|
|
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,303
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,303 |
All this talk of finishes and filling pores, but most of the Savage stocks we love had open pores, am I right? Now that begs asking a question I've always wondered about. These stocks we are observing are all very old and things oxidize, shrink, tarnish and change with the passing of time. Did the original factory finishes leave the pores open or is that something that happened to the finish with age? Are we looking at original finishes that have, to a degree, broke down over the years? I've refinished a number of bamboo fly rods and I'll tell you right now that orginal varnishes yellow so much with age that you can't tell the original color of the wraps with a visual inspection. Are we kind of doing the same thing with gun stocks? Are we judging an aged finish to be representative of facory fresh? Sometmes I think we are.
"The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle." John Stapp - "Stapp's Law"
"Klaatu barada nikto"
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,101
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,101 |
Good point, Jeff. Then there's factory finishes that were sprayed on clear lacquer, and in more modern times, sprayed on conversion varnishes that dried quickly and built sufficiently with one or two coats that allows a stock to only spend one day in the finishing dept. Like I said, many ways to skin a cat.
I wish someone had researched this stuff a couple generations ago when there were still some old ex-employees around who could remember the trivial details and possibly also located some old records that I doubt exist anymore. A comprehensive book about Savage lever guns on the scale of Rule's book about Model 70's is probably impossible now. (For example, Rule describes the wood and metal finishing in great detail, and how the processes changed between 1936 and 1964.)
I'll bet there's a bunch of old guys at the Savage factory today who are contemplating retirement who never saw a 99 being built.
Last edited by gnoahhh; 02/23/21.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz
"Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 424
Campfire Member
|
|
Campfire Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 424 |
I have used equal amounts of BLO Spar Varnish and Paint thinner in a mixture with good results.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 43,763
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
OP
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 43,763 |
Gun Stock Finishing And Care, Copyright 1949 DEFINITION - DULL LONDON OIL FINISH
The Dull London Oil Finish is a term applied to a type of oil finish which has a certain beauty long sought after by gunstockers. This finish is seen only on some of the works of the old masters and refers primarily to stocks on firearms though I assum that it was at the same time used on furniture. It is supposed to have originated with some o fthe London gunmakers and, if you listen carefully, you will find that a great many of the boys today figure it is a lost art, one of the secrets of the ages, and so on and on.
Excuse me if I stick my neck out, but there has been so much loose talk around lately about the way to secure the Dull London Oil Finish that I feel I am entitled to give my idea on the subject.
Take a fine piece of walnut. Smooth it well by rubbing with sand and a flat piece of bone. Stain it with logwood solution to darken it. Then rub in about fifteen coats of poor grade raw linseed oil with all the foots left in it. Rub it from time to time for the next one hundred years with some soft cloth. Place the name of a famous contemporary on it and arrange to have one of your descendents place it in a museum.
Thus and only thus can the genuine article be secured. I think this guy and gnoahhh would have been great drinking buddies.  He goes on later in the book to get the look of the Dull London Oil Finish, you build up a base of varnish, then hand rub in at least 3 very thin layers of raw linseed oil with at least 36 hours in a warm spot for each layer to dry.
“ The Savage 99 Pocket Reference”. All models and variations of 1895’s, 1899’s and 99’s covered. Also dates, checkering, engraving.. Find at www.savagelevers.com
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 43,763
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
OP
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 43,763 |
"HOW TO REFINISH GUN STOCKS", C.S. Landis in the June 1921 Forest And Stream. DULL FINISH
If it is desired to have the dull London oil finish, which is the most attractive type to apply to most of the stocks that are well grained, all we need to do is to mix up our solutions and then rub them on with the hand or with a piece of felt or some other soft cloth.
The best solution for this process is two parts of raw linseed coil and one part of turpentine, as the addition of the turpentine will make the oil dry faster, and it is possible to apply a large number of coats and rub them in well in a much shorter length of time. The number of coats to apply depend altogether upon the patience of the operator, and the actual value of the piece of wood that is being refinished, because, as you can readily see, a very fine piece of walnut is worth much more effort than a comparatively plain piece.
If the wood is open-pored in texture many people get better results by using wood filler, but I have never been successful with it because the stock always get streaked, and so if I have a piece of walnut that is open-pored then I apply the shellac finish and then dull it off later.
“ The Savage 99 Pocket Reference”. All models and variations of 1895’s, 1899’s and 99’s covered. Also dates, checkering, engraving.. Find at www.savagelevers.com
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,435 Likes: 1
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,435 Likes: 1 |
Well... "London oil finish", eh! Such stuff, accounting for self & chums banned from a favorite London pub! Ensuing, "dry" fortnight, to recollection! Accused of ignoring the "Road oiling" signs. Tracked it all over the pub floor! That "London oil finish" if not quickly removed, capable of sucking boots off as drying! Definitely "bad show"! But especially as conjuring poor blokes, arriving home to waiting wives under excuse of "working late". Appearing barefoot, all manner of debris clinging underfoot! I could go on, but perhaps bit off-point? Another era, perhaps another product, do you think?  > Grain of truth, lot of 'poetic license...' Unable to resist! < Best & Stay Safe! John
Last edited by iskra; 02/24/21.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,101
Campfire Ranger
|
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 23,101 |
Gun Stock Finishing And Care, Copyright 1949 DEFINITION - DULL LONDON OIL FINISH
The Dull London Oil Finish is a term applied to a type of oil finish which has a certain beauty long sought after by gunstockers. This finish is seen only on some of the works of the old masters and refers primarily to stocks on firearms though I assum that it was at the same time used on furniture. It is supposed to have originated with some o fthe London gunmakers and, if you listen carefully, you will find that a great many of the boys today figure it is a lost art, one of the secrets of the ages, and so on and on.
Excuse me if I stick my neck out, but there has been so much loose talk around lately about the way to secure the Dull London Oil Finish that I feel I am entitled to give my idea on the subject.
Take a fine piece of walnut. Smooth it well by rubbing with sand and a flat piece of bone. Stain it with logwood solution to darken it. Then rub in about fifteen coats of poor grade raw linseed oil with all the foots left in it. Rub it from time to time for the next one hundred years with some soft cloth. Place the name of a famous contemporary on it and arrange to have one of your descendents place it in a museum.
Thus and only thus can the genuine article be secured. I think this guy and gnoahhh would have been great drinking buddies. He goes on later in the book to get the look of the Dull London Oil Finish, you build up a base of varnish, then hand rub in at least 3 very thin layers of raw linseed oil with at least 36 hours in a warm spot for each layer to dry. I'm tellin' ya...
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz
"Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 5,169
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 5,169 |
Gun Stock Finishing And Care, Copyright 1949 DEFINITION - DULL LONDON OIL FINISH
The Dull London Oil Finish is a term applied to a type of oil finish which has a certain beauty long sought after by gunstockers. This finish is seen only on some of the works of the old masters and refers primarily to stocks on firearms though I assum that it was at the same time used on furniture. It is supposed to have originated with some o fthe London gunmakers and, if you listen carefully, you will find that a great many of the boys today figure it is a lost art, one of the secrets of the ages, and so on and on.
Excuse me if I stick my neck out, but there has been so much loose talk around lately about the way to secure the Dull London Oil Finish that I feel I am entitled to give my idea on the subject.
Take a fine piece of walnut. Smooth it well by rubbing with sand and a flat piece of bone. Stain it with logwood solution to darken it. Then rub in about fifteen coats of poor grade raw linseed oil with all the foots left in it. Rub it from time to time for the next one hundred years with some soft cloth. Place the name of a famous contemporary on it and arrange to have one of your descendents place it in a museum.
Thus and only thus can the genuine article be secured. I think this guy and gnoahhh would have been great drinking buddies. He goes on later in the book to get the look of the Dull London Oil Finish, you build up a base of varnish, then hand rub in at least 3 very thin layers of raw linseed oil with at least 36 hours in a warm spot for each layer to dry. I'm tellin' ya... What do you mean? That guy was Gnoahhh, and he is a good drinking buddy.
I'm not greedy, I just want one of each.
Remember Ira Hayes
JoeMartin
|
|
|
|
|
624 members (160user, 1beaver_shooter, 16gage, 007FJ, 16Racing, 12344mag, 73 invisible),
3,150
guests, and
1,270
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,192,354
Posts18,487,968
Members73,970
| |
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|
