Steve, Thanks for taking the time to do this, I do know your trying to make a living at the same time
. Maybe over time we can attract more craftsman that will share. I'm sure if the old time gunmakers were alive today they would be using a finish much like you and other contemporary makers use. 99% of any staining or finish I do has to match the color and patina of the original maker. I have had several folks tell me that Tom Shelhamer stained his stock with the red dye that's used in farming gas. I now have some of this but have not had the time to experiment at any length with it. I believe that you could stain your whole house with one drop of the stuff.
