Who does english oil finishes?

[Kurt Sauers]

Any suggestions on who does a traditional english oil finish to get the reddish color i like so much?

[Bob Jurewicz]

Kurt,
I normally use 10-40 High Detergent for that kind of work.
I'll do it for you.
Payback time!
Bob Jurewicz

[edgarspencer]

Good one, Bob!

Kurt, the oils, by themselves won't give you the reds. Stockmakers won't tell you this, but get a bottle of Fiebings dark brown leather stain. That will give you the red you're after. Get an old busted stock to test it on. You can put it on right over a few coats of cured oil. Wear latex gloves!!!

[John Campbell]

With all due respect to Edgar: Please don't use leather stain! If you can manage it, get a bottle of Pilkingtons English Red stain from Brownells. IF you're doing things yourself. Otherwise, I'd contact Chris Dawe on this board. He can do English red colour and the proper oil finish.

[Kurt Sauers]

Kurt,
I normally use 10-40 High Detergent for that kind of work.
I'll do it for you.
Payback time!
Bob Jurewicz

Didn't you do that on the 16ga you sold me?

[edgarspencer]

With all due respect to Edgar: Please don't use leather stain! If you can manage it, get a bottle of Pilkingtons English Red stain from Brownells. IF you're doing things yourself. Otherwise, I'd contact Chris Dawe on this board. He can do English red colour and the proper oil finish.

As a rule, I respect most everything you say, so I won't mention what well known stockmaker told me about Fiebings. These first two pictures show the color I was after, after fiebings. Highest praise I can think to say for Chris, as he stocked this gun, but it was too brown for me.
The third pic is a W&C Scott, which I also colored. I can't see any issues, and this is several years after I did them.
What is your concern? It's an analyne die, just like many wood stains use.

[John Campbell]

Edgar:
Nice stocks. Although a bit "brown" to my eye. I've used the leather dye you mention. But on leather. It is too oily for my taste, but seems to work well for you. As I'm sure you know, alkanet root is the basis of classic English stock stains. But difficult to acquire/mix and manage for the novice. Pilkington's does well with a bottled made-for-stockwood formula.

Stock finish is like politics. I should stay out of the discussion...

[Kurt Sauers]

Edgar:
Nice stocks. Although a bit "brown" to my eye. I've used the leather dye you mention. But on leather. It is too oily for my taste, but seems to work well for you. As I'm sure you know, alkanet root is the basis of classic English stock stains. But difficult to acquire/mix and manage for the novice. Pilkington's does well with a bottled made-for-stockwood formula.

Stock finish is like politics. I should stay out of the discussion...

I definitely am a novice and would like to find someone with the experience and know how to do it

[Brian Dudley]

The leather dye in its various colors does have good effects on wood for certain things. I personally have not used it to replicate an english red. And it would not be my first choice for it really. Any finish with alkenet root in the mix will do the trick. Some more than others.

Discussions on wood finishes can go in so many directions. And there is no right or wrong answer. Just what gets the right results for each job.

[allan.mclane]

Here's a Grade 2 that Edgar refinished using the Fiebings product he mentioned above.

61677

61678

[Brian Dudley]

This H&R was finished with a more traditional mixture of Teak oil and alkenet root to add color.

61680


This Lefever was stained with the leather dye mentioned above ( cannot recall if it was the light brown or dark brown) and then finished something that I cannot recall, since it has been so long. I used the dye due to a low a dark staining in the wood. And it was applied heavier than I would normally want to go do to the issues I was trying to cover up.

61681

[Kurt Sauers]

The lefever is more the color I'm looking for. thanks Brian

[chris dawe]

Brian shows a good example of what we spoke about in PM Kurt -that is that not every blank will be that red we all associate with Alkanet root ...results are highly dependent on wood itself ,and of course anything can be stained or in some cases even painted

[Dean Romig]

Chris, what did you use to get the color in this one?


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[Kurt Sauers]

Those look really good to me

[chris dawe]

secret stuff

[chris dawe]

Man I forgot that one ...she was beat !

[Dean Romig]

It was extremely hard to see the checkering outline but you certainly nailed it! And your mullered borders are perfect!..... to say nothing of the perfect flat top diamonds of the butt checkering!





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