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Here is the last test fitting before finishing the stock.



Here is the wood right after the Rit dye stain and before buffing it. Waiting for it to dry.




After buffing but before BLO coat.



Different colors because I was trying to find the best camera setting to show it best.

Here is the first coat of BLO over the Rit dye stain.






SOoo, halfway done with finishing, more stain, more BLO coats, more buffing....

No more stain yet just a scrub coat with BLO and here's a test fitting afterwards to make sure the wood hasn't swelled since it drank a LOT of oil.





This is after an alcohol based dark brown leather dye. It's a bit too red for me but the word is that the BLO will darken with age and mellow the red down some. Got a few more BLO coats to do and then I'm going to try and make some 1/3 mix (Finnish finish or Gunnies paste) to finish it up.





Second handrubbed BLO coat 7/01/12


In the sun after a afternoon of baking in 100* heat in the sun



I'm starting to like it. I think that this will be the last BLO coat, the sun caused it to ooze oil. Not unexpected since this last coat hadn't dried completely before I took it outside. It accomplished what I wanted it to do I think. It pulled some more color out of it. When I wiped it down it really showed on the rag.


Added July 12, 2012
Put another couple of handrubbed BLO coats on it but didn't notice any changes so I waxed it. This is it. All I'm going to do for now.




So it is what it is.
Now I need info on bluing or browning metal. Things are going slower because I'm back in school now.

I think it's gonna look sharp bud!

I'm hopin so too. I don't like beech I can see that though. But what choice have I got? I guess I could cut that damnable walnut down in the front yard that I put in by mistake about twenty years ago. I do want it gone...

The stock just took the dye weird and the stock looks dirty. In person it's not bad but not what I hoped for. The dark areas really do look black. I tried buffing it out with steel wool and BLO (scrub coat) but it hardly changed the looks.

From what I have seen the dye gave the stock an antique used look... not a bad thing IMO

Looking good

Now the supposed route to take from The Candyman on Surplusrifle forum is to give it a coat of medium brown leather dye to give it some red hints. But he works primarily on surplus stocks that all have those red highlights. What do ya'll think in this case? Even in person in the sun it looks rather bland the way it is. But it's not waxed yet either. My holdup is finding leather dye. The local shoe repair shop doesn't carry alcohol based dyes which is recommended. We don't have any leather or hobby shops within 35 miles of me and the saddle shop is about that far or farther too. So I've come to a standstill on it again. I don't want to make a decision on what color to stop the barrel at if I put any color on it at all until the stock is the way I like it. I kind of like the shiny look. But I have the option of browning it or cold bluing it. I suppose I could set up the required equipment and do a hot blue on it but I've never done any bluing so regardless of which one I try it's not going to end well I'm sure. Having it blued an be done locally but for a kings ransom.

Crappy pictures I know. My real camera needs batteries. And NO it's NOT hanging from the power lines if anyone is wondering.

Looks very nice!

Thanks. Maybe now that C is home I can get to the stores a little more. Couldn't afford to drive the big truck 20 miles round trip to the little city at 9mpg for a three dollar bottle of anything. So going to the middle sized city at 25+ miles one way was really out of the question.

OK Got some dark brown Fiebings leather dye and dyed it. it's a touch to red for my liking but each new coat of BLO I give it some more dye works out and onto my hands. I put the new pictures in the first post. that's last nights work. Dye and a sealing BLO coat. Hand rubbed til hot. I just got done with tonights coat and as soon as I wipe it off if there is any difference I'll post those too otherwise I'll post more when there is a difference to be caught on camera.

This is an interesting project, I can hardly wait to see the finished project

I think so, it's my first real try at this. It'll be some time in the doing. I have about another 10 coats of oil to put on with 24 hours or so between each one. Then while I'm doing that I started hand polishing the metal to get it ready for whatever finish I might try. Sanding, polishing, sanding, polishing. If I would venture down into the basement I could use my polishing wheel and compounds. THAT ain't gonna happen til fall. Or until I get really tired of hand polishing.

For real Randy. I think you've inspired me to get a project like this going with my dad. We used to do similar stuff like this when we were younger. We built a black powder .50 and 2 .45 black powder pistols and a nice Arkansas Tooth Pick. It might be something that will take some time, but it would be nice to spend some good, quality time together.
Please keep us updated on this fine gun.

I don't know about how I could do the work on one with someone elses help. Take turns I guess. Maybe do two pistols as a matching set? Up to you two, however you solve that dilemma, have fun with it! I'm taking more time to do more oil coats now even though I said I wasn't going to. I'm sort of experimenting right now. I've rubbed it with steel wool and BLO three times now (total) and did a really light coat of handrubbed BLO tonight and it's starting to get a nice sheen to it. I let it dry for two days after the second scrub coat and then I scrub coated it yesterday and let it dry 32 hours or so before rubbing a few drops on tonight. It certainly didn't take much oil to coat it this time. About three dabs of one fingertip into a very small amount and once my palm was oily it pretty much coated the entire stock. Rub hard til it gets warm and then rub some more. Then I prop it up so it can cure. Only the toe tip touches anything. And it's on a oily paper towel. Not wet but enough to keep it from sticking.

I think it is looking great now, I was afraid the Beech would never get there.

Good job!