Wood Finishing & Refinishing - Gun Stocks

Overview of Wood Finishes
Detailed information on wood finishing can easily fill volumes and although this article is a bit lengthy, it is merely an overview intended to answer the most frequently asked questions and dispel some common myths. Now, more than ever, one needs to be an informed consumer in order to help avoid unnecessary costs, losses and aggravation. You're paying the bill so don't be afraid to ask questions and if you don't like the answers, go somewhere else. This article focuses particularly on my gun stock refinishing services but I do continue to offer reproduction and restoration services for all items including appliances and furniture – please visit Fire-Iron.biz for more information on the services I offer and send all email inquiries to flintlockbuilder@yahoo.com

The primary concern when choosing a wood finish for gun stocks and other wooden items typically used outdoors is protection from both handling and the elements. Looks are secondary because no matter how good an item looks, it won't remain looking good for long if the finish cannot withstand the rigors of physical use and exposure to environmental conditions. An important consideration for gun stocks and other wood items that are frequently handled is that the finish should be relatively easy to maintain and repair because they're going to be subject to normal wear and tear.

Proper preparation of the wood is just as much of a concern as the type of finish being applied to it. The time-honored traditional wood preparation methods of scraping and burnishing are more important than just for nostalgia, these methods are the crucial to producing the overall feel and appearance of the end product. A quick internet search will return thousands of topics associated with people seeking answers on how to obtain that “warm rich glow and feel” of vintage wood products yet the overwhelming majority ignore the most critical aspect, proper preparation of the wood itself. Recently I happened across a thread in an on-line forum with more than sixty replies where an alleged “professional furniture restorer” had invested literally hundreds of both dollars and hours but failed to sufficiently replicate a finish matching the original finish produced in the 18th century. Replies to that thread from other “professionals” included all sorts of concoctions to be applied to the wood yet the appearance problem was caused by the wood having been sanded as opposed to scraped and burnished, the difference being as night is to day.

I have to interject a short history lesson to provide the proper perspective on wood finishing techniques. The first production made coated abrasives (sandpaper) weren't invented until late 1833 and consisted of ground glass affixed to parchment which was ineffective on hardwoods and metal. Modern style sandpaper did not come into widespread use until the early 20th century which is why there is such admiration of wood items built in the 19th century or earlier. Sandpaper functions by the sharp edges of the abrasive tearing and shredding the natural wood fibers forever destroying their structural integrity and appearance resulting in a flat appearance of natural colored wood and a muddy appearance on stained wood. No type or amount of oil, resin or synthetic material can reverse the damage sandpaper does to the wood fibers which is why the wood will never achieve the same appearance characteristics as seen on pre-20th century works.

When used correctly, a properly constructed and sharpened scraper utilizes a smooth, clean cutting action to shave very thin layers off the wood with minimal disruption of the natural wood fibers. It should be noted that the common scrapers found in the paint department of the big box store are NOT for finishing wood. The scrapers being sold by craft store type retailers are questionable to say the least and I've yet to find a single “pre-sharpened” scraper that was sharpened correctly. The combined attributes of the scraper must be compatible with the application use and wood type or the results will be far less than desirable. There is nothing “generic” about scrapers and they are a discussion all their own so we'll leave it at that for the intent of this blog.

Burnishing is another critical step in the process of wood finishing as it makes a profound difference in the finished properties of the product. Burnishing is often done in progressive steps during the finishing process using a variety of methods and tooling. Like scrapers, burnishing can easily be a topic unto itself but as it relates to gun stocks, proper burnishing methods and tooling changes the appearance along with certain performance and durability factors of the wood such as those associated with the next topic, checkering and carving.

The generic term “checkering” is often applied to any type of grip enhancement created by adding texture to the surface, however, for clarity in this discussion “checkering” will apply only to the common diamond style texture. Despite being called “cut”, the vast majority of modern checkering is done using tools that are nothing more than little files which cause the same shredding and tearing damage to the wood fibers as sand paper. One will note the resilient sharpness of single-point cut checkering on a gun built a century or more ago while also noting the rapid degradation & dulling of modern file-type checkering. The modern file-type checkering method was adopted because it's fast and cheap, two of the least appealing attributes to have on a gun. When refinishing a gun stock, most existing checkering can be renewed or reworked utilizing the single-point cut and burnishing method but all restoration options are dependent upon the condition of the stock and must be evaluated on a case by case basis. “Stamped” checkering is formed by using a die or punch to crush the wood fibers, the amount of damage done to the wood will determine any viable course of corrective or restorative action that can be taken. Wood can be textured in many different styles other than the common diamond point such as with acanthus, fish/dragon scales or weaves/knots. Pleasr bear in mind, any texture applied using utilizing the modern rotary/manual file or burr and/or die stamping damages the wood.

Because texture details are hard to distinguish in standard pictures, show below are rubbings taken from three different guns. These guns were used but not abused, all wood is Walnut.

This is a 5 year old OEM checkering panel on a bolt-action rifle that was applied using a power-driven rotary checkering file. Note the multitude of missing points especially near the top border and the considerable point dulling/wear in the central grip area.

This next rubbing was taken from the fore end of a premium brand name SxS shotgun that is 23 years old.  The checkering is OEM and was done using manual checkering files. Note the considerable wear in the areas outlined in green - white spots outside the green are from minor bumps.

This rubbing was taken from a custom stocked single-shot breechloading rifle with single-point cut checkering that is approximately 75 years old. Note the relatively minor wear indicated by elongation of the points. The wood on this rifle had a lot of handling marks and notable wear on the bluing and action so it wasn't a safe-queen.

Dents and scratches are common on gun stocks and I often see far more damage done while attempting to repair them than if they were just left alone because character from use is often much more appealing than the butcher and putty jobs some characters create in the workshop. Some dents and scratches can be lessened to a point by steaming and blending of the surface but excessive use of either method can cause irreparable damage to the wood and/or the appearance. There is no one right answer when it comes to boo boo's, each must be evaluated on a case by case basis and a determination made as to if restoration can be done and to what extent or if complete resurfacing is a better option. In some cases, severe damage can be repaired in such a manner as to make the stock appear customized rather than repaired.

Dyes, Stains and other colorants
Common manufactured wood stains are nothing more than ground pigment suspended in a mixture of a binding agent and a vehicle (carrier) typically petroleum distillates, alcohol or water. Stain pigment attaches itself to the surface and in the grain pores of the wood covering the wood like a thin-bodied paint. The colorant in dye is completely dissolved in the vehicle so the color penetrates the wood fibers adding color without hiding the natural appearance of the wood like stain pigments do. Dyes enhance the natural look of the wood grain because the amount of color added can be readily controlled to achieve the desired appearance. The color wood can also be changed by chemical reaction using various materials and compounds like Ferrous Sulphate, Ferric Chloride, Potassium Dichromate, Aqua Fortis and numerous others.

The left pane of this pictures shows the grain covering and loading produced by a common manufactured pigment wood stain. The right pane shows the results of using a tannin dye extracted by traditional methods in-house.

Refinishing is by far one of the most popular and economical options for any gun provided the work is done correctly and the proper materials are used. Removing any existing finish and contaminants is the first and most critical step in the refinishing process. This is also where the point of failure usually begins with the mistake of reaching for a retail packaged degreaser and/or paint removing compound because these products often do more harm than good. Retail packaged compounds typically fall into two categories, chemical solvent or alkaline, both of which are known to damage wood. I have seen both types of products labeled as “safe for wood” but a closer look reveals the instructions for several of these “safe” products contain a statement such as “Plane or sand the surface to remove wood damaged by the paint remover.” The detailed information for several “safe for wood and water washable” products contain the disclaimers: “May cause discoloration or bleaching of wood”; “Requires acid neutralization on wood and other porous materials”; “Allow 45-90 days drying time before applying new paint or finish”. Several products labeled as “natural citrus/soy – safe for wood” list the chemical solvent N-Methylpyrrolidone as a primary ingredient, a chemical known to cause wood fibers to burst from excessive swelling.

Chemical solvents create several problems, the first being that they strip the natural oils from the wood leaving it dry and brittle which weakens the wood and makes it susceptible to grain separation and crushing. Chemical solvents function by dissolving the existing finish and the natural wicking action of the wood draws solvent-dissolved finish deep below the surface – the now trapped old finish and solvent continue to break down over time causing additional damage to the wood fibers and often result in degradation of both the wood and the newly applied finish. Alkaline products including “oven cleaner” and typically those labeled as “water rinse”, use strong caustic pulping agents like sodium/potassium hydroxide that break down lignin. Lignin is the natural organic substance (glue) that bonds the wood fibers (cells) together; paper pulp is made by breaking down lignin allowing the wood fibers to separate.

The least invasive method of removing an existing finish is by mechanical scraping. Most modern stocks have the applied finish on top of a sanded surface, scraping saves a step in the total refinishing process as it removes both the existing finish and the sandpaper damaged wood. Stocks contaminated with petroleum, shellac, wax or other undesirables require special removal methods as the use of common solvents, paint removers and detergent compounds tend to drive the contaminants deeper into the wood where they will continue to decompose causing long-term issues.



Applied Finishes:

“Applied finish” means anything that is applied to the wood be it stain, oil, paint or anything else that is applied to the wood to change the color, enhance the grain, modify the properties of the wood and/or add protection.

When it comes to “oil” we're talking “natural curing oils”, the most common being Linseed, Tung, Walnut, Perilla and Poppy. These natural oils “cure” through autoxidation/chemical chain reaction upon exposure to oxygen, ultraviolet light and other elements in the open atmosphere. Often these oils are called “drying oils” but the term “drying” applies only to evaporative deposition mixtures where the liquid carrier solvent evaporates leaving the coating material behind.

Natural oils come in a variety of forms related to how the oil is extracted and/or processed after being extracted. Unfortunately, modern sales hype has created a mass of misapplied and often intentionally misleading terminology/labeling. Beware of any product that alleges to be “oil” but is labeled with terms such as: wiping finish; wiping oil finish; rubbing oil finish or anything else to do with “finish” as the term indicates the product is a mixture of far more than just oil and a traditional metallic curing enhancer. Products labeled as a “finish” often contain synthetics, resins, solvents, petrochemical compounds and may not contain any natural oil at all. Any product claiming to be “fast drying” (<72 hours in unassisted conditions) will have little or no natural oil component or have that oil component so modified that it can no longer be considered a natural oil product.

Natural oils are graded by both the actual quality of the oil itself and the method by which the oil was extracted from the organic source. “Cold pressed” is no longer a valid grading term for natural oil, traditionally the term was used to identify higher grades of oil that were not extracted using heat or steam. In modern times the highest grade oil is “First-press” or the first-pressing as subsequent pressings and solvent-extraction of the lower grades of oil. In modern times, most all extraction processes are done without heat or “cold” and such is why “cold pressed” is no longer a valid description for any oil. Solvent-extraction typically follows the first-pressing and produces the lowest grade of oil, the process is used because it's the fastest and cheapest extraction method.

The second part of the oil grading process concerns the oil itself as different growing or soil conditions impart specific qualities into the oil, some desirable, some not. Natural oils create either or both a surface and subsurface finish meaning that the initial coats of oil fully penetrate the surface of the wood forming a subsurface finish whereas even if the surface portion of the finish is damaged, protection of the wood is still maintained by the subsurface portion of the finish. Natural curing oils afford the option of producing a low, moderate or high sheen finish without the appearance of the finish being detrimental to the quality or durability of the finish.

“Raw oil” is as the name implies, in it's raw as-extracted form and in some cases may be available either filtered or unfiltered. Raw oils have the longest curing times, which depending on the type of oil and application may range from weeks or months to years.

“Stand oil” is natural oil that is treated primarily to reduce its curing time, before being used in its final application. Traditionally stand oil was made by exposing the oil to open air, direct sunlight and heating over a fire; modern stand oil is produced by heating the oil in an atmospherically controlled electric vessel. Curing enhancers are added to most modern stand oils which is nothing new but curing enhancers can considerably change the characteristics of both the liquid and cured oil so it is imperative to know exactly what you're getting.

“BLO” or “Boiled Linseed Oil” is one of the most common terms you'll hear but it is not truly “boiled” because the boil point and auto-ignition temperature of Linseed oil are exactly the same 548°F/287°C. BLO is actually “stand oil” and common store shelf BLO is made using the cheapest lowest grade solvent-extracted oil. While we're talking BLO, it's time to bust some the myths and misconceptions starting with why BLO came to be so synonymous with guns. It wasn't for any other reason than Flax Seed Oil (Linseed) was the most commonly available oil in America throughout the 18th & 19th centuries.

That leads to the next two myths associated with the dark honey-brown colored oil appearing on colonial and early American guns and the confusion between gun finishes and furniture finishes. It is notable that some unscrupulous people claim to “boil their own Linseed oil until it achieves the golden brown color” - the primary problems with this claim are the previously mentioned simultaneous boil point and auto-ignition temperature; the fact that cooking Linseed oil until it is scorched brown ruins it's performance properties; and the historical data does not support the modern sales hype.

Traditional craftsmen were not ignorant of Linseed oil's shortcomings as a wood preservative and they attempted to improve the level of protection using additional materials. Pine tar was the most effective and widely used material because it creates a good water/moisture barrier and was available at low cost from domestic sources. Pine tar was utilized in two ways, applying it directly to the wood then top-coating it with Linseed oil or by mixing it directly into the Linseed oil resulting in the dark honey-brown color in the oil.

RLO (Raw Linseed Oil) A thin coat of Raw Linseed oil (RLO) can easily require many weeks or several months to cure depending upon the ambient conditions. There is no advantage or disadvantage to using either RLO or BLO in terms of protection performance properties but BLO does offer the advantages of much shorter curing time which allows the surface film thickness to be built-up at a faster rate.

Tung oil Among the traditional craftsmen, “Tung oil” was likely more commonly known as “China oil” or “Chinawood oil” as it comes from the Tung tree nuts grown in China. Transoceanic shippers preferred the bulk of their shipments to be tea and silk from China making Tung oil a very limited commodity commanding excessively high prices because of the demand created by artistic painters. Tung oil offers the following advantages: deeper unreduced penetration depths; has a considerably higher water and moisture resistance; produces a harder finish for better marring and abrasion resistance; does not age-yellow or opaque-darken; is highly resistant to ultraviolet degradation; thin final finish thickness is less susceptible to damage; will not check or alligator like Linseed oil.

Teak oil, Danish oil, gun stock finish, wiping oil... Contrary to what some claim, "Teak oil finish" does not come from Teak trees; "Danish oil" does not come from Danes or Danishes; "Yacht oil" does not come from yachts - these are nothing than marketing names applied to “manufactured finish products” and despite the inclusion of the word "oil" in the name, some don't contain any natural organic oil at all! Most of these manufactured finish products primarily contain petroleum and synthetic materials. A particular product labeled as “oil gun stock finish” contains less than 3% “modified Linseed oil” and greater than 96% petroleum distillates and synthetics. A particular “Teak oil” product contains only “synthetic resins and light petroleum (kerosene)”. Other products labeled as “Danish oil”, “gun stock finish” and “wiping oil” only contain petroleum products, synthetics and/or resin without even a hint of natural oil appearing anywhere except on the label. Yet another product labeled as “Tung oil finish” contains only 2% Tung oil and 98% petroleum products. As far as gun stocks are concerned, the con's of these manufactured finish blends far outweigh the pro's. While these and other synthetic finishes make amazing claims, many offer less water, moisture or wear resistance than 100% natural curing oils. The primary disadvantages of these unnatural manufactured finishes are: no or very limited penetration; rely only on surface adhesion; cause excessive loading (filling) of checkering/carving; are prone to chipping, peeling and cracking; difficult or impossible to repair. Overall, off-the-shelf oil blends and other manufactured finishes are a poor choice for gun stocks and one is best served to just avoid them completely.

Shown here is the advanced stage failure of a manufactured "tinted wiping oil finish" product.

Traditional standard & rubbing varnishes
Some craftsmen may make their own special finish blends containing natural oil with or without a curing agent, a small amount of natural resin (usually ≤10%) and/or an organic thinning agent like wood spirits (turpentine) to impart certain properties in the finish. These custom in-house blends made by knowledgeable craftsmen should not be confused with the undesirable commercially manufactured products. “Wood spirits” made from trees must not be confused with “mineral spirits” made from petroleum. “True natural rubbing varnish” should not be confused with off-the-shelf products labeled as “rubbing varnish”. Traditional standard varnish mixtures contain >10% natural resin, a natural curing oil with curing enhancers and wood spirits if thinning is required and will never contain any petrochemicals.

Off-the-shelf varnish & polyurethane
Common off-the-shelf (pre-mixed single part) rubbing, standard and synthetic varnish/polyurethane products, including alkyd varnishes, petroleum distillates, toluene, mineral spirits, aromatic solvents and synthetic resins - missing are the two key ingredients of UV blockers and plasticizers which is why these products are not moisture-proof and are classified as brittle or semi-brittle “surface films” meaning they are very hard and do not penetrate the surface of the wood to any significant degree. When these common off-the-shelf pre-mixed single part products are used in exterior applications, cracking and delamination are the most common failures as a result of UV degradation of the finish and temperature/moisture induced dimensional changes of the wood. The finish failure process starts as microfracturing and progresses to crazing or alligatoring allowing greater water and moisture penetration of the wood accelerating damage to both the finish and wood itself.

Delamination failure of common one-part polyurethane (peeling/blistering).

Polyurethanes are more susceptible to alligatoring while alkyds are prone to grain-running or cracking that runs with-the-grain of the wood. Alkyds are more susceptible to wear and scratches than polyurethanes and both are susceptible to damage from lubricants/solvents. Neither of these finishes are easily repaired as any damage often requires complete removal of the damaged area. Even with UV resistant additives polyurethane and alkyd will yellow slightly with age adding to the difficulty of repairs.

To clarify some points of contention, these modern manufactured off-the-shelf pre-mixed single part products are vastly different than traditional historical varnishes and professional grade modern multi-part products. One will quickly note advertisements for the common off-the-shelf pre-mixed single part products will often include the word "water" but rarely is the word "moisture" used and if it is it's with the word "barrier". When pressured to define "barrier", manufacturers are careful to use the word "obstacle" because only the rate of moisture passage is changed, not stopped. Professional grade multi-part products are much higher quality and will have specific data available concerning their actual resistance to water, moisture and UV resistance. From the point of "feel" and aesthetics, both single and multi-part varnish/polyurethane products are topical finishes with most requiring a build-up of two to four coats (layers) in order to achieve maximum efficiency. Although multi-part polyurethane products are mixed in a similar manner as "catalyzed finishes", they are considerably different products. Traditional finishes are made using a natural curing oil base, natural wood resin/tar and natural wood spirits/turps used as a carrier or penetration promoter. Despite the sales hype associated with all the modern manufactured finish products, a maker of multimillion dollar custom sailing yachts states, “All wood is hand scraped and finished with pure Tung oil and/or our own 100% natural marine spar varnish precision blended by our highly experienced craftsmen.”

Shellac
Cultivated in India and Thailand, this natural resin is excreted by the female lac insect and dissolved in alcohol for application. There's also a lot of incorrect myths associated with shellac, for the record, it is subject to UV degradation. It is not moisture/water-proof and can be easily spotted or permanently damaged/discolored by exposure to moisture or water - more senior people may relate to seeing “glass rings” caused by a sweating beverage glass placed on shellac finished or varnish-over-shellac finished furniture. Shellac is short-term exposure water resistant when first applied but this quality degrades quickly as it ages the first few months. I have seen numerous reference to the use of off-the-shelf shellac as a wood grain filler/sealer on gun stocks which is why one will often find that normal moisture intrusion will cause “frosting” of the shellac under whatever finish is applied over it. Shellac is best left to interior furniture and musical instrument applications only.

This picture shows frosted Shellac under an oil/synthetic blend applied finish labeled for use on gun stocks.

Lacquer
Modern acrylic lacquers are hard synthetic thermoplastic polymer resin finishes typically used for interior furnishings. Although modern acrylic lacquer is considered more flexible than nitrocellulose lacquer, it's still very hard making it easily chipped and cracked. Acrylic lacquer is more color-stable than nitrocellulose lacquer but still susceptible to damage from exposure to direct sunlight, heat and handling wear.

Acrylic Lacquer finish failure from moisture intrusion through microfractures caused by exposure to direct sunlight.

Catalyzed finishes
These are typically multi-part finishes although some varieties can be a premixed single-part but they are all commonly lumped under the generic term “epoxy” despite their actual composition - because of the incorrect application of terminology, certain multi-part urethane products are misrepresented as catalyzed finishes. The cured properties of these products vary greatly and one must know all the technical aspects of the product to ensure the product is suitable for the application. Many common catalyzed finishes are prone to chalking and yellowing because they are not photochemically stable. Many catalyzed finishes can also cause adverse reactions with underlying materials like stains and adhesives including those used in laminated stocks. Catalyzed finishes are also “topical” and do not penetrate the surface or end-grain of wood, adhesion is to the immediate surface only. With the exception of a few highly specialized products, the use of generic "epoxy" finishes on wood should be avoided. Properly application-matched and applied catalyzed finish products, can produce a fairly durable finish but none are immune of the caveats concerning scratches, dents, chips and difficulty of repair. Again, from the aspects of "feel" and aesthetics, catalyzed finishes lay on top of the wood so you're feeling the finish, not the wood. Most catalyzed finishes are only available in high gloss and using mechanical abrasion methods to flatten the gloss can completely negate the effectiveness of the product.

This picture shows several issues with a 3 year old OEM catalyzed two-part finish. First being the protection integrity loss associated with early stage cracking and delamination highlighted in red. Second is the integrity loss associated with the mechanical damage highlighted in blue. Third is the minor scratching and scuff marks clearly visible in the light reflections. The most serious problem with these brittle-hard finishes is the integrity losses as water and moisture can freely enter the exposed wood. This is a prime example showing why the finish must be correctly matched to the application as the use of a properly plasticized product would have performed much better.


Perilla, Poppyseed, Safflower and Walnut oils
These natural oils may also be used on gun stocks and other wood finishing applications and may be used by themselves or in combination with other oils. Perilla oil cures faster and tends to yellow with age more than Linseed making it a good choice when one wants to achieve the natural aged golden glow on light colored woods that cannot be duplicated by modern means. High linoleic acid Safflower oil produces a very thin flexible film that will not yellow. A low percentage of Poppyseed and/or Walnut oil is sometimes blended with other oils to act as a curing retarder or thinning agent; in a stand-alone or reduced state, both of these oils function well as a pigment carrier.

The difference between a "Painted stock" and a "Paint finish"
Yet another area where misapplied terminology is a problem so let's start by clarifying the difference. A “painted stock” means a stock that is decorated with some type of highlight or artwork created using pigment application or impregnation, chemical discoloration or similar methods where the applied work creates less than 100% coverage of the stock. There's a whole laundry list of mediums used to created a “painted stock” and one must know with absolute certainty that the chosen “finish” will be fully compatible with the artwork materials. If recreating or restoring a particular piece, only the historically correct materials should be utilized except in those cases where the correct material may no longer be available but a reasonable facsimile is. Historically correct methods and materials are not only acceptable but preferred for use on modern guns with wood stocks.

“Paint finishes” are defined as 100% of the stock surface being covered with a traditional or modern paint material. No matter if the stock is made from wood, laminate or synthetic, one must ensure the painting materials are fully compatible with both the work and the use-application. Paint finishes can be fairly durable if the proper methods and materials are utilized but all paint finishes will have lifespan limitations. A full or partial paint finish, along with proper repair and preparation materials is often a viable option to salvage a stock that cannot be repaired or restored to a condition that will produce an acceptable appearance using a single finish medium.

Modern synthetic and laminated stocks rarely, if ever, come with a full materials disclosure which means there is always some level of uncertainty concerning the methods and materials used in the painting process. I have tested a number of consumer-grade paints (rattle-can and liquid) and can assure you, nothing even comes close to the premium quality professional products that are specifically developed for use on synthetic materials.

Closing thoughts
When choosing a finish, one should start by asking themselves the following questions: What is the use-application of the gun itself (IE: hunting, target, antique restoration...) Are the use conditions going to include create a situation where the finish will cause handling problems like being slippery from wetness of rain, snow or sweat? How much handling, sling or scabbard wear is this gun going to be exposed to? Is the finish going to be exposed to dust or dirt that will scuff or scratch the finish? How much time and effort do I want to put into maintaining the finish for both protection and looks? What life expectancy of the finish is acceptable to me – a couple years, a couple decades, a century?

Hopefully this has answered some of your questions and hasn't bored you to tears with details. Having more than three decades of research and experience, it's hard summarize this topic any further without omitting pertinent information. I strive to provide my clients with enough information upon which sound and sensible decisions can be formulated. No matter if it's a gun stock or a piece of furniture, newly made or an antique, these items are important to you and should be equally as important to the craftsman you trust to work on them ... but, as with anything else, experience and expertise do not give a craftsman psychic abilities which is why I strive to provide clients with enough information to help explain why there is always the potential for “unforeseen” issues to arise.

I try to make myself as available as possible by phone and email for consultation purposes but particular details may not be available without being able to conduct a physical inspection of the item in question.

Have a Blessed day!
Mark Kisenwether
Web: Fire-Iron.biz
Email: flintlockbuilder@yahoo.com