doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com black linseed oil?

Watched show last night showing Turnbull restocking rifle and they darkened the checkering pattern using black linseed oil.Anyone ever mixed some up? What is best to add to oil to blacken it? Thanks,Bobby

A favorite trick used by builders of early styled long rifles is to apply linseed oil and then sprinkle bone black over it and then wipe off thoroughly. The bone black will embed itself in the wood fibers and leave a nice dark brown/black color. I have used it on recut checkering and it works great. Use an old toothbrush and paper towels to remove the surface oil. Bone black can be difficult to find but I believe Brownell's used to carry it. I have thought thoroughly pulverized artist charcoal sticks would work as well but have not tried it.

Oh, judicious use of bone black on restoring stocks is a good way to give them an aged patina and not appear so out of place on a vintage gun.

You can also use good quality artist�s oil paint it mixes with linseed oil with no problems the colour I prefer to use for a darker tint is Rowney�s �Ivory Black� other colours I use for colouring stocks beside Alkanet are �Vandyke brown� and �Burnt Umber� mixes, artist colours are extremely permanent and very stable over time.

For darkening checkering I personally use two different things. A product called trans tint in black color which is a wood dye. It mixes with either water or alcohol for diluting. Or I also use a leather dye in black color called Feibings. I get that from my local farm and livestock store. That is an alchohol based product.

Which I use is dependant on what type of finish is on the wood. If it is effected by alchohol, i use a water based die, if not I use the alchohol based dye. Then I will top off with a clear penetrating sealer.

Thanks, Bobby