hi, i have resently refinished 2 of my older guns stocks and would like some advise on how to improve and what are the best materials to be using.....i stripped both stocks with circa 1850 stripper steelwooled the stocks to death and applied a generous coat of 99% rubbing alcohol to the stocks to help remove any extra stain or whisker the wood......i removed any little dents in the stock by ironing it with a damp cloth and all this came out great...the problem im having now i applied about 4 or 5 good coats of birchwood casey tru oil to the stock and rubbed it in and it dried nice but it just doesnt have the shine i want it to.....i was told mink oil shoe polish and parafin wax and alot of other things would bring out a shine but alls they seem to do is dull the look.....should i be buffing these different types of wax with a hand held buffer or can someone suggest a quality wax or product that will make all the hours of hard work worth it?....i was frustrated to see after the time i spent stripping sanding and hand rubbing a oil finish that it looks bad because of a waxing gone wrong......please help lol
refinishing questions
- Thread starter teamhicksracing
- Start date
Your stock is still absorbing the Tru Oil and has not yet sealed. A short cut is to apply two or three coats of a quality spar urethane varnish. You can do this over the Tru Oil you have already applied. Let it dry thoroughly. Then take some Tru Oil thinned by 50 % paint thinners (mineral spirits). Using 320 grit wet or dry paper on a sanding block dip the paper in the thinned oil and sand the varnish coat back to the wood surface. Keep the surface wet with the dilute mix. There will be a slurry of dilute finish and sanding particles on the stock. Wipe the slurry across the grain with the palm of your hand applying pressure as you wipe removing excess while leaving enough behind to fill the pores of the wood. Let this dry hard (several days) Then sand it smooth and resume applying the Tru Oil . After another 3 or 4 coats you should be getting what you want. Lightly rub the surface down with 400 grit between coats to remove dust motes and give the next coat some texture to adhere to.
It's a long process to fill a stock with Tru Oil alone but it can be done. The varnish speeds it up a lot even though you end up removing 95% per cent of it before you resume the Tru Oil.
It's a long process to fill a stock with Tru Oil alone but it can be done. The varnish speeds it up a lot even though you end up removing 95% per cent of it before you resume the Tru Oil.
If you have already used wax on the finish, you'll need to strip the stock again and start fresh. There are many techniques to achieve a good gloss with Tru-Oil and they all depend on the application of many coats. Stocker's
method is excellent and if you follow it you should have good success.
I don't know much about the compatability between Tru-Oil and spar varnish but if you were to substitute 3 or 4 servings of patience for the varnish you won't have compatability issues.
Pure Tung Oil rubbed in, over several days, witha clean long free cloth, will give you a waterproof hard shiney finish. The more coats applied and rubbed in, the shinier the finish. Stain first, if desired, as tung oil soaks into the wood to about 1/4" and keeps everything out.
Don't forget to seal the barrel channel too. If you don't the stock can take on moisture from the air, expand and put pressure on the barrel. Not such a big deal if you have free floated the barrel, but even a floated barrel can be moved if the stock absorbs moisture. Any wood sealer will do.
Urethane is plastic and if scratched requires a complete re-finish. A tung oil finish just needs a bit more oil rubbed in.
Mink oil is a waterproofing for leather. Doesn't do anything for wood.
Don't forget to seal the barrel channel too. If you don't the stock can take on moisture from the air, expand and put pressure on the barrel. Not such a big deal if you have free floated the barrel, but even a floated barrel can be moved if the stock absorbs moisture. Any wood sealer will do.
Urethane is plastic and if scratched requires a complete re-finish. A tung oil finish just needs a bit more oil rubbed in.
Mink oil is a waterproofing for leather. Doesn't do anything for wood.
refinishing
Well here is a subject that everybody seems to be an expert on ,so i am going to give my opinion. First of all if your system, works for you, and your happy, have at it.The first thing to do is sand the wood,it is a mistake to remove the butt plate or recoil pad. the edges will be rounded and not look right.Any good paint remover will work to remove the old finish. Sand with the grain with finer grits up to 320 grit.I have never seen wood that would need 600 grit, 320 is usally good ,sometimes 400 if it is a real tight grain. When the sanding is done put on a coat of birchwood casey stock filler.this is great stuff,but be carefull to ensure that you only let it dry for 30 min or to it looks dry.If you let it set up over nite it will harden, and be like cement. Cut it back to the bare wood with steel wool #oooo When the sealer is all cut back, clean the dust off and apply a small amount of tru oil in the palm of your hand and rub it into the stock. hang to dry for 5 or 6 hours and do it again. three or four coats should do it. Now if you want a low luster finish just give it a coat of wax and your done.for a bright shiny finish take birchwood casey stock sheen and conditoner, and polish the stock until it is as smooth as you can get it. then take a dime size bit of truoil and rub it into the stock.you will now have a stock as shiny as you can get. have fun
Well here is a subject that everybody seems to be an expert on ,so i am going to give my opinion. First of all if your system, works for you, and your happy, have at it.The first thing to do is sand the wood,it is a mistake to remove the butt plate or recoil pad. the edges will be rounded and not look right.Any good paint remover will work to remove the old finish. Sand with the grain with finer grits up to 320 grit.I have never seen wood that would need 600 grit, 320 is usally good ,sometimes 400 if it is a real tight grain. When the sanding is done put on a coat of birchwood casey stock filler.this is great stuff,but be carefull to ensure that you only let it dry for 30 min or to it looks dry.If you let it set up over nite it will harden, and be like cement. Cut it back to the bare wood with steel wool #oooo When the sealer is all cut back, clean the dust off and apply a small amount of tru oil in the palm of your hand and rub it into the stock. hang to dry for 5 or 6 hours and do it again. three or four coats should do it. Now if you want a low luster finish just give it a coat of wax and your done.for a bright shiny finish take birchwood casey stock sheen and conditoner, and polish the stock until it is as smooth as you can get it. then take a dime size bit of truoil and rub it into the stock.you will now have a stock as shiny as you can get. have fun
