I'm at the tail end of a stock refinishing project and need a little guidance. I have the grain filled, everything sanded smooth and the finish is built up enough to suit my taste. Now how do I produce that final satin, hand-rubbed look? Could I get decent results with 500-600 grit paper and wet-sanding and wiping free? Or should I wait for my order from Brownell's to arrive which includes felt pads and triple fine rottenstone? If I should wait, how should I use the items mentioned above? Thanks for any help.

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Shoot straight, shoot often.
Matt

Oh, and I'm using Chem-Pak Pro Custom Oil finish (which I REALLY like up to this point)

[This message has been edited by matt salm (edited 03-21-2002).]

I'm going to be refinishing the stock on my CZ 550 American in an oil finish as well and want the satin look. Thanks for posting this question and if you could, tell me a little more about the product you have used todate. Thanks ... Tom Purdom

Wait until you get the rottenstone!!

I take a 4"x4" piece of tight woven cloth like from an old dress shirt. Put about a teaspoon of rottenstone in the middle, add a little finish to make a thick paste, twist the corners up making a tiny hobo sack and polish your heart out. The ball is easyier on the corners, but it takes a little longer than felt. Has worked great for me.

Matt, I've been using Brownells "original" stock rubbing compound for years, it's great, really blends the high's and low's to make for a nice finish. Also try their triple "F", and five "F" compound for a really great finish. Be real careful on the corners and edges, compound can take the oil off real quick, so go very easy on the edges and corners. jjdero

For years I have been cutting the sheen off of finishes like True oil and Lenspeed with #0004 steel wood and a cutting agent such as lenseed (not Linspeed) oil. Us a light circular motion, it will not leave scratches.
Just don't rub too hard.
This is only after the last coat, the wool could leave fibers if the pores arn't completely filled. Add another coat and you will have a whiskered feeling stock.

Tom,
The product I have been using is Chem-Pak's Pro Custom Oil gunstock finish. It is a Tung oil modified with drying agents (Urethane). If you search the accurate loading forum (gunsmithing) for stock refinishing you will find a few good threads on the variety of finishes. Many of the pros swear by the new modified oils.

My process so far has been very satisfactory and is as follows.

First you must strip your stock to bare wood by sanding or stripper, and then comes the following (make sure you tape off the checkering):

1. douse your stock with finish allowing it to soak up as much as possible and set aside for a couple days to a week (some say a month).

2. with 300 or 400 grit paper, dab on some finish and wet sand a small area until smooth, then move onto another spot. A muddy slurry will be produced--don't wipe it off as you want this left on to fill in grain. After going over the entire stock, set aside for another couple days until finish is completely cured.

3. Now repeat step 2, only when you are done sanding in that small area wipe clean with a lint-free cloth. Observe the finish and if there are uneven areas wet sand a little more. The idea is to clean up the surface without going down to bare wood. After you do the entire stock, the grain should be filled in and you're ready to build up the finish after letting dry again.

4. put one or two drops of finish on the stock and rub on with fingers eventually coating the entire stock. smooth out and let dry.

5. Repeat step 4 until you are satisfied with the depth of finish, you can wet sand a bit in between to knock off small fuzz and burs if you want or even sand dry with fine paper-but it will load up very fast.

6. When you have reached the depth desired and stock is dry, then you use the rottenstone and oil to rub out stock to the final results wanted such as a satin finish, etc...


You can wet sand that final time a bit and then apply a spray-on if you want a gloss, but some use 5F finish (extremely fine) to buff to a gloss.

Chem-Pak sells two different aerosols that will leave a gloss or a satin finish. The standard finish that I am using is their Hand-Rubbing Finish that comes in a can. It is quite thin and seems to soak into the wood to seal the pores very well.

The entire process of steps 1&2 seems to get the grain filled in much quicker than traditional methods of rubbing in finish and sanding repeat-repeat-repeat. Before I found this method mentioned in a book (Professional Gunstocking by David Westbrook) it would take me up to 6 or 7 applications to do what I can now accomplish in two. It's really slick.


I realize this is more info than you requested and if you knew it already forgive me, but I feel this method is just great.

Good luck with your refinishing!

I sent this in email to Tom, but figured it could draw a response here--pros/cons anyone?

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Shoot straight, shoot often.
Matt

[This message has been edited by matt salm (edited 03-22-2002).]

If you wet sand with 400, 600 and up you will be inducing a high gloss finish..

There are a number of ways to cut the finish back and rottenstone is the best mixed to a paste with Linseed oil. I use Pilkintons Red Linseed oil..

You can use a Maroon scotch Pad (med.) with finish with one of the auto body fine grit polishing compounds..

I would never use 0000 steel wool on any wood as it will imbed small particles of steel slivers into the finish and wood and in time they will rust and wreck havok in the finish..You can see these slivers under a magnifying glass in bright sunlight. It is a widely practiced menthod however. just my opinnion.

I would wait until the rottenstone came in myself and remember the finish should cure for a week or two before this last step takes place.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com