To finish the cuts or grooves, fold a short piece of fine sand-paper and run the folded edge along the cuts. Be careful not to cut down too much with the sand-paper. A fine-cut, three-square file can be used to finish up the grooves made by the chequering-tool. Be careful to select a file that has very sharp corners. If one of the flat surfaces of the file be ground smooth, the teeth on the corners will be found to be very sharp, and will answer first-rate for finishing. The same may be used for finishing the shading or outside lines around the chequered surface.
Coloring Gun Stocks.—Gun stocks are colored with linseed oil in which alkanet root has been placed. The oil will then be of a bright red color. The oil may be applied cold or warm, as most convenient. After the application let the stock stand for a day or two until the wood has absorbed all the oil possible. Four ounces of the alkanet root to half a pint of the oil are sufficient. Unboiled or raw linseed oil is generally used. It may take five or six days to color, after the root is put in. It may be put on the work four or five times, with a bit of sponge or a rag.
To Stain a Maple Stock.—Mix an ounce and a half of nitric acid with about equal quantity of iron turnings or filings. Wait until all the gas evolved has evaporated, and then dip a rag in the liquid and wash the portions of the stock to be colored. When this is dry, wet with the oil and alkanet root.
Another Method.—A stock may be oiled and then passed over a brisk flame, as that made from dry shavings, until the oil is scorched off, and then lightly rubbed down with fine sand-paper and then finished in the usual way.
To Color a Maple Stock Brown.—Dissolve a few grains of sulphate of manganese in water; wet the stock and hold over the flame of an alcohol lamp so as to scorch it. By heating some parts more than others the color can be variegated. Oil with raw linseed oil, and polish with a piece of hard wood. The oil and polishing will develop the color, which may be dull at first.
To Color a Reddish Brown.—Brush the wood with dilute nitric acid, and when dry apply the following with a brush: Dragon’s-blood, four ounces; common soda, one ounce; alcohol, three pints. Repeat if not dark enough.
To Color a Black.—Boil half a pound of logwood chips in two quarts of water; add one ounce of pearlash, and wash the work with it while hot. Then, when dry, go over the work with the following: Boil half a pound of logwood in two quarts of water; add half an ounce of verdigris and green copperas, in which has been put half a pound of rusty steel or iron filings.
Rosewood Stain.—Boil half a pint of logwood in three pints of water till the mixture is very dark red; add salts of tartar, one-half ounce, while boiling hot; and while still in this condition apply to the wood, repeating the application two or three times, as the previous application becomes dry. Rub over with a soft cloth when the last application has dried, and set away for a day or so. In the meantime boil one pound of logwood in four quarts of water until of a deep color, then add one pint of vinegar, heat hot and apply to the wood already stained, with a suitable brush, streaking on in imitation of rosewood. When thoroughly dry rub off all loose matter with a soft cloth, and varnish.
Black-Walnut Stain.—Put together gum asphaltum, one pound, and turpentine, half a gallon. Dissolve by gentle heating, taking care not to heat so as to ignite the turpentine. Rub over the wood, and when dry, if not sufficiently dark, repeat the operation. Having the shade to suit, polish down by rubbing hard with a woollen cloth, followed with a bit of soft wood, then varnish. A stain, not quite so good, but cheaper and more simple, is burnt umber, such as can be bought at any paint shop, ground in oil, thinned with a little turpentine. It should be put on very thick, and then rubbed off to the proper shade with a woollen cloth. Dry and varnish.