Tiger striping a stock

[breachloader]

Hello all,

I am new here and i just got back into muzzleloaders with my son. Back in the 80's I built a TC Hawken kit and did the oil finish and cold bluing on it. It turned out nice. My brother still has it and it has seen many a rendezvous. Now my new adventure is a Lyman Great Plains rifle that I am getting ready to start on. I plan on browning the barrel this time. My question is I would like to do the "fake tiger striping" on the stock. I have read many possible ways it was done in the past and present but I would like to get some input form any of you gentlemen on this matter.

[prairie dog]

I re-built this rifle recently and painted the stripes on the plain maple.  I think it turned out rather nice.

Be happy to share the "secret" if you want.

[Riley/MN]

Looks good PD!

[prairie dog]

What I did was the paint brush method.  Take a two inch china bristle brush and cut off most of the bristles.  Leave about an inch.  Then cut out 5 or 7  notches in the bristles.  I used Laural mountain forge maple and added a little nut brown to stain the stock and brown leather dye to paint the stripes.

The secret is, wood grain doesn't grow uniformly and mother nature includes what we might consider mistakes.

Don't make your stripes too uniform in width and spacing.  Don't make them all perfectly parallel,  in fact don't make anything "perfect" and you will get a more natural look.  

That's my 2 cents, for what it's worth, that was my first attempt to paint stripes.  But I like the results and will do it again.

[Hank in WV]

that's certainly one of the best jobs I've seen. Nice job Steve.

[Uncle Russ]

Now THAT looks good Steve.
Not too bold, not to much, but a striking balance.

Well done my friend!  

Uncle Russ...

[breachloader]

It looks outstanding. I hope mine turns out as good.

[breachloader]

Testing on scrap wood he stain appears too blotchy on raw wood but when I coat the wood with tung oil and then apply the stain it seems to not run wild in the wood pores. Want to get it right the first time.

[Hanshi]

Very nice striping on that rifle; I like it.

[cyotewa]

As good of a job as I have ever seen for faux-Tiger.

[prairie dog]

Thank you all for the kind words.

[cyotewa]

Those weren't just kind words, they were fact.
I'm sending a truck load of my guns down so you can do all of them too;-)

[prairie dog]

:lol:

[Eric Krewson]

I saw a really expensive kit that the builder striped the stock with a blowtorch in 2" wide strips like a barber pole or ramrod. I asked him why he would do such a thing to a nice gun, his answer" because I like it", end of discussion.

[snake eyes]

because I like it"

Eric,
       Great answer if building for his self [/color]