Is it necessary to seal your stock before finishing with Tru-oil?

Someone recommended sealing with 50/50 mix Spar Varnish and naptha or benzene.

Will any of this stuff damage plastic spacers or recoil pads?

Thanks.

Buffalobwana,

It has been my experience as a professional cabinetmaker and recent gun tinkerer that it is best to lightly seal the wood before using Tru Oil.

I would recommend going to a nice hardware store or if you live in a large enough town you will probably find a specialty woodworking store that will carry different types of wood sealers. It has been my experience that an alchol based product stands up best to the outdoor elements, affects the color of the wood least, and is least harmful to things like spacers and recoil pads and other plastics.

Sparingly is the key word here, and then some light sanding with 0000 steel wool and a good cleansing with a tack cloth and you will be ready to oil.

The sealer will fill any large pores in the wood and give you that extra smooth finish look.

Hope this helps.

Dan

True Oil is chuck full of sealer and you can buy True Oil sealer seperate from the same place you buy true oil.....You may use the sealer a couple of times then sand to the wood and continue as below..this isn't really necessary but will speed up the whole finishing process a litte....

The secret is in the application...thin the true oil 50% with Mineral Spirits and slop on the first coat repeatedly until it will not take any more, it will be shiney all over when dry, with no dead spots, if not shiney then apply some more until it is....Let this cure for 30 to 45 days (critical)...then wet sand as per directions until all pores are sealed with a combination of the stocks sawdust and True Oil mix...Go 360, 400, 500, and 600 grit in the wet sanding process...Let cure again for a couple of weeks and polish with Rottenstone and oil, for an egg shell satin finish...

Dan & Ray, thanks.

Ray and I use much the same formula for stock finishing.

Anything alcohol based is either lacquer or shellac and both are in NO way weatherproof.

I use Spar varnish and mineral spirits and Watco Marine sealer in equal parts to seal the wood just as Ray decribes and use the same for the wet sanding coats.

LET IT DRY 30 days

You have a better chance at a weatherproof and stable finish if the outer 1/8 inch of stock is impregnated with a weatherpoof resin. Spar varnish and Watco Marine is that......so are many of the poly-urethanes, but certainly not all are.

[ 07-07-2002, 02:23: Message edited by: JBelk ]