tiger stripes

[Rusty]

someone post a picture here a while back of a beautiful stock they had finished in a tiger stripe pattern.

I've lost that topic and would like to find it again as I'm about ready to do the same finish on one of my Handi rifles. Does anybody remember the topic?

[Chuck 100 yd]

If it was this one the stripes are in the wood, made by god!


Foe curl ( tiger stripe) can be done but the real stuff dances in the sun light and that cant be duplicated.

[AJMD429]

What kind of wood or cut produces that... is it a stump/root cut or something? Beautiful...

[Ysabel Kid]

Rusty -

I think that was me, responding to JReed's post on spray-painting one of his guns. I hope to do a tiger-stripe pattern on my AR-15. The picture was one off the Lauer Weaponry website advertizing their Duracoat products. I'm on my wife's computer, and don't have the link. Let me know if you can't find it, and I'll look it up for you when I'm on my work computer.

[20cows]

What kind of wood or cut produces that... is it a stump/root cut or something? Beautiful...

Curly maple.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Yes , It`s Curley Maple. The stripes are thought to be caused by compression from the weight of the tree. I don`t fully subscribe to that theory but it`s as good as any I can come up with.
It is fairly hard to work with as the lighter areas are hard and the dark areas softer so they absorb rather than reflect the light. When tilted in the light the stripes "dance"..... Very cool!!

[JReed]

No someone did post about how they artificially tiger striped their stock darned if I can remember who it was.

[Pisgah]

Curly maple is certainly the queen of the curly-figure set, and it's really hard to find these days. There is some curly walnut as well. I have a Mauser 98 sporter, built by some anonymous pro many decades back, that has striped walnut that will stun you in the sunlight -- not the best I've ever seen, but easily the second-best!

There are techniques for faking the striping, and they can yield really nice results. But, as mentioned earlier, if you look at the real stuff and the fake side-by-side, there's no mistaking which is which. I did gussy up one cheap caplock muzzleloader that had a very plain maple stock. The result is quite clearly fake, but looks a heckuva lot better than the blank board it was before.

[6pt-sika]

MAPLE MAPLE MAPLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have three flintlocks stocked in curly maple , a Gerber Gator rehandled in curly maple and will soon have a damascus bladed knife and grips for my 1911 Para in curly maple !

I loves my fine figured walnut , but have also developed a taste for curly maple

[JustaJeepGuy]

I loves my fine figured walnut , but have also developed a taste for curly maple

We'd never have guessed...

[TX Gun Runner]

Here 2 I striped

[Bruce]

Rusty,

Chromium Trioxide (Dixie Gun Works) is used to bring out any pattern difference that can (or can not) be seen on wood. It is a real old formula (granular) that has been used by stock makers for a long time. It comes in a small jar and you mix it with water before applying. I mix the small jar into a "Glass" gallon jug and it will last a long time. A small amount does a lot to a stock. At first, it will appear to turn the stock a yellowish color, then a light brown. You can then apply the finish (oil type is what I use) or you can mix vinegar and water and wipe the stock down to lighten the coverage. It will really bring out any pattern (grain) differences. Warning - never let the granuals or mixture get on you or any good clothing. Always wear gloves when working with it - even after it is dry - or you will have yellow hands for months. Try it on a test piece of wood first as it tends to scare you when first applied.

I have also seen some people burn (lightly flame) dull wood to give it a curly pattern - but you can usually spot one of those jobs pretty easily.

[dr walker]

Chuck that is just beautiful.

Tn gun runner, What did you do to get the stripes?

I do love curly maple, I have a few guitars with flame maple tops, and I am currently trying to work a trade on an old kentucky rifle with curly maple stock.

[TX Gun Runner]

Tn gun runner, What did you do to get the stripes? .

Low flame torch ... These 3 below are the real thing .

[Gun Smith]

Wasn't one of the old techniques wrapping string or cord around the stock and burning it? This darkened the wood and gave the appearance of Curley Maple figure.

[hondo1892]

The old timers used ink to fake the stiping on there guns. There are a couple of guys that still do it. One is Jack Brooks in CO and Eric Ketenburg of PA both are traditional muzzleloader gunsmiths. I'm not sure how they apply it but it looks very kool. Eric has a web page but don't know the address of hand. Google his name and you should find it.

[SmokeEater2]

Great thread and some beautiful guns fellas!

[Rusty]

I just want to pimp up my plain little Handi Rifle. I'm planing on doing away with the pistol grip and converting it to a straight grip. After that since I have to refinish the thing anyway I thought I might try some faux tiger stripes on it as well.

There is a really good explanation of how the old timers did it in Foxfire #5 of the Foxfire books. Agua Fortis is an acid with iron filings dissolved in it. After the Agua Fortis was applied to the wood they used hear to accelerate the process. The AF reacts to the natural sugars in the wood of the maple.