Inletting Black Recipe

MymuttBear · Dec 28, 2024

I'm sure others who's hobby/livelihood is stockmaking have their favorite wood inletting black recipe but here's mine:

2 teaspoons vaseline, 1 teaspoon black shoe polish.
Warm in microwave until shoe polish is softened.
Stir until well mixed.

I find the vaseline ensures the shoe polish doesn't clump and you can put a very thin smear on metal parts. In the past I've used lipstick, crayons, marker pens and grease pencils all with varying success. So far this is working out the best by far.

Joe13 · Dec 28, 2024

Any issues with brown shoe polish?

MymuttBear · Dec 28, 2024

Joe13 said:
Any issues with brown shoe polish?

I wouldn't think so, I use black because it shows up better on walnut.

Metal work now fitted. Stock now needs final shaping, sanding and Birchwood Casey stock finish. I think I'll checker the pistol grip and the fore end. Also looking into slightly reshaping the area behind the pistol grip for more of a distinctive rifle look and putting a steel pistol grip on it.

ATM it looks very grubby because of the gun soot, I didn't think of cleaning everything first before I got into it.
Wood is Black Walnut, pics were before I drilled the sides of the stock for the two stock reinforcement screws.

Stock reinforcement screw holes drilled, Birchwood Casey used to fill pores, steel pistol grip fitted and stock behind pistol grip shaped.
Just cleaning up the area now, yep I should have waited until it was all shaped before starting to apply the finish but I was in the zone

Greg S · Apr 7, 2025

I just use artist oil based paint from the local hobbies lobby. For $5.

I used lamp black and titanium white depending on the wood color I'm inletting grips for.

1911Fanatic · Apr 7, 2025

Perhaps try Minwax Brazilian Rosewood Gel Stain, several thin coats, sanded down and then shoot lacquer on the wood. I've used it for guitar fretboards before. It works well. And you can oil it afterward.

MymuttBear · Apr 8, 2025

Stock is finished. I used Rottenstone to take the high gloss off which I think looks better, less "plasticly" looking.
I have been trying to get in touch with a woman in Oregon who does stock checkering however she hasn't responded to several emails so don't know what the deal is there.
I think getting it checkered would take it to the next level, and hide some of my mistakes

Greg S · Apr 8, 2025

I also like the look of rubbing it out with rotten stone. Wear a tear from your hands will eventually re-polish it as I have the problem on my compition shotguns for skeet and sporting.