Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 18

Thread: Original rifle musket arsenal stock finishing process

  1. #1
    keweenaw is offline
    Team:
    Visitor (non-N-SSA Member)
    Member
    NA
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    302
    Region:
    Visitor

    Original rifle musket arsenal stock finishing process

    Good day all and merry Christmas,

    I am curious about how the government and contractors finished stocks on rifle muskets. I presume it was a linseed oil finish. But does anyone know the details? Were they hand finished, dipped in oil, was the oil heated, etc? I would like to duplicate the process on some repro guns I have to look period correct. I remember years ago seeing the stacked musket "organ" at the Springfield Armory museum, with unissued muskets, but they had, as I recall, a lot of debris on them from the staff cleaning them I guess. What it was I do not know, but was orange in color.

    If any of you have info on the original procedures, I would greatly appreciate it.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Southron Sr. is offline
    Team:
    24th Georgia Volunteer Infantry
    Member
    3002
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Gorgia
    Posts
    1,319
    Region:
    Carolina - North Carolina and South Carolina

    Arsenal Stock Finish

    My understanding is that after the stock received the final sanding, the stock was dunked in a vat of boiling Linseed Oil, then the stock was set aside for several days for the Linseed Oil on the stock to dry.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Brigthon, MI
    Posts
    141
    Region:
    Visitor
    Do a online search for the 1862 ordnance manual. In there is a formula for stock finish and wood putty for use on small arms. You will have to figure the reduced proportion. If I recall correctly their formula starts with 13 gallons of linseed oil. Also contain s bees wax and terp.
    R. C. Hubbard Jr.
    7th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry

  4. #4
    keweenaw is offline
    Team:
    Visitor (non-N-SSA Member)
    Member
    NA
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    302
    Region:
    Visitor
    Quote Originally Posted by R. C. Hubbard Jr View Post
    Do a online search for the 1862 ordnance manual. In there is a formula for stock finish and wood putty for use on small arms. You will have to figure the reduced proportion. If I recall correctly their formula starts with 13 gallons of linseed oil. Also contain s bees wax and terp.
    Thanks. Found this:

    https://archive.org/details/ordnancemanualfo00unitrich

    But could not locate how they were originally finished at the factories/arsenals. Anyone have info on this?

    Thanks

  5. #5
    Curt's Avatar
    Curt is offline
    Team:
    Visitor (non-N-SSA Member)
    Member
    NA
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    260
    Region:
    Midwest - Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana
    Hallo!

    "History" and the "literature" are pretty much silent on this.

    Finish stocks were dipped in "hard oil" (one can find it listed in material inventories such as at Harpers Ferry). Hard Oil is Period BLO, not the modern chemical concoction sold now that has taken out most of the natural hardener agents in the pressed oil itself and now adds even mineral salts through a forced oxygen process.

    When done, they went to the drying rooms. It has been said that one of the reasons the rifle works burned so fast when the Union forces set fire to the armory buildings was due to a fresh batch of rifle stocks drying.

    I have long pondered the stock oiling process, as it sees to me (and from my own stock finishing) that original stocks lack hardened oil "runs" from excess oil running or coming out of mortising or holes, etc., in the stock. The other is that original stocks are uniformly "oiled" and one typically if never sees uneven absorption or lighter or denser areas that I get in my initial stock oilings until enough oil goes in that there is uniform coverage.

    I have always meant to track down a full version of Ordnance Memoranda No. 22 which illustrates the small arms manufacture machines and processes at the Springfield armory.

    Curt
    Curt Schmidt
    Formerly 17 years a Sherman's Bodyguard
    Married to a descendant of Senator John Sherman's wife

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Sherman's Kitchen, GA
    Posts
    980
    Region:
    Deep South - Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi and Texas
    Also, depending on the model arm, certain model arms received different metallic finishes. The early production of U.S. martial arms were finished in the white, a condition often referred to as "National Armory Bright" finish. Later production of the M1816 muskets were purposefully browned in an attempt at a compromise with the problems of long term storage and the lack of maintenance while in store, versus those arms in use. Beginning with the M1841 rifle and continuing in certain models during the Civil War, other metallic finishes were introduced. Several years ago at one of the Nationals, I had the opportunity to examine one of the U.S.M Model 1855 Rifle that was still preserved in its original arsenal finishes, with a color-case hardened lock, blued barrel bands and furniture, and its reddish-browned barrel finish using Dragon's blood as was specified in the Ordnance Manual. The very same finishes had been used with the U.S.M. Model 1841 Rifle. The U.S.M. designation applied to those arms produced by the arsenal for use as pattern guns, and each of the national armories were to produce ten such guns each year to be exchanged with the other arsenal so that standards in fit and finish, as well as dimensional stability could be insured. When the arsenals fell under the military superintendents beginning in 1841, Springfield discontinued this practice and for about 10 years did not forward any model arms to Harpers Ferry until about 1848 or 49 when they send about a dozen guns to Harpers Ferry. Adam Rhulman, one of the chief inspectors there examined the model arms produced by the arsenal at Springfield and pronounced the whole as essentially trash. He condemned them as a whole, reporting that some of the lock screws only belonged in the trash bin because of the lack of threads. Upon a whole, the arms built at Harpers Ferry were regarded as superior to those made at Springfield, part of the reason being the workers were better skilled at their trades.

    Sometimes you will find musket parts exhibiting these original arsenal finishes but for much of the time, the army officers ordered their commands to burnish the arms bright in an effort to render a uniform appearance never mind that this may have injured the arm's resistance to inclement weather or misuse. Like the recipe used for the stocks of the muskets, it tended over time to turn the stock color more reddish even though they were not originally this color when the finish was first applied. At one time I had kept detailed notes of the various arsenal finish for each model arm but like so many things in life, once you put it up for safekeeping, you forget were up was.
    First Cousin (7 times removed) to Brigadier General Stand Watie (1806-1871), CSA
    1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles | Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation 1862-66

  7. #7
    keweenaw is offline
    Team:
    Visitor (non-N-SSA Member)
    Member
    NA
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    302
    Region:
    Visitor
    Quote Originally Posted by Curt View Post
    Hallo!

    "History" and the "literature" are pretty much silent on this.

    Finish stocks were dipped in "hard oil" (one can find it listed in material inventories such as at Harpers Ferry). Hard Oil is Period BLO, not the modern chemical concoction sold now that has taken out most of the natural hardener agents in the pressed oil itself and now adds even mineral salts through a forced oxygen process.

    When done, they went to the drying rooms. It has been said that one of the reasons the rifle works burned so fast when the Union forces set fire to the armory buildings was due to a fresh batch of rifle stocks drying.

    I have long pondered the stock oiling process, as it sees to me (and from my own stock finishing) that original stocks lack hardened oil "runs" from excess oil running or coming out of mortising or holes, etc., in the stock. The other is that original stocks are uniformly "oiled" and one typically if never sees uneven absorption or lighter or denser areas that I get in my initial stock oilings until enough oil goes in that there is uniform coverage.

    I have always meant to track down a full version of Ordnance Memoranda No. 22 which illustrates the small arms manufacture machines and processes at the Springfield armory.

    Curt
    I have examined a number of original muskets over the years. The thing that always perplexed me was the stock finish. Some of these were pristine examples, and seemed to have some kind of built up finish on them. Yet, the barrel channels, lock mortise and butt under the buttplate did not seem to show any oil finish, and definitely no runs of finish as i recall. Someone mentioned that the finish we see on these guns now a days is a result of aging over time. Yet, it does not appear so to me, especially with the pristine examples I have seen from time to time. My limited experience with using boiled linseed oil on a walnut stock, with several coats and drying and rubbing in between, has not produced the kind of finish i see on the originals. Perhaps the initial formulations of BLO makes the difference?

  8. #8
    John Bly is offline
    Team:
    5th Virginia Volunteer Infantry
    Member
    5109V
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Stephens City, VA
    Posts
    853
    Region:
    Potomac - Virginia, Maryland and Delaware
    I agree that most shoulder arms in original condition show no evidence of oil in the lock mortise or barrel channel. I've wondered about this myself. I've used a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and turpentine and it takes a lot of applications and time to get a finish on the stock. I always put it on the butt end of the stock and that end grain soaks up oil like a sponge.

  9. #9
    keweenaw is offline
    Team:
    Visitor (non-N-SSA Member)
    Member
    NA
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    302
    Region:
    Visitor
    If the stocks were dipped in vats of BLO, you would seem to see evidence in the barrel channel, lock mortise, etc. If they were hand rubbed, you would think you would see the occasional runoff into the barrel channel, etc. Maybe these folks were more precise than we are. Or, maybe there was some other concoction added to the finishing process after BLO?

  10. #10
    gemmer is offline
    Team:
    Visitor (non-N-SSA Member)
    Member
    N/A
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    346
    Region:
    Visitor

    finish

    Quote Originally Posted by keweenaw View Post
    If the stocks were dipped in vats of BLO, you would seem to see evidence in the barrel channel, lock mortise, etc. If they were hand rubbed, you would think you would see the occasional runoff into the barrel channel, etc. Maybe these folks were more precise than we are. Or, maybe there was some other concoction added to the finishing process after BLO?
    Could they have been dipped after shaping and sanding but before the channel, lock mortise, etc. were cut?

Similar Threads

  1. M1855 Type 1 Rifle-Musket, All original. For Sale
    By Todd Harrington, 3637V in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 11-20-2015, 11:20 AM
  2. WTB: Original Enfield musket stock
    By MarkTK36thIL in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 10-21-2015, 09:46 PM
  3. Original rifle, rifle-musket ammunition
    By Dave Fox in forum Small Arms
    Replies: 31
    Last Post: 08-13-2013, 04:51 PM
  4. FS Original 1861 Special Model Full Length Uncut Musket Stock
    By jack 8thVirginia in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 07-12-2013, 01:51 PM
  5. Original musket stock for sale
    By Jim Brake 3587 in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 08-15-2011, 12:11 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •