doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com Alkanet Staining Technique

Nice thread.

I experimented with Alkanet red oil I made the past 3 years. Here is a sample block I did, taping off the squares with blue masking tape. Lower right was one coat of Alkanet only. Above that was Alkanet with 1-2 coats Chambers oil. Middle was 3-4 Alkanet lower, more chambers finish above. Left lower was about the same, 3-4 Alkanet, but adding some Chambers. Upper was enough Chambers oil to fill the pores mostly. About 10-12 thin coats.


I Finished a walnut long rifle stock, several tool handles (hickory), and refinished this Stevens shotgun stock:

What I found is it takes a month or two to get dark in Linseed oil, but that is what you want to use. I tried a control in Mineral Spirits. It barely turned pink after a few weeks. The Oil was already dark red.

For use, I would use it first, no stains. A few thin coats, allowed to dry for 24 hours between each. Then I make sure it's dry and move to Jim Chambers Oil, a finish I REALLY like and use on everything now.

A-root in BLO, Daly's sealer with A-root, still working on the top coat.

Steve, I’ve used alkanet/blo mix and Chambers for years now. Just so I understand you correctly, after alkanet/blo you are sealing with Daly’s and now top coating with Chambers?
Bob

Hi Bob,
I have never used chambers.

I used Alkanet root and BLO first, then alkanet root and Daly's sealer which was rubbed in with rotten stone, last few coats just the sealer/root combo foregoing the rotten stone and wiped off as much as possible before it dries. I had never finished a stock just like this before but have done it very similarly, not using as much sealer and mostly using Daly's teak oil finish. The sealer seems to have more solids in it than the finish does. I have not decided 100% on my top coat but I'm, leaning towards CCL, I just started using it and like it quite a bit but am not 100% sure how compatible it will be with the Daly's.

Steve

Steve, sorry, apparently I got confused with who was using what when reading this thread.

So when doing the Daly’s rottenstone combo, you are filling the grain?

Also, I thought CCL was getting tough to get now days, or have I been misinformed?
Thanks
Bob

Yes, the rottenstone slurry fills the grain. Daly's dry's very hard, be sure not to let it set up in your inletting.

Things are changing, most everything is more difficult and costly to import in the last 6 months, I have bought from DGJ on Ebay and imported it from the UK before the end of the Di Minis exception, not sure about how hard it is to import now. It is certainly going to cost you more.

Thanks Steve.