Unfinished Wood Stocks

[Buckmastr]

Keep in mind if your finish is not water proof your wood is not stabilized you will be constantly re zeroing your rifle as it is will be affected by humidity .

Thanks for the heads up. Doesnt bedding and free floating usually keeps walnut stocked rifles stable?

 

[DrWho]

Thanks for the heads up. Doesnt bedding and free floating usually keeps walnut stocked rifles stable?

Walnut can be very "Female" sometimes it just has it own way of thinking and moving .

 

[Brewster20]

Tru-Oil, apply, let dry, reapply, let dry, apply the third, fourth , fifth and sixth times, letting dry each time and go over with "0000" steel wool each time. The steel wool will dull the shine .

 

[littlehughey]

Keep in mind if your finish is not water proof your wood is not stabilized you will be constantly re zeroing your rifle as it is will be affected by humidity .

I can't ever remember seeing a walnut stocked rifle that was finished in the inletted area. I'm not saying wood doesn't expand and contract with humidity, but I don't believe that the type of finish applied to external surfaces only will make much of a difference.

 

[Rob]

Steveston Hardware

Okay, I used to live in Vancouver and I know Steveston but right now I'm living on the other coast...I'll try some fisherman-friendly hardware stores. I'd like to try "Daly's ship and shore sealer."

 

[Rob]

I can't ever remember seeing a walnut stocked rifle that was finished in the inletted area. I'm not saying wood doesn't expand and contract with humidity, but I don't believe that the type of finish applied to external surfaces only will make much of a difference.

Check out the inletting of a Dakota rifle.

 

[zxexn]

Boiled linseed oil gets my vote. You need many coats though. About one coat a day for a week, then scale it back to 1 coat a week for about a month, then one coat every month until youre happy with the finish. Best thing about this is it looks natural and you can do spot repairs down the road without having to refinish the entire stock.

 

[G.E.FLACH]

I can't ever remember seeing a walnut stocked rifle that was finished in the inletted area. I'm not saying wood doesn't expand and contract with humidity, but I don't believe that the type of finish applied to external surfaces only will make much of a difference.

Why would you not seal the inletted area? i always do.When I do a new stock i put it in a vacuum bag full of Daly's under vacuum over night and then finish it.It is completely stabilized when done. Plus you can touch it up with out refinishing like an oil finish except this is water proof.Unlike boiled linseed or tung oil.It also looks remarkable and wont darken the wood as much as oil does.

 

[G.E.FLACH]

Thanks for the heads up. Doesnt bedding and free floating usually keeps walnut stocked rifles stable?

Not if the wood on the outside is not sealed .Watco is not waterproof so it allows moisture to come and go.IE EXPAND AND CONTRACT.

 

[Buckmastr]

Not if the wood on the outside is not sealed .Watco is not waterproof so it allows moisture to come and go.IE EXPAND AND CONTRACT.

If the wood expands and contracts, how does it affect a devcon type pillar bedded surface? Does the wood move it?

 

[analemma]

Tru-Oil, apply, let dry, reapply, let dry, apply the third, fourth , fifth and sixth times, letting dry each time and go over with "0000" steel wool each time. The steel wool will dull the shine .

Absolutely!
Gives a beautiful smooth satin finish that is damage-resistant and easy to repair if you scratch it. Maybe not as "organic" as old-school straight oil finish but it really works well. I just refinished a 1951 BRNO Model 1 and it looks as good as new, except for the butt plate.

 

[Buckmastr]

Watco didn't turn white or wash off on my 1 hour soak test. Maybe I need to submerse it.

 

[G.E.FLACH]

Nope that test was good .Are you sure that is danish oil ? The stuff i tried was not recommended for exterior use and washed off in a bit of rain.

 

[Buckmastr]

Yes Watco Danish oil is what it was finished with.
I don't think I'd finish a boat with the stuff but it appears pretty durable and repairs easily.

 

[salarguy]

If I’m not mistaken, Tru-oil is a mixture of boiled linseed oil, varnish and mineral sprits. I have read on many woodworking sites of people making there own mixture for cheaper then the tru-oil product. But I guess it’s only worth making if you use a lot. Good product anyways.

Amazon bad the big bottle, can't recall the size,but now it's$45 ,for $18. I won't need any more in my lifetime. It goes so far. I still do the base coats in Tung oil, but TrueOil is the gear for the finishing touch.

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

Try tung oil. Its very thin, and goes on thin. You can build up the finish with several coats, it will end up in a semi gloss state. If you want less shine, rub the stock with very fine steel wool. Don't use linseed oil, it can't handle getting wet.

Not sure that is what you meant. Tell generations of wartime soldiers they shouldn't have gotten their rifle wet, but somehow the gallons of issue Boiled Linseed Oil was the elixir that brought those rifles back to life.

 

[G.E.FLACH]

Not sure that is what you meant. Tell generations of wartime soldiers they shouldn't have gotten their rifle wet, but somehow the gallons of issue Boiled Linseed Oil was the elixir that brought those rifles back to life.

Its better than nothing and that is all they had back then but that is why they needed to keep applying it .Don't get me wrong its not a bad finish its just there is better options nowadays.