Wood finish on early 1893 Parker GH?

[Quigley97]

I have a copy of the article that Austin Hogan wrote. The shellac and the oil DO mix. I use Bullseye Amber Shellac and did not add the jap dryer. Very easy to use and what you mix seems to last a long time. I use a small jelly jar and provided you keep the the area on top of the jar clean you will be able to use it for some time. If the top is not clean you will never be able to open the container again.

[Cameron Thraen]

Thanks for your collective assistance. This information is very useful and much appreciated.

As the original finish on the Parker stock is shellac is it correct to think that after cleaning the surface I can refresh the finish by applying new coats of fresh shellac directly to the old finish as the new shellac will dissolve into the existing shellac? (Photo of stock on page 2)

I have watched a dozen videos on shellac as a wood finish and the technique of French polish, each with individual expertise differences. Most use linseed quite sparingly to ease the padding process but none have added linseed oil or any oil directly to the shellac. One finishing expert used mineral spirits in his padding process stating it flashed off quicker and did not require the use of naptha to remove the oil between coats. All produced a beautiful finish on whatever piece they were displaying.

This is why these projects are so much fun. I have owned this Parker for over 30 years, accounted for untold numbers of woodcock, grouse and pheasants and yet I am learning more about the Parker shotgun and enjoying every exchange here on the PGCA forum.

[Cameron Thraen]

CHE, linseed oil? Is this raw or boiled? Thanks.

[Cameron Thraen]

Right up front please to not take the following as evidence that I am being contrary to some of the advice provided here. I am completely new to this 'period specific' wood finishing using shellac. I appreciate the time spent to reply to my inquiries. Now to my current thoughts and questions.

I am about to begin the processes of putting an orange shellac finish on my 1893 Parker G forend. My goal is to create a finish that is close to the original as I am able to accomplish. An added demand is that this finish come close to matching the original untouched finish on the stock. To this end I have accomplished the following. Mixed my own shellac from flakes in the these cuts and colors: 1# Plantina, 2# Blonde, 1# Orange, 1# Garnet. These are ready to be used if needed. I have BLO available, but not raw LO. I have Japan Dryer available if needed. I have caster oil available if needed.

After extensive reading I have decided that the shellac application technique of french polish is not required to apply the shellac. I will use a pad as in the french polish technique but will not be building up a gloss finish. Also, I will not be filling the pores in the walnut. I examined the wood on the stock and the forend before starting the project and I see no evidence that filling the pores was part of the original wood finish process.

I have read the two articles by Austin Hogan (thanks to Mike McKinney for getting the Parker Pages USB to me in a timely manner) and I have consulted my gunstock finishing library works by Newell, Dunlap, Mills and Barnes, Howe, and modern texts by Flexner, Jewitt, Dresdner and Allan and the excellent collected work by Woodreaux (over on the DoubleGun forum). This is what I have gleaned to date.

Newell recommends the addition of caster oil (non-drying oil) as a plasticizer to the shellac. Note. There is a thread on the Wood Web discussing Shellac and Linseed Oil wherein one contributor suggests that using a drying oil such as Linseed as an additive (other than a padding lubricant) is not to be recommended. https://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_ba..._Finishes.html

Mills and Barnes recommend the one-time application of raw linseed to the stock prior to the application of shellac. I see no evidence that the wood was colored with linseed oil prior to application of shellac.

Dunlap gives his favorite technique of applying BLO to the wood following by shellac immediately and the use of the hand rather than a pad. I do not think this to be applicable either.

Howe has a strong distaste for "that orange shellac, colorless, dreadful, frightful looking, ... disfiguring looking finish" In a word awful, do not use.

Flexner, Dresdner, Jewitt each recommend mineral oil as a lubricant. None recommends a direct mixing of linseed oil, raw or boiled, in any proportion with the shellac.

As a last bit of information I have watched Brian Dudley's work on his FB page and these videos show fantastic finish work on Parker and Lefever wood. However this high level of grain filled finish is not what is called for on my project. Brian does state that he prefers to apply the finish to the wood prior to recutting the checkering.

If you have direct experience with using shellac as a finish on a Parker or any other makers wood and not building up to a french polish technique finish and could provide a photo or two of the Parker wood I would be appreciative. Reaction and thoughts on what I have posted here are welcome. Thanks to CHE and Quigley97 (Parker forend photos) for advice similar to Dunlap but without the mixing of BLO and shellac.

[Stan Hillis]

What did you use to dissolve your shellac flakes, Cameron?

SRH

[Cameron Thraen]

Stan, I used Kleen Strip Green denatured alcohol. MSDS show the ethanol content at 80-90%. This is higher than the regular Kleen Strip product.

[Stan Hillis]

Thanks Cameron.

SRH

[B. Dudley]

I never had good luck with dissolving my own flakes. I always had issues with solids and sediments in the mix. Even with straining multiple times.

Zessner Bullseye shellac is the same formulation that it has been for the last century. And it is always a consistent a homogeneous mixture.

[Craig Budgeon]

Cameron if your desire is to duplicate factory finish then begin to think like the factory would have done it. I am not sure exactly the process Parker used in the factory but I do know L.C.Smiths process. Low grade Smihs , perhaps 18-20 per day, were brought to the finish room where each received 3 coats of a quick drying COMMERCIAL finish, then dried overnight. From there they went to the checkers. Blemishes and any polishing were dealt with before delivery. Gunsmihs did not build these guns but rather specialized craftsmen and craftswomen did.

[B. Dudley]

But, also remember that they were built by humans in a production setting in rather crude condition by todays standards. And none of them figured that 100 years later collectors would be fretting over every little detail.