stock restoring

[snipperuk]

has anyone tried to re-create the brown varnish finish found on the older webley / bsa's ect ?

if a rifle is marked i usually strip and oil the wood but i fancy getting and original finish ..... when stripping it looks like a brown clearish varnish

snipper

[Troubledshooter]

It's a spray applied factory finish, and not easy to exactly replicate.
I haven't yet found a suitable off the shelf spray paint.
It's sometimes surprising the quality of the beech underneath.

[benchstop]

It's tinted lacquer, this enables the manufactures to achieve an even (boring) consistency time and time again.

[snipperuk]

hmmmm .... might see about getting a can of spray made up from a mate of mine and have a play .
i once sprayed a stock with clear polyurethane ... nice finish but looked like plastic it was shining that much

[premierpistol]

I got some crushed walnut shells from a car boot a number of years ago, it was off a bloke who was retiring his french polishing business and you just mix it up with a little scalding water to make a stain. stain the wood to the desired colour, then give an oil finish over the top. they come out great. also works well with a clear satin spray finish over the top too. just make sure the stain has dried in for a few days before applying the top coat.

[benchstop]

Crushed walnut husks are sold as "Van Dyke Crystals"