAT
Use your brain - it's the small things that count.
- Bazooka Joe
> Does anyone know what this chemical is?
Yes.
Bloke called Bill Knight knows all about it. He's an amateur gunsmith,
professional chemist and author of "Staining and Finishing for
Muzzleloading Gun Builders", a small pamphlet that US gunshops should
be able to find for you. If you can't find one, shout and I'll let you
know other addresses for him.
The chemical could be a range of things, but it's probably nitric acid
/ iron nitrates as a stain / colouring agent. The finish over this
would be linseed oil, prepared in a variety of ways, usually involving
high-temperature boiling with lead compounds. An English gunsmith
OTOH, might have been more likely to use a low-temperature boiling and
allow the oil to polymerise alone, without adding metallic salt
driers.
It's not a simple subject, and although I've done some quite complex
forms of this treatment, any understanding I might have is simply
lifted from Bill Knight - so read his text instead. I don't suggest
random experimentation on your own.
"AArDvarK" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<LtnCc.1592$hX6.84@fed1read01>...
> Here is the book reference, this book is not to be found anywhere as published,
> http://www.codesmiths.com/shed/workshop/techniques/oilcloth
Oh, you don't want to believe anything on _that_ site. Guy's an idiot
8-)
I believe http://www.dixonmuzzleloading.com can supply copies of Bill
Knight's staining book.
George Franks is an interesting book, but it's really not a book for
beginners. It's still my favourite reference for real French-style
(pumice on the rubber)French polishing and the dyeing experiments are
inspiring. However the explanations of the chemistry are thought to be
somewhat dubious according to my semi-tame house chemist and it
assumes a lot of prior knowledge.
"AArDvarK" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<xjaEc.6684$z81.1845@fed1read01>...
> Is this your website? http://www.codesmiths.com/dingbat/
Yes, that's mine.
> I love that steel brief case,
No, that's a friend's work. I just did the recent restoration job
(electrolytic de-rust) on it.
PS - Did you get an email from me last week ?
AArDvarK wrote:
>
> I need a finish for wood that is extremely tough, I once saw a TV documentary showing
> a country gunsmith, he makes everything, the barrels and all the parts and stocks himself.
> But my curiosity is that it showed him using a chemical that disolves iron shavings, which
> he used as the finish on the wood, soaked in and further topically with more coatings.
> Does anyone know what this chemical is?
>
> Thanks all,
>
You can take rusty nails or rusty steel wool, dissolve it in vinegar
and
apply to the solution to wood. Turns many woods almost black.though
the solution itself is sort of rust orange.
"Classic Wood Finishing" by George Frank, Revised by Sam Allen
ISBN 0-8069-7063-4 $17.95 US has all kinds of less traditional
ways of coloring wood through the use of chemicals and wood
extracts.
Some of the formulas use readily available stuff and some require
chemicals not normally found in a grocery, hardware or paint store
(like potassium permanganate - nasty to dispose of)
charlie b
> You can take rusty nails or rusty steel wool, dissolve it in vinegar
> and
> apply to the solution to wood. Turns many woods almost black.though
> the solution itself is sort of rust orange.
>
> "Classic Wood Finishing" by George Frank, Revised by Sam Allen
> ISBN 0-8069-7063-4 $17.95 US has all kinds of less traditional
> ways of coloring wood through the use of chemicals and wood
> extracts.
> Some of the formulas use readily available stuff and some require
> chemicals not normally found in a grocery, hardware or paint store
> (like potassium permanganate - nasty to dispose of)
Excellent, thanks for the book reference!
Alex
> No, that's a friend's work. I just did the recent restoration job
> (electrolytic de-rust) on it.
> PS - Did you get an email from me last week ?
Okay I got it Andy. That is an awesome page on chemical and finish tutorials man, thank you!
I will keep it and study it, maybe print it up and make my own booklet out of it too.
Thanks again,
Alex
> >Once applied [nitric acid] it must be heated with a hot iron near it,
...nitric acid and dissolved iron
> That's somewhat optional. It changes the colour, but you can also work
> without it.
Here is the book reference, this book is not to be found anywhere as published,
bottom of the page:
http://www.codesmiths.com/shed/workshop/techniques/oilcloth
Alex
On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 14:12:04 -0700, "AArDvarK" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Once applied [nitric acid] it must be heated with a hot iron near it,
That's somewhat optional. It changes the colour, but you can also work
without it.
> Yes.
> Bloke called Bill Knight knows all about it. He's an amateur gunsmith,
> professional chemist and author of "Staining and Finishing for
> Muzzleloading Gun Builders", a small pamphlet that US gunshops should
> be able to find for you. If you can't find one, shout and I'll let you
> know other addresses for him.
>
> The chemical could be a range of things, but it's probably nitric acid
> / iron nitrates as a stain / colouring agent. The finish over this
> would be linseed oil, prepared in a variety of ways, usually involving
> high-temperature boiling with lead compounds. An English gunsmith
> OTOH, might have been more likely to use a low-temperature boiling and
> allow the oil to polymerise alone, without adding metallic salt
> driers.
>
> It's not a simple subject, and although I've done some quite complex
> forms of this treatment, any understanding I might have is simply
> lifted from Bill Knight - so read his text instead. I don't suggest
> random experimentation on your own.
THAT'S IT! The rebel's are there!
Last night I did a search for "dissolving iron filings" and found this page:
http://www.armoryhill.com/ask03.html but their link references didn't have the answers.
Then their video reference did, "The Gunsmith of Williamsburg" with Wallace Gusler
and narrated by David Brinkley in 1969. It is Nitric acid. Once applied it must be heated
with a hot iron near it, then goes on the linseed oil. I was rather hoping that the iron is
added to the wood as a strengthener, I guess not because such an idea would be great for
wooden tool handles.
Thank you, and I will look for the Bill Knight pamphlet, I have a friend that owns a
gunshop.
Alex
On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 14:27:46 -0700, "AArDvarK" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Old fashioned wood dyeing page:
>http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/The_Household_Cyclopedia_of_General_Information/wooddyes_cbh.html
Almost every recipe on that page (from 1881) is a blatant rip-off,
right down to the wording, of Robert Mussey's "Cabinet Maker's Guide"
of 1827. Such plagiarism was fairly commonplce in the period.
Incidentally, if you're hunting such old recipes, Mussey is available
from Dover Press as a cheap reprint. They do many of the classic old
text too, such as Theophilus and Cellini. Sadly I still haven't found
myself a Dossie, or a Stalker and Parker.
--
Smert' spamionam
> Almost every recipe on that page (from 1881) is a blatant rip-off,
> right down to the wording, of Robert Mussey's "Cabinet Maker's Guide"
> of 1827. Such plagiarism was fairly commonplce in the period.
>
> Incidentally, if you're hunting such old recipes, Mussey is available
> from Dover Press as a cheap reprint. They do many of the classic old
> text too, such as Theophilus and Cellini. Sadly I still haven't found
> myself a Dossie, or a Stalker and Parker.
Thank you for that. Is this your website? http://www.codesmiths.com/dingbat/
I love that steel brief case, it looks like something someone in "The Firm"
would use for ... whatever, but it is killer!
Alex