FatCatsDad
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
That is beautiful work Sir.
That is definitely something to be proud of.
Tru-oil finish
- Thread starter skwerl
- Start date
That is definitely something to be proud of.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
Oil finishes are generally fine on their own, I will periodically give anything with a blo finish extract coats or a furniture wax coat but isn’t true oil more of a gloss finish?
I did this one about 9 or 10 years ago. I was looking for a high gloss smooth finish. My first time using Tru oil. I believe I sanded the wood to 320 and started applying coats of Tru oil using a glove and my finger tip. I would lightly “block” sand with 400 I think between coats about every 3 or 4 coats to smooth everything out. I worked on it over months with it hanging in my basement and did over 100 coats. When it was finally finished I decided to wet sand it with 2000 grit emery and polish it. I did and it looked great other than where I broke through the finish…..lol. So……rinse and repeat and ended with this. I wet sanded carefully, pumiced and polished it. I’m pretty happy with the results. When I was researching before starting this project I also saw people who sprayed it and the result was pretty nice.
Late to the party but I have done many stocks over the years with good results using Tru oil. The first thing that I learned is that tru oil, ironically, is not truly and oil. It is a mix of oil and a hardener like polyurethane. This is true of several products on the market that start with a tung or boiled linseed base and use hardeners to make them more user friendly. This includes many products marked Tung Oil and/or Linseed Oil and many more marked Antique, Danish, the Minwax products and a bunch of house brands.
The problem with hardeners is that the oil does not get a chance to absorb deeply into the wood for proper protection before it is frozen by the hardener. This is especially true in unseen places that will dry and crack over time. When finished, they do look good but the finish is more two dimensional than a true hand rubbed stock. Basically, they lack the depth you would see in a very high end finish. If you scratch a poly/oil stock the scratch and the repair are often unsightly where a stock done with depth can be buffed.
Poly/oil stocks do have their advantages. They do protect from the elements better than oil alone. Oil alone needs a fair amount of maintenance and coating with a wax is advised for added protection, especially in rainy areas.
I will skip the stripping part, but I do use chemical and next to no sanding.
After trial and error, I found a happy medium that produces excellent results. I start with boiled linseed or pure Tung oil watered down with mineral spirits. I apply a generous coat, wait an hour, rub off any excess with a rag then leave until dry to the touch. A light sanding with 000 uncoated steel wool then repeat the process. I use less mineral spirit over time and the dry to touch time increases as the stock becomes fully saturated.
After I am satisfied that the stock looks good I then switch to a poly/oil mix like Tru-oil, Danish, Antique etc. I choose the mix depending on the base. Tru oil is linseed based IIRC and Danish is Tung oil for example. I use a mixture of the poly/oil mix watered down with the pure stuff for deeper absorption, lightly sanding with the steel wool between coats. Usually, I go a coat a day, often miss a couple of days, for about a month. Gradually I lessen the pure oil being added until the last coats are straight poly/oil mix straight out of the can. Tru oil has more poly than most of the others and gives a higher gloss finish. If too shiny for that particular gun, a quick sanding with the steel wool and a wipe down with the pure oil brings back a more satin/natural appearance.
Long winded, but I have been doing stocks like this for a long time and they are easy to maintain and look awesome. It is a long process but impossible to screw up if patient. I see guns on the EE all the time with botched stock refinishing that should have been left the way they were.
The problem with hardeners is that the oil does not get a chance to absorb deeply into the wood for proper protection before it is frozen by the hardener. This is especially true in unseen places that will dry and crack over time. When finished, they do look good but the finish is more two dimensional than a true hand rubbed stock. Basically, they lack the depth you would see in a very high end finish. If you scratch a poly/oil stock the scratch and the repair are often unsightly where a stock done with depth can be buffed.
Poly/oil stocks do have their advantages. They do protect from the elements better than oil alone. Oil alone needs a fair amount of maintenance and coating with a wax is advised for added protection, especially in rainy areas.
I will skip the stripping part, but I do use chemical and next to no sanding.
After trial and error, I found a happy medium that produces excellent results. I start with boiled linseed or pure Tung oil watered down with mineral spirits. I apply a generous coat, wait an hour, rub off any excess with a rag then leave until dry to the touch. A light sanding with 000 uncoated steel wool then repeat the process. I use less mineral spirit over time and the dry to touch time increases as the stock becomes fully saturated.
After I am satisfied that the stock looks good I then switch to a poly/oil mix like Tru-oil, Danish, Antique etc. I choose the mix depending on the base. Tru oil is linseed based IIRC and Danish is Tung oil for example. I use a mixture of the poly/oil mix watered down with the pure stuff for deeper absorption, lightly sanding with the steel wool between coats. Usually, I go a coat a day, often miss a couple of days, for about a month. Gradually I lessen the pure oil being added until the last coats are straight poly/oil mix straight out of the can. Tru oil has more poly than most of the others and gives a higher gloss finish. If too shiny for that particular gun, a quick sanding with the steel wool and a wipe down with the pure oil brings back a more satin/natural appearance.
Long winded, but I have been doing stocks like this for a long time and they are easy to maintain and look awesome. It is a long process but impossible to screw up if patient. I see guns on the EE all the time with botched stock refinishing that should have been left the way they were.
Amateur here.
I have done it with Tung oil and found it not too satisfying, It gets shiny and takes forever to dry, no matter what. With Tru oil, you decide how shiny you want it to be, depending on how many coats you put on.
On a SKS I just put 2 coats of Tru oil on and it looked fantastic, basically like factory. To get the correct colour I want, I just used some Angelus or Fiebing leather dye off amazon which I did first. You have to use the dye very carefully.
I did not sand anything, just wanted a nice finish. Wait, maybe 220 on some of the rough spots.
I have done it with Tung oil and found it not too satisfying, It gets shiny and takes forever to dry, no matter what. With Tru oil, you decide how shiny you want it to be, depending on how many coats you put on.
On a SKS I just put 2 coats of Tru oil on and it looked fantastic, basically like factory. To get the correct colour I want, I just used some Angelus or Fiebing leather dye off amazon which I did first. You have to use the dye very carefully.
I did not sand anything, just wanted a nice finish. Wait, maybe 220 on some of the rough spots.
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Yes, and you even get that on the ‘base’ 725 Trap.
Later, Browning came out with the 725 Pro Trap, and I don’t think the wood is any nicer.
The ‘Trap Max’ is nice too, but that’s got the Gracoil, and adjustable rib and is in another price bracket.
Later, Browning came out with the 725 Pro Trap, and I don’t think the wood is any nicer.
The ‘Trap Max’ is nice too, but that’s got the Gracoil, and adjustable rib and is in another price bracket.
I use Circa 1850 but it has been changed over the years. The original stuff was awesome but perhaps will contribute to an early demise for the users. The new stuff works on a lot of finishes but one needs to be patient and help a lot more with steel wool or a like. Some of the heavy coated Brownings and Remingtons are an absolute pain to strip regardless of what is used. Take your time and avoid the checkering with any sandpaper etc. Checkering can be done with the stripper and careful use of a soft cleaning type brush.
