Sealing a gunstock before finishing

[fourarmed]

I'm in the sanding stage of a gunstock. Got to wondering if anybody ever tried a product called wood restorer for the initial sealing of one. It is a thin liquid that you slop onto wood that has gotten punky, and it penetrates and hardens, giving strength and water-resistance to the wood. I'm thinking it might make a good sealer for walnut. Paint it on inside and out, then sand it off the surface when dry and start applying the oil.

[JSH]

Nope Bob, never even heard of it. I have seen a fellow at a a couple of shows (local) that has some oils and what not to restore with. I think Kenneth, Viv's son bought some to refinish his old 22, I will ask him as I know he has not done it yet.
I like a BUNCH of tung oil and then several coats of floor wax. Makes a stock look like a stock and not a lamp post.
Jeff

[stocker]

Try using spar grade urethane diluted with about 30-40% mineral spirits. Keep putting on coats over a period of days until the surface glazes up. Allow to dry very hard over the next couple of weeks. Wet sand the glaze off to the wood surface with 320 grit wet or dry paper using a wetting agent composed of your diluted urethane and another 30 percent by volume of boiled linseed oil or tung oil. Leave a coat of the resulting slurry on the stock to dry hard over a couple of weeks and wet sand it off again till smooth. This time wipe the residue off the wood. This latter step (allowing the slurry to set up before levelling the surface again) will leave your stock with the pores and grain runs filled. It is now ready for the final coats of finish whether it be more urethane, Tru Oil or what have you. If you like a dead flat finish try and find Schaftol , a German stock finish, like you find on Sauers etc. Alternately you can modify a glossy finish say from urethane or Tru Oil by carefully rubbing down the finish with rottenstone with diluted BLO as a lubricating agent. Use a hard felt pad for the rub down.

The whole object of sealing is to prevent absorption of water from the air or direct exposure. Tung oil and boiled linseed oil used alone are actually hydroscopic and encourage absorption of water into the wood. Not very conducive to stability. The wax one poster referred to is probably the most effective part of his finish.
.

[KCSO]

Old time sealer for walnut...
Thin white glue with water and add flour to make a paste. Rub it into the stock and let dry and then finish sand. A good sealer, but not much good for punky wood.

[PatMarlin]

Alternately you can modify a glossy finish say from urethane or Tru Oil by carefully rubbing down the finish with rottenstone with diluted BLO as a lubricating agent. Use a hard felt pad for the rub down.

I've got a stock that is hideously glossy (Weatherby esq), but looks like a darn good seal job. Also the urethane- (if that's what it is?) I would like to take it down to more of a satin oil look. I was going to strip the stock and start over, but your process may be the ticket.

Can I do this with the method above? What in tarnation is "rottenstone with diluted BLO" and where do I get some?

[stocker]

Pat:
If your Weatherby is a Mark V that finish is tougher to work than getting through the gates of heaven. BLO = boiled linseed oil. Mineral spirits is paint thinner/solvent , also known as Varsol etc. Rottenstone is a very fine ground rock , similar to but much finer than pumice. Available to you from Brownells but any fine paint and varnish supply house may have it. At one time it was available in grocery stores for polishing pots. The hard felt referred to is also available from Brownells in small pieces. I usually buy a whole hard felt buffing wheel for a bench grinder or polisher and cut it up. It's cheaper for me than ordering out of country.

The Weatherby Mark V finish seems like epoxy to me and may respond best to dulling by using a very fine wet or dry sandpaper- try 1500, 2000, and 2500 grit- available from auto body shop supply houses. The finish on Mark V's is thick so you have a bit of room to experiment. Get an art gum eraser and cut a strip of the finest grit paper to fit. Dip it in your diluted BLO and sand with the grain a bit. Wipe the area and check your results. If it's still shinier than you want go to the next coarser grit and work it a bit more. Gentle is the watch word as you don't want to cut through the finish. You might also try a high quality 0000 or 00000 steel wool ( look for the Liberon brand name if it's available) also used with the dilute BLO. I am reluctant to use it on softer finishes as it has the habit of imbedding steel particles in the finish. It might not on the Weatherby. Watch the checkering- you don't want to sand the borders or diamonds. If you prefer you can exclude them with masking tape. I'm not certain if they use the same finish on the Vanguards but think not.

For urethane or oil finishes I prefer rottenstone although the sandpaper will do if you are very careful as the finish buildup is usually much less than the epoxy. Keep the area you are working wet with the oil all the time you are working it.

Urethane- a common brand is MinWax spar urethane based varnish. There are others I don't see here. Get the gloss variety rather than the satin. Satin or semi gloss varnishes usually contain silica to refract rather than reflect direct light. It tends to dull checkering tools because of the silica content.

Best

[PatMarlin]

Thanks for the reply stocker.

It's not a Weatherby, I just meant it was a shinny urethane finish that had that "Weatherby" look.

It's cracked in areas, and I thougt it would be great to be able to take that finish down, to a duller look, and at the same time keep it's seal.

I hate that shiney stuff.

[Char-Gar]

Back in the old days, we would seal the barrel chanel and end grade of factory stocks with several coats of shellac. There are probably much products available today.

When working with new wood or a total refinish, I always use Tru-Oil. It is not the be all and end all of stock finishes, but after 40 years I have it figured out and it hold no suprises. I really goop it on the end grain and barrel channel to get a good seal and proceed to the rest of the stock.

To seal the outside wood, I give it coat after coat, cutting it back to the wood with 000 steel wood every three coats until the grain is fully filled and smooth as glass. I can't abide the orange peel look of wood which has not been fully filled.

Wood stocks and heavy water exposure are really not compatable. But Tru-Oil works just about as good as any to protect a rifle, if the fellow if careful about protecting the rifle as good as he can.

If you really must hunt in a driving rain, get a stainless rifle with some kind of composite stock.

[Char-Gar]

I used Rottenstone for many years but have gone to Brownell's fine stock rubbing compound. It is a a reddish compound and works great. It takes off the high spots and produces a glass smooth finish.

With Tru-Oil you can cut the finish back to the wood with fine steel wood for a satin oil finish look and still have well filled grain and decent protection.

[Char-Gar]

Pat..If you have a plastic finish that is starting to craze (crack) strip the finish off down to the wood and refinish with Tru-Oil or the finish of your choice. There are several commercial stripers available, but I have used EZ-OFF oven cleaner with good result.

Spray the stuff on..let it sit awhile..cut it off with 00 steel wood..use a firm tooth brush on the checkering to get the goop out...wear rubber gloves and clean off the resulting mess with acetone. Use a well soaked rag and the same toothbrush for the checkering. When dry, take a look at it in strong light and repeat if necessary for any spots you missed..there will be some.

Do this outside or in you shop if you don't want a D-Vorce.

[PatMarlin]

That's sounds like the ticket Charles. We've got those ingredients in town!

Also, the wood is stained darker than I would like. Can I lighten it up with steel wool also or?

True Oil-

Is it more of an oil (duh?), than a urethane type deal?

[Char-Gar]

The question is whether the stain in in the finish or in the wood? If it is in the finish the wood will be natural when the finish is removed. If the stain in in the wood, some of it will come out with the acetone rubdown. But to remove it all, you will have to sand the stock and I am not certain you want to do a whole lot of that.

Tru-Oil is an oil with some chemical dryers added to it. It has been around long before there was such a things as Urathane. Lin-Speed is another good finish, but take longer to dry.

The secret is not to get in a hurry. You will end up spending more time to fix you mistakes than you save if you get in a hurry. If you are not a patience person stay away from stock work.

[PatMarlin]

I've been told I have the patience of Jobe.. :wink:


uh... so where's my 311407?.. :shock:

[waksupi]

Watco Danish Oil Finish is my favorite on stocks. Used properly, it fills and seals the grain, and makes a nice looking stock.

[sundog]

I've got a CMP 03 that had a pretty bad stock when I received it. It got the EZ-Off Oven Cleaner treatment. Had some punky spots. Used Tru-Oil, mostly because I have for years, and it fine now after many finger applied coats, steel woolings, and more coats. One thing that can break the glare of Tru-oil is Johnson's Paste Wax on 4-ought steel wool after the last last coat is thouroughly dry. Gives it a nice calm luster. sundog

[Frank46]

fourarmed, there is a wood sealer out there that may be what you are looking for. I used it on some kitched cabinet doors. Brush it on then when dry sand the dickens out of it. But I must caution you as its a silica based sealer. The sanding dust comes off as a very fine white powder. So breathing protection is a must. Think either home depot or lowes sells it. I also used the wood restorer you mentioned. Had a bay window in the front of the house that has some water leaking into the frame. I managed to get the wood restorer into where the punky wood was. A couple applications, sealed it and painted it. Ten years later when the house was sold looked as good then as it did when the repairs were made.Frank

[fiberoptik]

And, let's not forget that all this should be done within an area with good ventilation! I have no sense of smell after a karate tournament in Okinawa, but I can say that the fumes from Urathane will make you see pretty colors! :veryconfu :veryconfu :veryconfu

[PatMarlin]

And, let's not forget that all this should be done within an area with good ventilation! I have no sense of smell after a karate tournament in Okinawa, but I can say that the fumes from Urathane will make you see pretty colors! :veryconfu :veryconfu :veryconfu

I do my best work amoungst fumes...:shock:

[JSH]

Not to hijack this thread, but pertains to stock work as well.
Any of you fellows have a method to get a milsurp stock back to what would look right? This is an 03 that has no cartouche or markings on it, so I don't feel to bad about cleaning it up a bit.
Jeff

[Blackwater]

Pat, to lighten the color of the wood, you might try mixing quick lime (hydrated lime, probably from your garden shop supply) and acetone. Mix to a pancake batter consistency, and paint on with a brush. Leave it on a couple of hours, and wash off very thoroughly. Repeat until the wood lightens to your liking.

This will also remove oil from oil soaked stocks, but for really severe cases (like one I'm working on now) you may have to thin to a near soupy consistency and soak the oil drenched end in the mix.

BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL WITH THE LIME! IT'S WHAT THEY DISPOSE OF BODIES WITH, AND IT'LL DISPOSE OF YOUR LIFE IF YOU BREATHE IN TOO MUCH OF IT!!!

I'm still alive after using it, though, so it ain't rocket science to use potentially "bad" chemicals and still be able to breathe. I used it to get the oil out of the stock, but it'll lighten the wood as well. Then, to avoid darkening the stock further, use a tung oil based finish instead of a linseed based finish. I've just used Brownell's Custom Oil for the first time, and am very satisfied with it. It has the driers in it, to hasten the setup time, which is nice if you want to use the gun next season and have it really and truly fully finished. One "secret" of using oil finishes, IMO, is TIME. It simply takes time to really do it right, and as many repetitive coatings as it takes to get that glass like surface.

As to roughing up the finish, McGuiar's makes some auto polishes (#7), and rubbing compounds (#4 I think it is, plus others of varying "grit") that may help you get just the right look that you're after. I've used them on guitars, not gun stocks, but using #4 to get the surface truly dead flat, and then buffing out with #7,. and following up with rottenstone for that last dab of "liquid like" finish worked really, really well on the guitar. It was a shiny finish, but looked like it was the wood itself was the finish, and not some thick, gummy finish ON the surface. Good stuff. Just take your time, be patient, and let it take as long as it takes. It really won't take a whole long time, but as with any finish job, the secret's in minding your P's and Q's while you're doing it, and not trying to rush it. If there's any question whether you're "through" with a given stage, that means you need to do a bit more.

A piece of plate glass with stick on felt makes a fine polishing tool to use with the liquid grit finishing stuff like the McGuiar's, and add water to the rottenstone and it works well using the felt faced glass too.

The more I learn about finishing stocks, the more I realize there are an infinite number of ways to go about it, and most give at least acceptable results. I just like the rubbed oil finish. Most folks just never finish the finish, and leave that orange peel look. That may not be "bad," though, if you want a non reflective finish, like say on a duck gun.

Tung oil's supposed to be much better as to water resistance than linseed, but I have gotten wet enough for that to become a consideration very few times in my life, and when the moisture evaporates from the oil finish, it'll go back clear instead of the milkiness that it can cause if gotten TOO wet. Oil's IN the wood, which I think helps a lot.

If that urethane finish on your rifle's cracked or crazed, I'd definitely remove it. May help to soak it in a mix of acetone and laquer thinner after removing the outer finish. Let dry a week or two after a good soaking in the solvent, and you'll probably lighten the color a tad more, also.

Hope some of this helps?

[PatMarlin]

Good tips Dennis... Thanks... :drinks:

Hay-

Have you ever lifted any dings out of a finished stock with an iron and wet cloth or sumpthin?

[Blackwater]

Yes, I've done that, but a dent that was put in by a quick blow never would quite come up to flat. Others all did, though. It's easy, and being able to do this to an oil finished stock is one reason I have always liked oil finishes.

[Char-Gar]

Jeff... I am a one trick pony.. I scrub the mil-surp stock with a liberal amount of acetone and steel wool. This will remove all the old oil and gunk and pull most of it out of the pores of the wood.

I then lay on the Tru-Oil until the grain is filled and cut it back to the wood with 000 steel wool. It leave a very military looking finish. Most of ten I don't try and take out the scratches and dents..I just leave the character marks where they are.

[JSH]

Chargar
Thanks. I know what I want but don't know what to put on it to get desired color. As to character marks, this stock is very nice. It looks to have never been sanded with anything much finer than 50 or 80 grit. I started sanding on it and want it to look like my dad's 03 as I am kinda fond of that color.
I always figured to start with a lighter color, then I can keep applying more to darken it? Some of these newer style oils and such set up and don't let the wood absorb any more than the first coat. Then as some of the above stated they would turn milky if they got wet or crack with age. Those are the two things I want to stay away from. Not really planning on getting it wet, but you never know.
After the Truoil will a good paste wax take to that finish? I always have liked a wax caoting for a little extra protection myself.
Once again many thanks to all.
Jeff

[StarMetal]

charger,

Well I'm one tricker pony then you then....after I acetone the stock I then run it over top my electric stove burner to heat the stock up fairly hot and this makes the oils in the wood ooze to the top which I whisk away with a paper towel with acetone or alcohol on it. Becareful of either these two chemicals around that hot burner. In fact I have their cans set somewhere away from the stove. I keep doing this until I get no oil coming up what so ever...a lenghtly project. Then I wet the stock with water and dry it over the burner. When I'm done I just about have the wood like it was when the factory cut the blank.

Joe

[JSH]

I did forget to ask, but Joe may have answered my question here any way. This stock must have had laquer or shellac on it, it was almost black. It is all gone for the most part.
Here is my question, should I raise the grain and sand again. Hope this isn't a stupid question.
I am going to leave all of the orginal finish in the barrel channel. That is why I didn't go after it with the acetone. The stuff actually looks fairly good there. What I thought were sanding marks must have been from a brush. As heavy as it is only thing I can figure is they must have dipped it.
Jeff

[StarMetal]

JSH

That last treatment of drying the water on my stock over the burner was for raising the wood grainer...or whiskering it as they would say.

Joe

[Blackwater]

Fellows, weren't the original military stocks, and I'm thinking specifically the 1903 Spflds. here now, cut to shape and then heated a bit, and submerged en masse into large vats of hot linseed oil, then allowed to drip dry, and that was that???

Of all the things I miss, the one I miss most is my memory. Dang it! It'd be hard for us to reproduce the dip into hot oil method, but StarMetal's treatment sounds a lot like the original for the '03's, IIRC at least. Stocks so treated sure held up pretty darn well through a LOT of terrible conditions, and should do as well today, IMO. I know there are a lot of new finishes that are supposed to be superior to oil finishes in general, but .... I'll still take oil, and will continue to do so unless and until I find one of my stocks failing .... which COULD happen, but ain't likely.

Did I mention I like oil finishes? :wink:

[Frank46]

Blackwater, instead of using lime. Try whiting which is sold at home depot and other stores. Mix with acetone into a honey consistency and brush onto stock. Let sit for about an hour then remove with steel wool. Wear respirator as the dust cannot be good for your lungs. I have asbestosis so when doing this kind of work
the respirator is standard equipment. Repeat as necessary to remove the crud off the stock. A few years ago there was a dealer in the shotgun news selling rem 40x rangemaster single shot stocks. Must have been ex milsurp as the stocks were heavily stained and dirty. Used the above treatment to get the bulk of the stain and dirt off. Save the sawdust when sanding as it can be mixed with wood
glue if you ever have to make filler pieces and they have some gaposis. I filled in the forend rail area with a piece of walnut glued in place with gorilla glue. Stock came out very nice. Frank

[steveb]

I use Tru Oil for sealing and refinishing gunstocks and I swear by it. Just cut the Tru-Oil with mineral spirits to seal stock. Heres a stock I refinished and sealed on a Rossi 92


http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/steveb3006/ROSSI%2092/rossiriver21.jpg

[PatMarlin]

That is one purdy rifle.

So do you seal the inside to? How well does the True Oil work in the rain, or is it gonna get water in some how like most stocks do?

[steveb]

Pat I seal the whole thing, inletting the whole nine yards. Seems to very durable. Of course I Tru Oil evrything:-D ....Thank Ya Sir

[StarMetal]

Ya can't beat Minwax Polyurethane...any of the oil finished look nice sure...but they don't compare to keeping the moisture out of wood like polyurethane...and it too is repairable if you get a scratch on it.

I use to use oil finishes including Tung Oil, but switched to the polyurethane.

Joe

[PatMarlin]

Fore ONCE can I get a straight answer on this forum?.. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Consensus is pretty solid on the LEE Pro-4 furnace though... everyone likes that.. :drinks:

[carpetman]

PatMarlin---"Can I get a consenus on this forum? Consensus is pretty solid on the Lee Pro4 furnace". I think there would be a consensus that you are terribly confused if you are trying to use a Lee pot of any kind in the sealing of a gunstock,which is the subject of this thread.

[steveb]

PatMarlin---"Can I get a consenus on this forum? Consensus is pretty solid on the Lee Pro4 furnace". I think there would be a consensus that you are terribly confused if you are trying to use a Lee pot of any kind in the sealing of a gunstock,which is the subject of this thread.

Sealing gunstocks have become much simpler ever since I started using my Lee Pro 4 20 furnace on them:confused: :confused: :confused:

JUST KIDDING!!!!! NEVER USE A LEE PRO 4-20 MELTING POT TO SEAL A GUNSTOCK!!!!!! IT WONT WORK VERY WELL:roll: :confused: :mrgreen:

Carpetman, he may have gotten confused to which thread he was on. Ive made the same mistake myself before.

[PatMarlin]

Could make it werk.. :mrgreen:

[Bret4207]

Lotta good info here. I always liked the '03 stocks with a reddish hue to them. Seemed to bring out what ever grain pattern there was. Getting 75 years of oil out of a stock is the hard part. Someone mentioned whiting and that worked for me. I'm also a Lin-Speed fan.

Check out all 4 volumes of Brownells "Gunsmiths Kinks" series for about a gadzillion ways of restoring and refinishing stocks.

[Dale53]

I am active in a local gun club that shoots big bore. One of my friends was redoing the stock on his Garand (rather oil soaked) and has access to a vapor degreaser. Man, did that ever remove the oil from his stock. He stained it a nice color and oil finished it (GB Linspeed or TruOil). I am a TruOil man, myself.

Dale53

[shooter575]

Not to hijack this thread, but pertains to stock work as well.
Any of you fellows have a method to get a milsurp stock back to what would look right? This is an 03 that has no cartouche or markings on it, so I don't feel to bad about cleaning it up a bit.
Jeff

I think you are talking about what I call "the look" Sorta like a what you would find on a nice old Trapdoor,Krag or 03. I got this from the jouster site some years ago.may still be there. I use boiled linseed oil cut about 50/50 with turpintine.Slosh on a coat set aside to dry.After a few coats I use a bit turps and some wet or dry 320 to skuff off.Then just rub light coats with your hand.Skuff off again.When you get tired of all this make up a paste of beeswax,turps and boiled linsead oil. about 1/3 each. This should be about like shoe polish.Then rub in coats till it look gets that look. I have done this on new wood and have done it on old cut down C/W musket stocks that I spliced new forarms onto. I get a lot of kudos on them.

[JSH]

Jim, talked to another gent last night on the phone. He gave me the same recipe. I went somthing that just shows the color and grain, but nothing bright or shiney. Any shine I get will be kind of flat from wax.
I may have flubbed up a bit. I put one coat of Formby's on it nite before last. I am going to hit it with the steel wool tonight and see what I have. I did a couple of stocks when I was in high school with the stuff. I don't have either of those guns any more but do remember about 4-5 coats of Formby's and a couple of coats of wax and I was pretty happy with the out come. I hunted with one of those rifles for several years and it was a pretty durable finish. May be to shiney for what I am after.................
Jeff

[shooter575]

Jeff,Here is a couple pics.The first is a 1855 rifle I built from scratch.It is new wood,no stain.just BLO and the paste followup.I built this one in 98.Has 4-5000 rounds through it.
The second pic is three rifles I was working on.Orgional wood.Unfinished one was striped with easy off oven cleaner.Darker one has a coat of mahogony leather dye.Compleat one had just a couple coats of blo in this pic.Nice thing about this method is nothing is screwed up .You can strip and do somthing else pretty easy.The more coats you add the better it gets.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/shooter575/MVC-001F.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/shooter575/MVC-009F.jpg

[shooter575]

I went and found the link to the method above by Dick Culiver
http://www.jouster.com/Bulletin/refinishing.htm
His method is the 3rd one.I figure if it worked for that old trooper at Camp Perry it is good enough for me. This is a HUGE site BTW lots of good info.

[JSH]

Well, that is a great read! I have been over to Colver's several time while chasing some info and parts for 03's. Didn't even think to look over there. The Formby's should be dry by now. I will burnish it down with some steel wool and then a scotch bright pad to see how it looks. If it doesn't look to bad I may try the Bee's wax stuff over the top of it?
I am gonna have to find another rifle to fool with just to do it all in that stuff.
I new this was gonna cost me more $$, lol.
Thanks again Jim.
Jeff

I will get some pic's and send to Ken to have him post them, as I have a hard time getting them on here. Will dig out the Swede along with my 03 project gun along with Dad's 03.

[JSH]

I new this was going to cost me. I got to looking around to see how much of the ingredients I had for the above. Welllllll, I didn't think I had enough BLO to do a small batch. The kids wanted a movie so I stopped by the Home Debt. Now I have to say the quart of BLO that I have has to be close to 25 years old. Well all HD has is a gallon. So I was just gonna say the heck with it and use what I had. Some kid with an apron walked by and I asked him if the had any BLO in quarts. He says nope gallons is it. Off he goes..... I am leaving and he hollers at me to come and look behind the counter. There is a gallon can kinda bunged up but not leaking. He does a price check and I get it out the door for $7. My son is with me and thinks, I am nuts any way. I tell him that there is enough BLO to last till he has grand kids, lol.

I did make a batch of 24 ounces of the stock salve tonight. It is cooling as I type. Be warned if ya whip up a batch of this. That warm turpintine will clean out your sinus's. I figure if it doesn't work for stocks it should be good as a chest rub or poking up your nose for head colds.
The only thing I would say if any of you try the above. Premeasure and heat the turpintine and BLO. I melted my wax and then dumped in the BLO and turpintine. The wax clabbered and had to heat the whole works a bit longer than I think necassary.
Looks good, smells good.
Bob, if you are following this thread I have a tin of this salve for you if you want it.
Jeff

[Blackwater]

Pat, here's a site that I trust for anything gun related. I found his comments about Tru Oil being a "plastic" interesting! I didn't know that! FWIW, here's the link to the site:

http://www.gunshop.com/phiatt3.htm

Also, I've been hanging out at americanlongrifles.com, and in the section on building a gun, there's some VERY interesting threads on traditional finishes that you'll likely find interesting. The vinegar finish for maple is particularly interesting, at least to me. Lots of info and ideas there.

My big problem is that I know just enough to know how LITTLE I know about finishing wood. I guess that's at least a big part of the reason why I stick with oil finishes.

Can anyone comment on Tru Oil being a "plastic" finish???? That one has me perplexed. I'd always thought it was a linseed product with driers and spar varnish added???? I've been wrong before, though.

[PatMarlin]

That's a good link Dennis.

THis is the best wood I own and it needs a refinish but it wouldn't match the worn blue if I did that. Somethings are just better left old I think, specially when you have no choice.. :mrgreen:

I paid $350 for this rilfe in hawk shop if you can believe that. Shoots tiny groups at 100 with 150gr Remington core loctks. 1978 vintage 300 Winchester Magnum.

[shooter575]

Jeff,sorta looks like a lava lamp in the pot eh. After time the paste will get harder.I think some of the volitiles in the turpentine evaporates out.I just add a bit more to soften it up.

[waksupi]

Blackwater, the term plastic, refers to the properties of a finish, ie; it will expand and contract, with heat and moisture conditions. A non-plastic finish will crack and craze. Just a term, not actual plastic.

[carpetman]

Boiled linseed oil doesnt mean it was heated. It means there are drying agents added. For most applications boiled is the preferred over the plain.

[shooter575]

Carpetman
I have heard that the boiled linsead of yore is diffrent from what is sold as such today?I have a 50 year old can and some new stuff.I dont see much diffrence. Although I have been using the old stuff on my stocks.I also have a bunch of raw linsead,I should see if by adding some jap driers it could be used.Idontknow? I would be dangerous if I had passed chemestry.On second thought I am dangerous now :)

[fourarmed]

Jeff, got the paste, and thanks. It should be just the thing for that shotgun stock that started this whole thread.

[Blackwater]

Well, DUH! Thanks, Waksupi. Ain't the English language FUN!

And what exactly constitutes a "dryer," or a "drying agent" in ref to BLO?

[steveb]

Blackwater, thats an informative site among others. Out of all the things ive tried I think Tru-Oil is the cats meow for refinishing gunstocks. Its easy to use,and is a very nice and durable finish.We all have favorite different bramds that we like and have worked well for us. For me, its Tru-Oil all the way:-D

[krag35]

I have stripped the finish off of a couple of Remington stocks with a bit of broken glass, then sanded, works pretty good. that plastic finish plugs up sandpaper to fast.

for a finish, I use "Howard Feed -N- Wax" Set the stock behind the stove for a while and slop some on, then put it back behind the stove. I continue this untill the stock don't soak up any more. If you get a scratch, just wipe some more feed -N- wax on it. It'll darken the natural color of the wood a bit, but not much.
krag35

[shooter575]

Blackwater Jap dryier is a additive to oil paint that speeds up drying.Good paint stores has it in pt cans for 10 bucks or so. Some links...


http://www.woodworking.com/wwtimes_oilstain.cfm

http://www.eezimmermanco.com/products_files/Japan.html

http://www.arizonaresponsesystems.com/notes/wood/pagewood.htm

[Blackwater]

Thanks, Jim. Have heard of mixing BLO with spar varnish. As above, I know just enough about the chemicals used to finish wood to know how much I DON'T know. However, anyone who's ever spent much time in good gun museum knows that those old timers of 1 to 300 years ago did some mighty good work with some pretty plain ingredients. The natural finishes have to be maintained occasionally, but that just gives me an excuse to take them out and "pet" them a bit every few years or so. Not too bad a deal, after all.

[shootrj2003]

I also use Tru-oil to do it all,I have used other finishes,I get bored and experiment,and some are great,Tru oil always seems to work and I have never had it wash off in the rain

[Shawlerbrook]

Used to use Tru Oil , but recently switched. One or two coats of Sealcoat shellac then 5-10 coats of Minwax Rub on polyurethane, matte or satin.

[GregLaROCHE]

It depends what finish you want. The prep is different if you want a high gloss finish or a more mat like with linseed or other oils. No matter what, be very careful if you start sanding. Be very careful not to round sharp edges.

[waksupi]

It LIVES!

[truckjohn]

Talk about a Necro-thread...

Interesting that only a few of the finishes mentioned in the post are still available. Most every Alkyd or Phenolic varnish died about 10 years ago... Luckily, Tru-Oil still lives on. Minwax Wipe On Poly is a beaut too. Great stuff.

Spar varnish is a poor finish for gunstocks. It dries very soft and mushy.

Boiled Linseed Oil can also be a bad choice, as it stays oily and mushy forever, but also keeps polymerizing forever... Back in Ye Olde Day - users often pitched extra Japan drier into it so it would actually cure in less than 10-years... ;)

[JWFilips]

I know this may sound really strange to you folks but here goes!

I have been building Flintlock long guns for 40 years...I have done a ton of research into old stock finishes.
On any of my high end guns I have built; I use a sealer of Button shellac dissolved in alcohol as a sealer! Why, because shellac is water responsive! It will swell in the pores of a gun and seal out further penetration of the water...allowing you to use a nice oil base top coat...or any other coat you choose!
Just my 2 cents
Jim