Stock finish?

[mtgrs737]

Over the winter I am planning to refinish my shotgun stock and forend. I am thinking that I would like to use a high gloss finish as that is what was on it when I bought it. I do like the satin oil finish too, but have never done that process. So what do you guys recommend? This gun has really nice figure in the wood.

[lefty o]

for me it depends entirely on the piece of wood. for a nice satin finish, many handrubbed coats of tung oil or boiled linseed oil. then you have tru-oil which with it you can go from satin all the way up to high gloss. then you get into polyurethane finishes, and spray on epoxy finishes(like brownings fancy shotguns). they all look good when properly applied, and they all have plusses and minusses. roll a dice, and pick whichever looks good to you.

[kencha]

It really depends upon what you want, and the level of quality you are wanting to achieve (Holland & Holland, or Stoeger), and level of protection from moisture.

Personally, I do not like a glossy finish on any firearm, and have a preference for a real tung oil finish.

I can appreciate the time and craftsmanship put into a perfect, flawless, mirror-like finish, and certainly don't hold it against a person if they like shiny wood, but I have no use for such a finish on a firearm.

I've tried TruOil in the past, and didn't care for its gloss, even after being rubbed down with pumice to break the shine. (I suppose I just needed coarser pumice, but didn't have any on hand, and I was afraid of going too coarse and ending up with sand scratches.) TruOil and tung oil are the extent of my wood stock refinishing experience.

[pietro]

.

Polyurethane spray = The EASY button for a shiney finish.

A shiney finish is possible with Tru-Oil, it requires much more work & many more coatings, with OOOO steel wool rubdowns between coats.

A nice satin oil finish can be achieved with Tru-Oil by rubbing in as many coats as you feel the wood needs (rubbing down with the steel wool between coats), then waxing the stock after rubbing down the last coat.


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[fouronesix]

I've tried many. Most work fine, depending on desired outcome. The most durable are some of the urethanes and epoxy types. The least durable are something like straight BLO.

One secret for best results is sanding down below any previous finish while maintaining smooth surfaces, contours, edges and lines. Usually 300-400 grit wet-dry is used for final sanding of bare wood. Then if the wood needs a stain or not? Most woods will darken with oil type finishes so judge accordingly. I usually wipe off the final raw wood surface with alcohol or acetone before the first coat of finish or stain is applied.

Many thin coats, left to completely dry between coatings, is best. Lightly rubbing with 0000 steel wool after drying and between coats helps maintain a smooth, even surface that will bond with subsequent coats of finish. Oil based finishes like Tru Oil can be thinned with Naptha for deeper initial wood penetration and more control of surface. Very thin oil based finishes like Dem-Bart penetrate extremely well and multiple thin coats result in a very nice finish. Dem-Bart requires speed of application because of the aromatics included. Thinned Tru-Oil can be rubbed a short bit before letting sit. Any final finish that ends up too glossy can be knocked down with a rubbing compound to desired surface and appearance.

[mtgrs737]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I like the idea of being able to touch up an oil finish and I like the satin sheen that brings out the grain in the wood. However I may opt for the easy button and just use the urethane. I have no experience with the epoxies so I would not want to risk using them.

Now which urethane(s) do you guys use?

[OptimusPanda]

A couple years ago I purchased an ironwood stock set for a mak90. After fitting and sanding I used tru-oil from birchwood casey for the finish. Pour a small amount on a rag and wipe the wood down. Let it sit a day and lightly rub the stock with 0000 steel wool. Repeat until happy. I think it took 7 coats for the mak90. It leaves a satin finish but it sure looks good.

[Ben]

Over the winter I am planning to refinish my shotgun stock and forend. I am thinking that I would like to use a high gloss finish as that is what was on it when I bought it. I do like the satin oil finish too, but have never done that process. So what do you guys recommend? This gun has really nice figure in the wood.

PM sent to you.

Ben

[Petrol & Powder]

I've tried many. Most work fine, depending on desired outcome. The most durable are some of the urethanes and epoxy types. The least durable are something like straight BLO.

One secret for best results is sanding down below any previous finish while maintaining smooth surfaces, contours, edges and lines. Usually 300-400 grit wet-dry is used for final sanding of bare wood. Then if the wood needs a stain or not? Most woods will darken with oil type finishes so judge accordingly. I usually wipe off the final raw wood surface with alcohol or acetone before the first coat of finish or stain is applied.

Many thin coats, left to completely dry between coatings, is best. Lightly rubbing with 0000 steel wool after drying and between coats helps maintain a smooth, even surface that will bond with subsequent coats of finish. Oil based finishes like Tru Oil can be thinned with Naptha for deeper initial wood penetration and more control of surface. Very thin oil based finishes like Dem-Bart penetrate extremely well and multiple thin coats result in a very nice finish. Dem-Bart requires speed of application because of the aromatics included. Thinned Tru-Oil can be rubbed a short bit before letting sit. Any final finish that ends up too glossy can be knocked down with a rubbing compound to desired surface and appearance.

/\ Good Post !

[Petrol & Powder]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I like the idea of being able to touch up an oil finish and I like the satin sheen that brings out the grain in the wood. However I may opt for the easy button and just use the urethane. I have no experience with the epoxies so I would not want to risk using them.

Now which urethane(s) do you guys use?

Before you go with a urethane finish please research an oil finish. The fact that you want to do this work yourself and plan to do it over the winter, suggests that you don't mind taking the time to do an oil finish correctly.
A Urethane finish is fine if that's what you want but it's nothing more than a thin layer of plastic over the wood. With a urethane finish you need to get the stain the way you want it and then overcoat it with the urethane. With an oil finish the color is a bit deeper and the final product doesn't look as artificial.
It's your choice but don't exclude the oil finish just because it seems like more work. It takes longer but the steps needed with an oil finish to achieve good results are actually easier.

[johnson1942]

did you read the sticky above on finishing a gun stock. if you want a shiny finish use the very best car clear enamel you can get at a quality automotive supply. however you need to prep the wood first to bring out the very best in it. the sticky will tell you how. also buy a bottle of HUTS plastic polish, that can be the last rub you use to rub it out. it will make it so clear that the wood will look 3D. another final rub is the 3F rub brownells sells. HUTS and 3F are close with 3F haveing the slight edge. you can use these rubs on a oil finish also.

[DeanWinchester]

PM sent to you.

Ben

Whatever he PM's you...take the advice and run with it. If anyone here knows how to make a nice stock it's Ben.

[dubber123]

Ben knows his stuff, and you won't go wrong dealing with him. Myself, I LOVE Minwax spray polyurethane. Available in gloss, or satin. (My favorite), and it is Soooo easy. Give it a coat, lightly sand, and repeat. 2 coats a day are easy to do, and you will likely be happy well before you get to coat #4. It also won't give you blotchy spots if you get it damp like Tru-oil did to me. A run is easily corrected, (if it doesn't flatten out all on it's own). I love the stuff. Cheap, durable, and easy.

[GhostHawk]

Another vote for true oil.

Its simple to do, just don't try to put on a lot. Think rubbing in with fingers more than applying a coat with brush.

For my old Sheridan Blue streak that the finish was stringing off of, 2 layers, hey the color is coming through. 3 layers, I think I like this. 4 layers, ok, that is good enough for this old gun for now. Maybe another layer next year.

People see it and go "WOW, that old girl is looking GOOD!"

[gnoahhh]

Oil finishes look good, but aren't worth a tinker's dam when it comes to water fenestration. I don't use stuff like that except on safe queens that will never see rugged hunting use. I'm a devotee of good barrier finishes. 10 coats of spar varnish, blocked out between coats with 320x, and then rubbed out with rottenstone (or extremely fine 3M pads- never ever never with 0000 steel wool), then finally a good paste waxing to restore a luster but not a glossy shine.

A) Properly blocked out between coats, a 10 coat layer of varnish will end up a lot thinner than you think. Correctly done, and waxed afterwards, it will look like a fine oil finish to those uninformed people who view it.
B) Such a finish will actually provide a barrier to water vapor, unlike "oil" finishes.
C) If you must use an "oil" finish, don't dilute in the mistaken belief that it will penetrate the wood better. The only thing that'll penetrate farther will be the solvent.
D) Definitely plan to wax well after completing an oil finish- it's the only thing providing any real protection.
E) Small particles of steel wool can break off and get embedded in the finish, resulting in really cool little brown speckles from when they eventually rust. Not guaranteed to happen, but why take the chance?
F) Use glossy varnish, and rub out to achieve the luster (or lack thereof) you wish to accomplish. Glossy possesses better UV protection than lesser matte finishes (which is a major killer of any finish), and won't muddy the figure of the grain underneath the finish as much also.

Don't believe me on any of this? Prepare a test board with different finishes/techniques and set it outside in the weather for a while and see which held up the best.

[lefty o]

thank god, someone else doesnt like steel wool. ewwww i hate that crappppppp. i may be fussy, but i can always find those shiny little slivers imbedded into the wood of a stock that it has been used on.

[fouronesix]

Aren't most or all varnishes oil based? There is a difference between a basic oil like BLO or pure tung and something like True Oil or Linspeed (in reality True Oil and Linspeed are types of varnishes!).

The secret to using steel wool to knock off the surface between coats is knowing how to use it. IMO, steel wool between coats used correctly does a superior job to any sandpaper… unless there aren't any multiple thin coats to deal with as in one or two thick applications of a varnish, lacquer or urethane.

The most durable finishes are some of the modern urethanes and epoxies. The least durable are some of the oil ONLY type finishes like BLO. Most of the varnishes and lacquers fall somewhere in between. In my experience even a top of the line varnish like spar is somewhat fragile and not very weather resistant.

The fastest and easiest, if you want fast and easy, is clear lacquer in a spray can which also means no personal equity in the project.

[waksupi]

The only time I have seen problems with rubbing out using steel wool, is if a person didn't let the finish cure all the way before using.

[leftiye]

[The secret to using steel wool to knock off the surface between coats is knowing how to use it. IMO, steel wool between coats used correctly does a superior job to any sandpaper… unless there aren't any multiple thin coats to deal with as in one or two thick applications of a varnish, lacquer or urethane. Fouronesix]

Not necessarily. Wet sand with four hundred grit to remove "paint brush lines" - just kidding, but it does level a surface. Follow with rubbing compound. Steel wool doesn't work on gummy surfaces as Waksupi said. I got some bad BLO last winter from the hardware store last winter which wouldn't cure. Buy your BLO from Brownell's.

BTW he used to finish stocks for (I believe) Serengeti Rifles. He knows how to do presentation grade finishes. See his sticky on: Joni Lynn's Mauser

[fecmech]

I don't claim to be an expert but for a hi gloss finish on a number of O/U's that I've done I used 600 wet/dry, used wet between coats of Gunsaver Pro Custom. Finished with 1500 wet dry used wet and polished with auto clear coat polishing compound.