Oil finishing help

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prosper

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I'm working on refinishing a few stocks. I want a high gloss glassy-smooth finish, for a 'wet' look (as opposed to a urethane finish which looks more like it's sitting on top of the wood than a part of the wood)

I suppose I'm just being impatient, but is there a better way to get all the little pin-hole open grains filled faster?

My current process (which works, but is really slow), is to sand everything down to about a 400-grit finish, then wipe on a thin coat of tru oil (I've found that thinning it out with mineral spirits helps it penetrate the pores) or tung oil on. Wait a day, buff lightly with 00 synthetic steel wool, and repeat. This usually takes 20 to 30 coats to achieve the results I want. Then I'll buff the hell out of it with a microfibre cloth and some wax, for an ultra-high-gloss finish.
 
Sand in the oil with a 220 grain sandpaper. Makes an emulsion with the wood and oil and fills the pores a bit faster. After it has dried buff out with 400 a few times after and continue wiping on the tung oil.
 
No, it works fine if your right almost down to the unfinished wood. After you use the coarser paper wet sanding the emulsion in let it dry, sand with 300-400. Then the stage is set to wipe on the tung oil as normal for however many coats you want. I use 600 to 800 grit paper in between coats to polish and prepare the surface for another coat. The finish on them isnt hazy.
 
I'm far from an expert but I've done a few stocks and have found what works for me.

I sand down to 220-240 grit then wipe down the stock with a damp (with water) rag to raise the grain. Sand again with 220-240 while the stock is still damp. This really helps to even things out and gives a smoother finish with fewer coats.

I found 320 grit to be a little too smooth as the last step before oiling. The oil didn't penetrate as well on the first couple of coats as it did when I used 220-240 as the last step. I use 0000 steel wool between coats.

I have also found that if the stock and oil are warmed up a bit, those first couple of coats soak in a lot better. I use my bare hands to work the oil into the stock which lets me feel when it is starting to set up and get tacky. I wash my hands just before oiling to get any grit off.
 
My method is much the same except for a few items, when I get to the final sandings I use a block to prevent that wavy look. The first couple of times. I raise the grain I still use a block then as the wood gets smoother I go to 0000 stel wool, when I'm done raising the stock shines without finish. Too fill the pores I apply 3 to four coats of Tru-oil, let it dry well and remove it back down to wood, I may do this several times until the pores are full and when all the final is removed with the wool the stock shines as if finished. I now start appyling the finish coats (at least 10 sometimes more) with a light steel wooling between each. I like a stock with a glow instead of shine so the final step is to apply hard paste wax with burlap and then a buffing with paper towling. My method FWIW --- John303.
 
Yes staining ahead of filing the pores would create problems, for myself being a purist of sorts, I usually let the wood be a natural colour, it is what it is. There are ways one can stain and fill the pores with the stain, if you go to Doublegunshop and look around // ask on how it's done some-one will put you on the right track, it's been discussed there many times over the years. --- John303.
 
STOP!!!
For the best looking "Wet" look please use TUNG OIL. Start sanding the wood with 220 lightly. Then use 400 and use the back of the hand to feel for imperfections. Once this is complete blow wood with compressed air and tape what ever you don't want painted. Then apply a water based stain. The reason for a water based stain is;
First it makes the hair's on the wood stand up.
Secondly the water will penetrate the wood much deeper than any oil based stain.
Thirdly will not be reactivated once top coat oil sealer is applied.
Fourth it is much quicker curing time to re-coat for that deep finish look.
Fifth and finally if you screw up and leave a run, methyl-hydrate on a rag can fade it out!
After finish staining sand one last time with 0000 steel wool and spray with compressed air to get any crap of dust off. Then with a clean dry rag wipe down the wood. Once this is complete apply several coats of TUNG OIL with light sanding with 0000 steel wool and blow clean then with dry rag wipe. Repeat this process until desired look is obtained.
 
DIY gunstock Finish

Remove old finish/varnish with paint stripper and dry.

Sand Paper (80, 150, 320, 600, 800, 1000)
Heres how I do it. Start with 80 gritt and work down to 800 gritt. When you get to 600 gritt, De-whisker (wet the wood with a cloth and dry over a hot plate and sand the "whiskers" down with 600 gritt). Then move on to 800 gritt and de-whisker again. Then 1000 gritt, de-whisker again. (sand paper tears the wood and leaves "splinters" that stand up when it comes into contact with moisture)

The last time you de-whisker, instead of wetting the stock with water, use lemon juice to increase the woods PH. De-whisker and allow the stock to dry thoroughly.

Then rub egg white (1 or 2 eggs is enough) into the stock and let it dry. Sand down with 1000 gritt again and repeat the egg white step till the pores are filled. You dont have to go all the way to 1000 gritt, but I like to.

When the pores are filled take a cloth and rub surgical alcohol into the wood. This hardens the wood and brings out that ivory hard look from the wood. It congeals with the egg white. Wood contains albumin and egg white is pure albumin, thus adding more natural ingredients to make it stronger/denser.

Then comes the oil. The best is Raw Artistic Linseed oil, you can get at an art shop. OR Schaftoll, dark or extra dark. Rub in let it dry and repeat 4 - 5 times.

If the stock is too "shiny" you can polish it with Bees wax for a "duller" look.

Dont rush, take extra time on the "hard to get" spots.
 
DirtyOldSix said:
DIY gunstock Finish

Remove old finish/varnish with paint stripper and dry.

Sand Paper (80, 150, 320, 600, 800, 1000)
Heres how I do it. Start with 80 gritt and work down to 800 gritt. When you get to 600 gritt, De-whisker (wet the wood with a cloth and dry over a hot plate and sand the "whiskers" down with 600 gritt). Then move on to 800 gritt and de-whisker again. Then 1000 gritt, de-whisker again. (sand paper tears the wood and leaves "splinters" that stand up when it comes into contact with moisture)

The last time you de-whisker, instead of wetting the stock with water, use lemon juice to increase the woods PH. De-whisker and allow the stock to dry thoroughly.

Then rub egg white (1 or 2 eggs is enough) into the stock and let it dry. Sand down with 1000 gritt again and repeat the egg white step till the pores are filled. You dont have to go all the way to 1000 gritt, but I like to.

When the pores are filled take a cloth and rub surgical alcohol into the wood. This hardens the wood and brings out that ivory hard look from the wood. It congeals with the egg white. Wood contains albumin and egg white is pure albumin, thus adding more natural ingredients to make it stronger/denser.

Then comes the oil. The best is Raw Artistic Linseed oil, you can get at an art shop. OR Schaftoll, dark or extra dark. Rub in let it dry and repeat 4 - 5 times.

If the stock is too "shiny" you can polish it with Bees wax for a "duller" look.

Dont rush, take extra time on the "hard to get" spots.
Click to expand...

Wow, what an interesting technique! I've started reading about stock refinishing, and have never heard about the egg white and alcohol technique --- how'd you come upon it?

Do you happen to have any pictures of stocks that you've finished this way to get an idea of how they look?
 
DirtyOldSix said:
Wood contains albumin and egg white is pure albumin, thus adding more natural ingredients to make it stronger/denser.
Click to expand...

Just a little technical note. Wood does not contain albumin. Albumin is a water soluble protein. When you add alcohol, it causes the albumin to coagulate.

The alcohol also serves to evaporate the water, "hardening" the coagulated albumin. In effect, the albumin is being used as a filler within the pores of the wood. That finish will need to be kept protected or the proteins making up the dried albumin will decompose.
 
SandRoad said:
Just a little technical note. Wood does not contain albumin. Albumin is a water soluble protein. When you add alcohol, it causes the albumin to coagulate.

The alcohol also serves to evaporate the water, "hardening" the coagulated albumin. In effect, the albumin is being used as a filler within the pores of the wood. That finish will need to be kept protected or the proteins making up the dried albumin will decompose.
Click to expand...


Uhh whatever. Like I said it comes straight from the article, none of what I wrote is my own interpretation. The article states very clearly that wood contains albumin. The egg white is hardened by the alcohol. REMEMBER that
the Linseed oil and schaftoil is applied AFTER the alcohol. The beeswax also serves to make the finish waterproof/resistant. I have done this finish twice and I am very happy with the results. Remember that Africa is much drier than Canada!:cool:
 
Here's a tip for those who use tung oil:
There are 3 slightly different formulations of tung oil from pure to polymerized to Circa 1850, and they all have two things in common. They do a terrific job and go a very long way. Because they cover so much so well with so little I've found that it doesn't take long for the product to congeal after the can is opened. So let's say that over the winter you refinish or finish 2 or 3 rifles and a shotgun with tung, and started with a 500ml can. You've used maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of the can, and by spring the rest is garbage.

Lee Valley says to fill the container with water and the tung oil floats to the top, which keeps air away and makes it last practically forever. Yeah, right, except that it's almost impossible to get the right amount out at the right time without making a mess. Tung oil comes in 2 easilly obtainable size cans...250 and 500ml. An Aunt Jemima syrup container holds 750ml. It's also transparent so you can always see the liquid level. It has a two way top...remove the whole thing to fill or top up with water. Just pop the snap-cap portion to use, and you can hold the container more or less level and just squeeze out what you need. When finished or when the level gets down to where you can see it under the cap, top'er up with water again.
If you only touch up your firearms at the end of the season a 500ml can will now last a lifetime. I think. I have yet to live a whole lifetime, so I can't prove it yet.:D

One sorta side note; I've used all the recommended aplicators and settled on fingers only a long time ago. It's the only way you can get the right amount in the right place and rub it in for the best finish. Just keep a rag handy to wipe your hands after and the rest washes off fairly easily. So far it doesn't seem to have affected any internal organs, although some of my friends are sure my mind's going.
 
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