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Risasi
04-18-2008, 15:41
I'm looking for some info on a blurb I read years ago.
Is anyone familiar with some of the old BP rifles that used to have a "tiger stripe" finish?

Sometimes a flame, or stripe pattern can be found in the wood grain. This is common with birch, or some high pattern curly or birdseye maples, etc. However I believe I read something about artificially introducing a stripe pattern to certain woods (I think Walnut was common).
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IIRC Prior to putting any kind of stain or sealant on the wood, I think there were two methods of introducing a pattern to the wood. Either:
A: Loosely wrapping the wood with hemp rope and applying a dye mixture to the unfinished wood.
B: Tightly wrapping the stock in a hemp rope that has been soaked in kerosene. This is then ignited for a certain period of time to scorch the "stripes" into the wood.

After one of the two methods has been done to the wood it then has stain and/or sealant applied as normal.


Here are a few pics displaying this pattern to which I am referring:
http://www.codella.com/Photos/Guns/9359MuzzleLoadKYa.jpg
http://www.codella.com/Photos/Guns/9359MuzzleLoadKYf.jpg


What I am looking for is someone who can confirm this method. I have a wood wrapped free float tube for my AR. I would like to create a similar pattern on it.

woodiepoo
04-18-2008, 21:50
Dixi guns or Dixi gun works did have a catalog on it you might google it,been back in the late 80's when I built my muzzle loader but I didn't tiger stripe it,I used part of the info in there to make the gun more authentic.

Song Dawg
04-19-2008, 19:35
I've seen the procedure on the web..seems someone on maybe RFC was doing it years ago.Sorry but that's the best I can do right now. If it comes to me I'll post!

SD

Risasi
04-20-2008, 07:12
RFC?

I'll go looking there if need be. For the life of me I can't remember where I saw it. Some guy was doing these stripe and flame patterns on nice wood stocks. It seemed like they were M1/M1A's, but I can't be sure.
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Thanks for the heads up woodiepoo, I'll try to find dixi guns and see what I can dig up.

I've been looking all over for the procedure.

Song Dawg
04-20-2008, 12:14
RFC?

I'll go looking there if need be. For the life of me I can't remember where I saw it. Some guy was doing these stripe and flame patterns on nice wood stocks. It seemed like they were M1/M1A's, but I can't be sure.
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Thanks for the heads up woodiepoo, I'll try to find dixi guns and see what I can dig up.

I've been looking all over for the procedure.

Rimfirecentral. They masked off a stock with tape or rope as I recall.

madcratebuilder
08-18-2008, 06:12
I wrap the stock with 10ga copper wire to get the pattern I'm after. Then use a propane torch to blacken the wood. Go slow, you don't want to char the wood, just blacken it. I then go over the stock with some 600 grit and apply the finish.

casey
01-12-2009, 21:26
Did you stain the stock first? Id like to try it on my stock.