Finish for gunstocks?

MilitaryCollectorMark

MilitaryCollectorMark

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What's a good finish for gunstocks?

Easiest probably would be tru oil, but reading, it doesn't seem to be very weather resistant.

Any ideas? I bought a couple finishes. Helmsman spar urethane and varathane diamond wood finish satin.

From reading, some guys say that finish for wood flooring is a good finish?
 
Depends on the kind of firearms. Mark from Anvil on YouTube does great videos.

For many military bolt actions, the best finish is actually stain + toilet ring wax.
 
I have a Swede m38 stock set underway here - being coached "long distance" from acquaintance in Thunder Bay - sounds as per Post #2 - first was a 50 / 50 mix of Minwax Red Mahogany stain and boiled linseed oil - sloshed on heavily - let sit a few minutes then rub aggressively with old terry bath towel to remove as much as possible. Looked okay - hand guard and stock kind of look similar now - even though they have same serial number, they looked different colour - I let hang to dry for couple days - then coated with hard paste wax - the can it comes in describes for use on hardwood floors - I wanted Johnson Paste Wax, but could not find any - kind of thin coating of hard wax that I was told to apply - has been hanging to dry - final step - still to be done - is to go over that with Black and Decker hot air gun - apparently makes that wax "flow" and soak in. Also, apparently, you can "shoe shine" buff that to make shiny, if that is your preference.

If you want to go straight to shiny glossy finish, I have been using spar varnish for a couple years - most often on raw wood under butt plate, magazine cut out, action inletting and along inside of barrel channel - many of my rifles had no finish there at all - just raw wood. I am under impression is about best for "water proof" to wood, but not sure at all that I like how shiny it gets. Maybe is possible to dull down that shine without removing the coating - I do not know that.
 
I have now done up a couple stocks with BLO - trick seems to be ultra thin layers - so I slosh it on - let soak, then aggressively rub as much off as I can get to come off - hang to dry - usually totally dry to touch next day, with super thin coat. Then repeat - as often as you want - subsequent coats as few as four or five drops over entire stock - but similar deal - rub hard with hands (skin) to apply, then wipe off as much of that as I can get - repeat the complete drying thing. Over decades, that BLO will get darker - I read that is the BLO reacting with oxygen in the air - a No. 4 stock set that I did likely 7 or 8 years ago is significantly darker than I left it. I have P14 and M1917 stocks from World War One - no clue where they had been stored before I got them - they are pretty well black - were not made like that - is the BLO in air, I think.
 
Birchwood Casey Tru Oil all the way for me. I've completed may wood stocks with the Tru Oil. Key is to be patient and allow every coat to dry for at least one day. More costs applied, the more protective it will be. Howards Feed & Wax is a great product to maintain any wood product from drying-out and leaves a beautiful luster and enhances the wood grain.
 
Flecto Varathane #66 Oil Finish... it's an exterior finish and the finest stock making instructor I knew told me about it in 1966.
 
guntech said:
Flecto Varathane #66 Oil Finish... it's an exterior finish and the finest stock making instructor I knew told me about it in 1966.
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And the chemicals used at that time were completely changed out since then - possibly 1970's, but I think in 1980's. Have you found the "modern" product to perform as good as the old stuff did??
 
bunny said:
BLO it take time to do it correctly, but for me it’s the best finish
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BLO is wonderful. I've done tons of stocks with BLO with varying degrees of effort and maintenance and even a have assed job can look ok. Just prep well and be ready to buff it a lot. I do it all just by hand.
 
Iv tried a few, plus a few of my own mix’s. So far I’m preferring straight up tung oil. Iv added a tad of spar varnish on my last coat a couple times for more of a shine, but does show the dings and scratches better.
 
I used Behr Scandinavian Tung oil (no longer available but I have a few cans in reserve) on several of my firearms and I can unequivocally say that it is very weather resistant. Everyone that sees my firearms remarks on the wood/finish.

Watco Tung Oil, I believe, was its replacement but holy shyte is it ever expensive for a litre now! All you really need is about 25 - 30 ml to finish a gun with 4 or 5 coats. A little really goes a long way.

ww.homedepot.ca/product/watco-tung-oil-one-step-finish-for-deep-penetrating-moisture-protection-946-ml/1001153933
 
Potashminer said:
And the chemicals used at that time were completely changed out since then - possibly 1970's, but I think in 1980's. Have you found the "modern" product to perform as good as the old stuff did??
Click to expand...

The last stock I finished was about 7 years ago... and the Flecto Varathane #66 Oil Finish I used then worked just fine...
 
Daly's Seafin ship and shore sealer,just follow the directions, soaks right in.I have even used it in a vacuum box to stabilize wood for knife handles or gun stocks.It is the ultimate for protecting wood ,its in the wood not on it.Easy to touch up scratches and scuffs.You can put it in the dishwasher if its stabilized ,flat oil like finish or satin if you rub it up .Increases the wood hardness by 30%.
 
G.E.FLACH said:
Daly's Seafin ship and shore sealer,just follow the directions, soaks right in.I have even used it in a vacuum box to stabilize wood for knife handles or gun stocks.It is the ultimate for protecting wood ,its in the wood not on it.Easy to touch up scratches and scuffs.You can put it in the dishwasher if its stabilized ,flat oil like finish or satin if you rub it up .Increases the wood hardness by 30%.
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Interesting finish! I don't really want a shiny finish on my stocks.
 
track said:
Birchwood Casey Tru Oil all the way for me. I've completed may wood stocks with the Tru Oil. Key is to be patient and allow every coat to dry for at least one day. More costs applied, the more protective it will be. Howards Feed & Wax is a great product to maintain any wood product from drying-out and leaves a beautiful luster and enhances the wood grain.
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I know on rimfire central, a thread about Tru oil. A guys discovered using tire shine wiped on then tru oil. A chemical reaction occurs and lets it dry quicker?
 
Third Rail said:
I used Behr Scandinavian Tung oil (no longer available but I have a few cans in reserve) on several of my firearms and I can unequivocally say that it is very weather resistant. Everyone that sees my firearms remarks on the wood/finish.

Watco Tung Oil, I believe, was its replacement but holy shyte is it ever expensive for a litre now! All you really need is about 25 - 30 ml to finish a gun with 4 or 5 coats. A little really goes a long way.

ww.homedepot.ca/product/watco-tung-oil-one-step-finish-for-deep-penetrating-moisture-protection-946-ml/1001153933
Click to expand...

Good to know!
 
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