Exhibition finish on Bastogne Walnut stocks

[M-Tecs]

I use Pro Custom Oil with a sanded in finish on my stocks, all of them, and have done so for about 30 years now. I never touch a stock with steel wool, the fine particles of steel stay in the wood pores. I live in a very humid environment and a polished gem stone looking finish may take me 4 months or so to achieve. This is a L) Bastogne C) English and R) Claro stock so treated with different finishes, gloss, satin and a medium tone.

If you would like instructions on the sanded in finish, drop me a note and I will send you the article I wrote about the process. It is all done by hand after you get past the dry sanding of the raw wood.
Ed

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Very nice. PM sent with email address for article. Thanks!!!!!!

[fecmech]

I use Pro Custom Oil with a sanded in finish on my stocks

Sounds like we may have similar methods Sure-shot. I hand rub the Procustom into the stock with a nitrile glove on my hand. When I feel the glove starting to drag on the finish I set it aside to dry. After it dries I wet sand between coats with 600 wet/dry paper until surface is glass smooth. Then one final coat wet sanded with 1500 grit wet/dry and rubbed out with clear coat polishing compound for a high gloss finish. I never liked the idea of steel wool either.

[22cf45]

I generally use ProCustom oil for guns which will be used to hunt a lot and have never been disappointed with the results. I can vary from very low luster to very high shine depending on the number of coats I end up with. I can describe the procedure if you desire. I never use steel wool for the reasons previously mentioned. In fact, I don't even like to rub out a stock with pumice stone or rottenstone since I feel all abrasives leave scratches, however small, that catch the light and hide a lot of the natural beauty of the wood.

When I am doing a show stopper, I use polymerized tung oil to start, then shellac for the depth you are seeking, then end up again with the polymerized tung oil. Unless, someone is interested and requests the details on the procedure, I won't bore you with it now.
Phil

[Tnfalconer]

I generally use ProCustom oil for guns which will be used to hunt a lot and have never been disappointed with the results. I can vary from very low luster to very high shine depending on the number of coats I end up with. I can describe the procedure if you desire. I never use steel wool for the reasons previously mentioned. In fact, I don't even like to rub out a stock with pumice stone or rottenstone since I feel all abrasives leave scratches, however small, that catch the light and hide a lot of the natural beauty of the wood.

When I am doing a show stopper, I use polymerized tung oil to start, then shellac for the depth you are seeking, then end up again with the polymerized tung oil. Unless, someone is interested and requests the details on the procedure, I won't bore you with it now.
Phil

PM SENT! Tell me more good sir...

[Ballistics in Scotland]

It is worth mentioning that you can't make raw linseed oil into boiled just by boiling it. Commercial boiled oil contains chemical driers. It is also a bad idea to immerse a stock in oil. This was often done with military stocks, with which extreme weather resistance is a priority, and the soldier's artistic instinct isn't. The oil will keep oozing from the interior to the surface forever if not longer, maybe not enough to look liquid, but enough to stop it ever becoming hard enough to take a polish.

[Tnfalconer]

Just got an email from the stock maker, should ship this week. Three weeks earlier than promised. Now we're talking.

[Tnfalconer]

Lots of good information on refinishing an exhibition stock, thanks for all the help guys. I will be going with polymerized tung with this stock finish. Order is placed and should be here about the same time as the stock I am guessing. I'll post pictures the steps here so that others can follow.

[Tnfalconer]

Just received the stocks from CPA and they do not disappoint. What a fine piece of wood, the pictures do no justice to them at all. Heavily marbled and figured Bastogne walnut. Just gorgeous and they are only roughed in. I have plenty of wok to do to them before starting the finishing process but I just wanted to document where we were. I am in deep lust with this piece of wood.

[Rick Hodges]

Just received the stocks from CPA and they do not disappoint. What a fine piece of wood, the pictures do no justice to them at all. Heavily marbled and figured Bastogne walnut. Just gorgeous and they are only roughed in. I have plenty of wok to do to them before starting the finishing process but I just wanted to document where we were. I am in deep lust with this piece of wood.

Very nice, I love Bastogne Walnut.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Those will come out looking pretty nice just about no matter what you do to them. I personally am a big fan of the Truoil and ma doing a set of stocks for a Stevens 311 which were made of Birch. It has about as much grain showing as notebook paper but I am now into the Truoil 4 coats and I will be sanding it down after this next coat dries.

I slop it on with a paper towel with the intention of plugging all the holes as fast as possible. This process has worked for me in the past.

AS soon as I get the holes pretty much all filled I start sanding with 400,600,800 grit WoD until all the high spots are faired in.

Then very thin coats until I am sure all holes are filled and then build up the finish a little more. When the surface is smooth and all sanding marks are gone the very last coat is Treewax applied with 0000 steel wool and buffed with a terry cloth towel.

Not exhibition grade but way better than a piece birch deserves.

The stock on my shotgun over on the stippling thread was that Brownell's Oil/Polymer stuff and it has a slight satin finish. Perfect for a working shotgun. It was done from a spray can! and came out perfect.

Randy

[Tnfalconer]

I ordered some of that polymerized tung oil to use on them. Right now I am working on fitting them to the receiver but I have been busier with a one armed paper hanger. I am looking for perfection in the fit to the receiver first. Then I'll move into finish. I really don't want to make too many mistakes on these.

[W.R.Buchanan]

One of the reasons why custom guns cost so much is because of the time it takes to make them. A lot of that time is ate up in thinking about what you are going to do next,,, which usually takes more time than actually doing it.

Taking your time on a project like this comes under the heading of "Attention to Detail," but the "Personal Responsibility" is the part that really needs to be there as it is what doesn't let you settle for second rate.

Randy

[Tnfalconer]

One of the reasons why custom guns cost so much is because of the time it takes to make them. A lot of that time is ate up in thinking about what you are going to do next,,, which usually takes more time than actually doing it.

Taking your time on a project like this comes under the heading of "Attention to Detail," but the "Personal Responsibility" is the part that really needs to be there as it is what doesn't let you settle for second rate.

Randy

Yup, I am wanting the fit to be perfection. That takes a good amount of time and sweat to get, it doesn't just happen. Then after all that, I still have to bed the aluminum block in the forearm before fitting it and I haven't even made the block yet! Time time time time time.....