Finishing a Walnut Stock

[jjamna]

I am finishing a walnut stock with boiled linseed oil. It is really looking good. I have been oiling once a day for 2 weeks now. It really looks good when the oil is still wet, nice and shiny. Can I get a shine with an oil finish?
What would happen if you waxed it with paste wax??
All I have ever used is Laquer or Tru oil in the past.

[danski26]

I have never used Linseed oil. I use Tung oil. I start to go from flat to satin finish in about 15 applications. Around 30 applications i go from satin to gloss. I dilute my application 1 part tung oil 3 parts spirits, hand rub and wipe off excess.

[Ivantherussian03]

At some point the stock will stop absorbing the oil, then u have a sticky mess. I finished mine that way, then used paste wax to cover it and buff out. I thought the whole purpose of the oil finish was enhance the beauty of the wood and remove the shine, but I am a novice on most things.

[Bret4207]

Rub it in with your bare hand, don't just glop it on. I've never gotten more than a satin finish with linseed, or Lin-Speed in my case. Wax after it really dries might do it.

[jjamna]

I am happy with the shine it has. It does look really good after applying the oil, but sometimes to much shine is not good. I was just checking to see if there was more I needed to do. I guess the oil will seal the wood from moisture, seems as though a coating of something over it would seal it better.

[KCSO]

True boiled (with dryers added) linseed oil is really a poor stock finish. It need to be applied in small doses and needs at least a week or more to dry between coats or it will build up and stay sticky. Linseed oil is NOT waterproof and in fact is added to oil base paint to let moisture through. Linseed oil dos give a satin finish that can be renewed at any time simply by adding another coat. A much better stock finish is french oil, a mixture of turpentine, linseed oil and shellac. The modern equivilent is Tru Oil. If you finish a gun with only linseed oil be sure to finish inside and out or the stock will tend to crawl with humidity changes. To apply linseed oil put a few drops in your hand and rub it inot the gun stock til you can's stand to rub any more and then put it up fow a week. If the stock feels dry do it again, and again, and again. You need to build up the finish in very small doses.

[leftiye]

Second what KCSO said. Watch a few coats dry and you'll learn how long it takes to dry a coat. I've had to set stocks in the sun outside (when it's warm enough to do so) to dry up the oil. This will also make any oil that is in the wood but not dry "bleed out" of the pores in the wood. You'll need to check it often, and rub out these seepings of oil or they will dry as lumps on your surface. Linseed oil makes a "satin finish" that is too shiny for my likes. Maybe if you put enough of a build up on to abrade to a dull finish with rubbing compound, otherwise shiny is the situation (it is too soft to resist rubbung to a polish). At least until the finished stock has set and dried for a year! Good luck!

[waksupi]

Unfortunately, with a wood stock, there is no finish that will make the wood impervious to water. Even the glossy Weatherby stuff lets moisture pass through. You may have better luck, to wash down the linseed oil with some Coleman fuel, and continue on with Watco oil finish, as it will give a nice satin sheen. Still involves many coats, however.

[cobbmtmac]

:-D I am about to purchase and expierment with a product called "Waterlox". I had looked up Gun Stock Finishing and Refinishing on the Net and like usual, got almost to much information. I have used Tru-Oil for years, with very good success. I have also used Linseed and Tung Oils. The stock I am about to finish, I would like more of a satin look rather than the gloss look. Waterlox comes in either satin or gloss.

Many Kodo's for this "Waterlox" product, claiming it does lock the moisture out. They say it is easier to apply than most. They say it is a "tung oil/phenic resin mix that give the traditional oil look with superb water resistance. One guy listed "How to apply waterlox to a gunstock" which I printed out.

If anyone has used this procuct, I would appreciate any pros and cons you may want to pass on. :coffee:

[KCSO]

When I build a muzzleloader the final coat is straight bee's wax inside and out and in the barrel channel and under the butt I heap it on and then put on the butt and barrel hot. This seals the areas that soak up the most moisture. I do this as I have had to fish a long rifle out of the river a time or two. Normally a 10-15 minute immersion in the river won't affect a stock so treated and you can dry it out and go to hunting. As Waksupi said NO finish is 100% waterproof as if it was it would crack off like oil paint on an old building. You have to pass some vapor but a coat of beeswax rubbed in before a wet weather hunt will really help.

[longbow]

I have used boiled linseed oil on bows of yew and black locust with very good success. I have also used the polymerized linseed based gunstock oils on bows and gunstocks. My bows have been shot in 100+ degree heat, down to 5 degree cold and with rainstorms and sleet in between.

While it may not be 100% waterproof, water beads up and runs off. I have even used my bow to retrieve arrows out of a pond at a shoot, so it was submerged several times ~ no damage, no problems, discolouration or whatever.

The linseed comes up to a satin finish with lots of coats and rubbing. The polymerized linseed gunstock finishes come up to a pretty good gloss, not like a plastic finish but pretty good.

I generally put a coat of paste wax on now and again and I mean real infrequent ~ maybe years in between.

I think if you have the linseed applied and up to a satin finish but want better coating and/or shine you might try some Birchwood Casey or G96 gunstock oil as a final coat. Maybe try a small patch first to make sure it doesn't affect the finish you have got now.

If you are happy with what you have now just wax it with Johnson's Paste wax or some other good paste wax.

If you don't like the results or have problems later you can soak it off and use something else. I think it will do just fine.

Longbow

[MtGun44]

+1 with Waksupi on rinse surface with coleman fuel (naptha) and go to Watco.
This is a fantastic material and leaves a beautiful, yet easily repairable finish. IMHO
far better than any other 'oil finish' that I have ever seen.

Find Watco Danish Oil and give it a try. You will not be sorry.

Bill

[nicholst55]

I just looked up Waterlox and did some reading. Sounds like some good stuff, but... they're kind of proud of the stuff! It's over $40 per quart!!

[cobbmtmac]

waksupi, nicholst55 & MtGun44,

nicholst55, first you are right about the Waterlox people being proud. Woodcrafters in my area sells it for $26.95 a Qt, but that is still very high. If I could buy this stuff in pints, I might try it .

MtGunn44 & waksupi, the Watco Danish Oil also got rave rewiews in my research. I think I am going to try it. If you have any further comment on how to use it, or to just "follow the instructions", I would appreciiate it.

THANKS,

[StrawHat]

I just redid a stock with Watco Danish Oil. For yearsd I have used Tung Oil or Linspeed but gave it a try.

I was surprised at how quickly it gave a good finish.

Just follow the directions. I applied mine over Minwax Hickory stain and like the results it gave on a maple stock.

[waksupi]

Mac, with the Watco, just follow directions to start. Once you have a base coat, start adding light coats, until you are satisfied. Rub on a coat, let sit a day, repeat. My English sporting rifle ended up with nearly 30 coats before all the grain was filled.

[bcp477]

BLO by itself will not really produce a glossy finish. However, it is easy to get what you desire. Simply apply a paste wax product over your oil finish, after it is thoroughly cured. You really should do this anyway, over most any oil finish, as additional protection. A BLO finish is not waterproof (Tung oil is better in this regard, but not fully waterproof, either). So, if I were you, I'd apply a good paste wax. I use a product called Minwax Finishing Wax, thinned about 1 to 3 with turpentine (1 part turp to 3 parts wax). The Minwax product is available at almost any home center, is not expensive, and thinned with turpentine will produce a nice hard, glossy, water-resistant finish, with very little effort. It is also ridiculously easy to maintain - just periodically apply a new coat of the wax.

[MtGun44]

waksupi is right on. I have only done one gunstock with Watco, but have done
other walnut projects like grips and a dulcimer with excellent results.

I have been pleased with the results of wet sanding with 3M black Wet or
Dry sandpaper (about 400 or 600 grit, IIRC) to build up "mud" of Watco
and walnut dust to fill the grain faster than with Watco alone.

In any case, like 'Karate Kid' - wax on - wax off. Wipe some on wet and
work it in, then let it dry. Repeat and wet sand as necessary. If you wind
up with 600 grit wet with Watco, you get a satin gloss finish that I find extremely
pleasing.

Please report back your results, I believe you will be pleased.

Bill

[gnoahhh]

The old adage re: finishing a stock with BLO, goes like this: Apply a coat once a day for the first week, then once a week for the first month, then once a month for the first year, then once a year for the rest of your life.

I use a homebrew consisting of equal parts pure tung oil/high quality spar varnish (I use Epifanes)/turpentine (or mineral spirits if you don't like the smell). Apply like most of the advise above. I fill the pores with straight spar varnish, sanding each coat right back to the wood surface until all pores are filled, then proceed with the oil. When all is said and done the last thing I do is apply a coat of Butcher's Finishing wax (which probably does more for moisture-proofing a stock than the oil underneath it). More than a little labor intensive but I feel the results justify it.

[waksupi]

I suppose I should mention Hunter Satin Custom Oil, available from Brownells. I have finished over 300 rifles with this stuff, and it was used on all Serengeti rifles. It takes a lot of work, but you can get an exhibition grade finish with it. It does require sanding down between each coat for good results, and a final steel wooling with oooo. If you give this stuff a try, ask me about any extra tricks with it.

[cobbmtmac]

waksupi & MtGun44. :drinks:

This is just the kind of INFO I had hoped for, I appreciate it and will report back in a few weeks. BTW, I will purchase the Watco and related needs today.

Off the refinishing subject, (and not for refinishing) When I go to town today, I will pick up my second recently purchased Model 54 Winchester, in 30GOV'T'06, it has been shipped to my FFL holder. I had purchased the first about 8 months ago. Just love it and couldn't pass this one up. They are both all original accept the first one has been reblued. I have custom rifles among others, but these model 54's just fit and feel so great, plus the first one shoots 1"-1.25" MOA, 5-shot group @ 50 yds with Redfield receiver sight. Thats without really spending much time coming up with the right recipe. I have two sons and now when I am gone, I feel good that they will both have one. I will quit rambling, just proud about my purchase! :Fire:

Thanks again. Hey to all == Go out and VOTE!!!!

[Ricochet]

The old adage re: finishing a stock with BLO, goes like this: Apply a coat once a day for the first week, then once a week for the first month, then once a month for the first year, then once a year for the rest of your life.
That's how old military rifles (which commonly are stocked in walnut) got to looking the way they do. Their stocks were originally soaked for a day or so in BLO, or later tung oil, drained and air dried, then periodically hand rubbed with BLO whenever the sergeant felt the troops needed something to keep them busy. Makes a nice, soft shine. The key is to RUB IT OFF with your hand after rubbing it on. Don't leave a thick film, or it'll turn to a nasty, sticky gum. The amount your bare hand will leave on the surface as you try to rub it off is just right. Don't forget to promptly burn the paper towels or rags you wipe the oil off your hands with, as they're likely to spontaneously ignite if you wad them up.