And Another Hooligan Traditions Kentucky Rifle DIY Project

gotcha on the adsorbent/grain .I just looked for the stuff i had i was going to send you a pic of it . I had great results with it when i was finishing a fair amount Cherry wood that's famous for getting that blotch look . It basically seals the wood so that your stain goes on even . It looks good I think as you oil it the blonder areas will likely darken some .

j8064 said:

What finish would you put on the barrel?

Click to expand...

Plum brown would be gorgeous. JMHO

Another Update

The more I looked at how the first stain came out the less I liked it. So I got creative:

• Yesterday I took some 80 grit to the stock and opened the grain while evening out some of the darker spots.
• Then I put a coat of gunstock stain over the original walnut. (First Pic).
• This morning I re-stained the entire stock with red mahogany and more of the dark walnut. I put it on thick and worked it into the wood well.
• While the barrel was out I got to work with a torch and the BC Plum Brown barrel finish.
• After five applications (de-grease, heat, apply plum brown and wash in cold water - repeat) I've got the metal as even as it's gonna get.

The last pic is how the project sits tonight. Once the stain is dry I'll do final sanding with 220 grit and even any stain that's needed. Then the sights get installed and everything gets put back together with final fitting.

Then let the oiling of the stock and the shooting begin!

j8064 said:

The more I looked at how the first stain came out the less I liked it. So I got creative:

• Yesterday I took some 80 grit to the stock and opened the grain while evening out some of the darker spots.
• Then I put a coat of gunstock stain over the original walnut. (First Pic).
• This morning I re-stained the entire stock with red mahogany and more of the dark walnut. I put it on thick and worked it into the wood well.
• While the barrel was out I got to work with a torch and the BC Plum Brown barrel finish.
• After five applications (de-grease, heat, apply plum brown and wash in cold water - repeat) I've got the metal as even as it's gonna get.

The last pic is how the project sits tonight. Once the stain is dry I'll do final sanding with 220 grit and even any stain that's needed. Then the sights get installed and everything gets put back together with final fitting.

Then let the oiling of the stock and the shooting begin!

Click to expand...

looks good color definitely more consistent. question I've never worked with any blueing/ plum brown product before. Will the barrel have a shine to it

buellsfurn said:

looks good color definitely more consistent. question I've never worked with any blueing/ plum brown product before. Will the barrel have a shine to it

Click to expand...

Barrel finishes require protective oil. The oil will add shine. I haven't oiled the metal yet because if I want to add another coat of Plum Brown, removing the oil would add more work.

There will be plenty of oil added to the wood and metal later.

j8064 said:

Barrel finishes require protective oil. The oil will add shine. I haven't oiled the metal yet because if I want to add another coat of Plum Brown, removing the oil would add more work.

There will be plenty of oil added to the wood and metal later.

Click to expand...

ok so their oil on metal will dry.

Ready To Oil The Stock!

As of today the rifle is "built".

I gave the stock a good scrub with fine steel wool to even the stain and smooth the grain.

During final fitting the thimbles were installed. The screws that hold them are a little too long and interfere with the ramrod. The tips of the screws are filed to fit inside each thimble once they are in place. Since I don't plan to ever remove the thimbles, Loctite was used.

All the other brass was removed and polished. To better align the flash hole with the pan I placed a .002 shim under the barrel tang and glued it in place.

Fitting is now complete. The flintlock is ready to test fire! I couldn't resist testing the frizzen spark. It sure looks like it will set off any powder in the pan!

Next step is to apply a pure Tung oil finish. I've started with a 50/50 mixture of Tung oil and mineral spirits. After a few coats of thinned mix I'll move on to undiluted Tung oil.

This has definitely been an interesting project. I'm really looking forward to test firing the Kentucky Flintlock at a Hooligan shoot very soon!

that is looking great!

fantastic job there! And thank you for sharing this information.

noddaz

Looks great!