durable finish for a walnut stock

[shawnba67]

Bought an unfinished walnut stock and cant ddcide how to finish it. I dont want to ever fuss with it again so the rubbed oil finish is out. Heres s pic of the dry stock 172490 ideas? Im not opposed to staiining it heres three I yried left is satin poly middle is dark walnut and datin poly right side is cherry with poly172491

[project]

I always just used true oil on walnut.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160718/8f4680b11bb61dc872015716115e6031.jpg
A grip I made for my Dan Wesson

[Beau Cassidy]

I have never used this on a stock but Arm-R-Seal is known to be very, very durable.

https://www.amazon.com/General-Finishes-BASE-GLOSS-COAT/dp/B001DSY7L6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468862912&sr=8-1&keywords=armorseal

[Char-Gar]

There is no such thing as a life time, no maintenance, no chipping, no touch up finish on wood rifle stock that is to be used.

That said, Tru-Oil is as good as any and better than most for durability and east of repair.

[Von Gruff]

I did my last one with a spar varnish diluted with turps. Brushed on a light coat and let dry for 24 hrs, sand off with 600grt paper and repeat twice. This has the finish in rather than on the wood and then with a coat of tung oil/wax to finish you have the traditional look and feel but with a propperly sealed surface. Baring gouges and deep dents you have as good a surface as you are going to get with any of the preperations but it has the look of the oiled finish that really enhances a stock.

[M-Tecs]

Clear coat epoxy with a top coat of poly is about as waterproof and tough as it gets.

[roysha]

Until it was discontinued I used Varathane Plastic Oil finish for virtually everything. I still have 3/4s of a gallon but when it is gone I will probably go to Watco Danish oil. Dirt simple to apply, medium gloss and equally easy to repair. Yeah, I know it is rated interior but when I contacted a couple of paint companies about a substitute for the Varathane and mentioned the exterior necessity they told me the only real difference between interior and exterior was an anti mold/mildew additive and for all practical purposes the finishes were similar enough that they could be interchanged. Just what they told me. I'm no expert so am just taking their word.

[country gent]

The military finished alot of the M14 heavy match stocks with a clear long cure epoxy but the process was as important as the material. Stocks were put in a pressure vessel and a vacum was applied with heat opf around 180* for 8-12 hours this pulled moisture out and dried stocks considerably deeper than normal. Then epoxy was added and pressure applied Ive heard from 100psi to 200psi and set for 4-6 hours depending on epoxy. Then removed and hung to dry. Once cured they were sanded to finish. This process would suck and push the thin epoxy between 1/8"-1/4" into the wood making a very thick solid coating. I was told by an armorer it added 2-3 lbs to the weight of the stock. These stocks didnt shift or change with moisture humidity and were considerably stronger than originaly were. The one I worked with cutting for bedding never broke thru the epoxy finish these cuts were 1/8" wide by 1/8"-3/16" deep around action bedding areas and this stock didnt shift zeros or seem to flex with sling tension. It had about the same dull opiled look of the standard wood stocks but was much stronger and heavier.

[gnoahhh]

I use spar varnish, but don't thin it because only the carrier will soak deeply into the wood- the varnish doesn't travel with it. I repeat coats, sanding between coats, until the pores are filled if I'm doing an oil finish. Then I mix a blend of pure tung oil or linseed oil (not tung oil finish you find in the hardware store- the pure stuff- go to an art supply house if you need to) and spar varnish. About 50/50 is good. No discernible difference can be found between tung oil or linseed oil, so just use whatever you can lay your hands on. Better than any TruOil because you don't know how long that stuff has been setting around. As a finish ages it starts to polymerize in the bottle and as such its effectiveness diminishes. Always use fresh ingredients no matter what. Bear in mind too that an "oil finish" is kind of crummy when it comes to acting as a moisture barrier. Best to plan on applying a coat or two of good paste wax when all done for at least a modicum of moisture prevention.

[wch]

Google How to do the world's best oil finish-THR

[gnoahhh]

The military finished alot of the M14 heavy match stocks with a clear long cure epoxy but the process was as important as the material. Stocks were put in a pressure vessel and a vacum was applied with heat opf around 180* for 8-12 hours this pulled moisture out and dried stocks considerably deeper than normal. Then epoxy was added and pressure applied Ive heard from 100psi to 200psi and set for 4-6 hours depending on epoxy. Then removed and hung to dry. Once cured they were sanded to finish. This process would suck and push the thin epoxy between 1/8"-1/4" into the wood making a very thick solid coating. I was told by an armorer it added 2-3 lbs to the weight of the stock. These stocks didnt shift or change with moisture humidity and were considerably stronger than originaly were. The one I worked with cutting for bedding never broke thru the epoxy finish these cuts were 1/8" wide by 1/8"-3/16" deep around action bedding areas and this stock didnt shift zeros or seem to flex with sling tension. It had about the same dull opiled look of the standard wood stocks but was much stronger and heavier.


Interesting! I have access to vacuum bagging and often wondered how that would work in terms of driving the first coat of finish deep into the wood.

I sometimes use epoxy as a first coat when varnishing or as a pore sealer. The thing with epoxy though is it has very little or no UV protective qualities. As such, when applying a barrier finish on top of the wood, it sucks if that is all one were to use. But with a bunch of good quality spar varnish on top of it for UV protection, it provides wonderful moisture protection. UV light will degrade a finish as badly as exposure to moisture will (and there's tons of UV in sunlight).

[gnoahhh]

There is no such thing as a life time, no maintenance, no chipping, no touch up finish on wood rifle stock that is to be used.

That said, Tru-Oil is as good as any and better than most for durability and east of repair.

I used to think that an oil finish is easier to repair than varnish, but real world experience has taught me that the opposite is true.

[Outpost75]

The epoxy impregnated military finished stocks are virtually indestructible. Wood stocks for the M40 were kiln dried, then impregnated with ethylene glycol under heat and pressure, heat cured again and then slow cure epoxy impregnated as described. The exterior surface was then sanded with 280 grit wet &dry paper and mineral oil to produce a non-reflective matte finish which could be camouflaged by application of an anniline dye. NASC Crane did these by the hundreds and the stocks were still in service during Desert Storm.

[gnoahhh]

For those who don't wish to pursue that process, but who want an oil finish look with the superior protective qualities of varnish, I submit this. The finish is 10 coats glossy spar urethane, sanded between coats, rubbed out to eliminate the gloss, and waxed to restore a luster. Folks look at it and think it is a meticulously applied oil finish. (Always use gloss varnish- it has way better UV protection than matte or semi-gloss.)

http://i481.photobucket.com/albums/rr174/gnoahhh/005_zpsgg7uhiyn.jpg (http://s481.photobucket.com/user/gnoahhh/media/005_zpsgg7uhiyn.jpg.html)

(A hand polished and rust blued receiver helps set it off, too! :) )

[Wayne Smith]

There is a difference between tung oil and BLO (linseed oil) - tung oil fully polermizes (hardens), BLO doesn't. Pure tung oil needs to be mixed with a drier - real mineral spirits - to be used. I start with a 50% mix to fill and seal, sanding this in with increasingly finer sandpaper - usually ending between 350 - 400 grit. This is multiple coats, sanding dust pressed into the grain, and rubbed against the grain. Let completely dry between coats. Then, as the mineral spirits begin to gas off the concentration of tung oil increases. If I mix more I mix 75% tung oil. This I begin rubbing in just as you would BLO. I have put as many as 15 coats but this needs to be cut because it is very shiny and reflective.

[shawnba67]

Clear coat epoxy with a top coat of poly is about as waterproof and tough as it gets.
Are you refering to automotive type clear coat? I work at a dodge dealership and can make that happen!

[M-Tecs]

I have only used West Systems Marine epoxy http://www.westsystem.com/ss/the-105-system/ with a poly topcoat. However a friend that has a body shop uses auto grade epoxy and poly. Works very well for him.

If you use an epoxy base when you sand it the epoxy it look terrible. however. the poly topcoat makes it look great.

[flounderman]

I been doing stocks for 60 years and I use the spray, min wax , helmsman spar- urethane. after the first coat, I just rub lite applications by hand. sandpaper has a problem cutting it when it's dry. it's about 7.00 a can

[R. Dupraz]

shawnba67:

I have been making, fitting and finishing gun stocks for 50 yrs and have tried about every finish and method that there is to include epoxy. But like another poster has said, for ease of application, durability, appearance and ease of repair if ever needed, nothing really beats good old Tru-oil. And there are different ways to apply it depending on the desired effect at the end that you want.


As a side note, Minwax liquid stains are compatible with the above if you want a darker effect. Also, I use Tru-oil both as a sealer and final finish, so there are no compatibility issues. Same finish from beginning to end. Makes things much more simple that way.

So, just depends on what you want in the end and how much work you want to put into it.

[waksupi]

shawnba67:

I have been making, fitting and finishing gun stocks for 50 yrs and have tried about every finish and method that there is to include epoxy. But like another poster has said, for ease of application, durability, appearance and ease of repair if ever needed, nothing really beats good old Tru-oil. And there are different ways to apply it depending on the desired effect at the end that you want.


As a side note, Minwax liquid stains are compatible with the above if you want a darker effect. Also, I use Tru-oil both as a sealer and final finish, so there are no compatibility issues. Same finish from beginning to end. Makes things much more simple that way.

So, just depends on what you want in the end and how much work you want to put into it.

Yep. Truoil is about the easiest to keep touched up.

[oldred]

Are you refering to automotive type clear coat? I work at a dodge dealership and can make that happen!

Tried that, it don't work! Since I wanted a glossy finish and hated the looooong dry times of wood finishes and had lots of automotive clear that use I use almost daily I thought I would give it a try but the dang stuff just won't stick for very long. It looked great at first but it wasn't long before it started coming off and what was left eventually took on a kind of milky appearance but regardless it didn't take long for that nice shinny finish to start look like K-rap!

Since it obviously wasn't penetrating the wood I thought maybe thinning it might help but that too failed, the best results I got (or rather the least bad!) was with Nason 497 thinned with Urethane thinner and while that didn't peel as bad it still had that odd slightly milky hue to it after a short time. I tried several clears from the cheaper Nason clear to top of the line DuPont and PPG clears, the stuff unfortunately just don't like wood.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Many years back I was talking with an old gunsmith about doing an oil finish on a rifle stock. He summed it up quite simply. Rub on a warmed linseed oil once a day for a week. Do that once a week for a month. Do the procedure once a month for a year. Do the process once a year for the rest of your life!Robert

[Wayne Smith]

Many years back I was talking with an old gunsmith about doing an oil finish on a rifle stock. He summed it up quite simply. Rub on a warmed linseed oil once a day for a week. Do that once a week for a month. Do the procedure once a month for a year. Do the process once a year for the rest of your life!Robert
That has always been the procedure for BLO - furniture or gunstock. The stuff never polmerizes.

[bubba.50]

Tru-oil has always worked great for me also. and is easy to touch-up. but here lately I've been usin' a lot of Watco Danish Oil finish. comes in several colors and touch-up is easy as just wipin' on & off another light coat. same thing for maintenance of the finish.

[quack1]

I'm with Flounderman and Gnoahhh- can't beat helmsman spar urethane. Waterproof, easy to use, and can be left shiny or rubbed out to semi-gloss or even completely dull. It is kind of hard to sand off between coats, as it quickly clogs the paper, but, you can use cabinet scrapers to scrape off the finish between coats. Much easier and faster.

[jcwit]

Tru-Oil and Min-Wax Antique Oil Finish are much the same. It's applied the same, cures the same, and is easily repaired the same.

Downside? Non that I know of.

Pro's? Much, much less expensive.

[M-Tecs]

Down side is neither are very tough or waterproof compared to epoxy/poly.

[gnoahhh]

I sand everything between coats with 3M Gold 320x- Epifanes, Captain's, Minwax Spar Urethane, etc.- no undo clogging.

I will be the first to admit that oil finishes provide a warm pleasing finish to walnut. But for on a gun that will see time in the field, I want something on it that will provide better protection. A gun that lives in the safe or maybe goes on a trip to the range now and then, fine. Otherwise give me a barrier finish.

As for the comment that BLO doesn't polymerize, it most certainly will. Perhaps raw linseed oil was confused with it.

As for those oldtimers who preached "a coat a day for the first week, a coat a week, blah blah" they were happy with stocks that turned out dark as night and possessed zero protection against water fenestration.

Some say that straight oil finishes were good enough for the Army and commercial manufacturers so they're good enough for me. What they forget is that the Arsenals and gun companies used oil finishes because they are quick and cheap, not because they are the very best available. If I put a bazillion hours of labor into a stock job made from an expensive piece of wood, I'm not gonna go cheap at the end and cap it all off with an oil finish. Makes no sense to me.

[targetfreak]

"Minwax Wipe-On Poly" is BOTH the easiest and MOST DURABLE finish available. That, and the fact that it's available at Lowe's and Home Depot makes it the de-facto best one can use on a gunstock. I have 15 years of experience using it as a furniture maker, and nobody ever had any complaints about it, only praise. It is almost sinfully easy to apply. Everything else is decades behind the times.

[Maven]

Just refinished my kitchen table with Minwax Wipe On Poly. It is indeed durable, but I think I would apply it by hand, skipping the cloth, on a gunstock.

[unclemikeinct]

I use a 50 50 blend of Tru-Oil & Formbies gloss tung oil varnish...Gives me plenty of open [working time] & after 3 coats Buff out after each coat..last job to apply Butchers paste wax...Easy & fairly durable..I use that mixture on Knife handles...Mike in Ct...Oh & that blend is fully compatible w Min-Wax Stain..Same deal 24 hour wait..Buff w clean lint free rag between coats..Every now & then I get a sticky spot...I rub in fine saw dust to remove the tackiness..Wait another 24 hours..Rub w clean dry lint free cloth..Fool Proof...