doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com L C Smith wood finish

Someone out here probably knows off the top of their head - At the low end of the spectrum Smith used a conventional lacquer finish, and at the high end it was an oil finish. At what grade level did the lacquer stop and the oil begin?

I believe you may have this bassakwards, and I'm not convinced that lacquer alone was ever used---my fairly high grade Smiths have multiple coats of oil finish.

I have seen a few lower graded ones with varnish or shellac, maybe the Marlin era ones used lacquer. On pre-13 guns, shellac or varnish was used on most and in a 1906 catalog it gives reference to a Pigeon Grade as "They are all finished in oil", Grade 3 doesn't give reference to oil but states "We are always careful to give as rich a color and as fine a figure as possible ". The A-3 and later the Deluxe in 1913 stated "as many coats as possible to bring out the figure".
Also in ordering a gun you could ask for the finish you liked on any grade as a small option.

I have no idea where the break point was between high and low grade Smith guns as to stock finishes. A former employee told me that Field and Ideal Grade guns were considered the lowest grades and were produced by the least skilled workers. The highest grade Smith guns sported hand-rubbed finishes produced by a factory concoction called "Rose Oil"; and the costliest Smith guns received as many coats of this stuff as was necessary to achieve the desired finish. Charles Jerred Jr. told me that his father's unfinihsed Deluxe gun had received more than 100 applications of Rose Oil; a few drops at a time carefully rubbed in, then the stock set aside to dry before the next coat was applied. Maybe middle grade Smiths received the same finish; only fewer applications, but that is pure speculation on my part.

I washed the finish off the half a dozen LCS that I have refinished with alcohol This works on original Parkers through AH grade. I believe that shelac was the finish of choice. It was much better stuff than the finish on your wife's table that turns white if you get it wet.

bill

Bill, in the French polishing method, if you add a drop of oil on your shellac pad it helps make it water resistant and helps it from sticking to the last coat.

I read that fresh shellac is waterproof. That is just made by mixing flakes with alcohol and then using it. My preference is button lac for honey colored stocks and garnet for the old WW red color. It is amazing how shellac enhances the grain.

bill