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I have done 3 guns in the past 20 years, but I can't remember the details of how I did it. I'm sure if I tried it from memory I'd wind up with a hand rubbed turd. Anyone have a link or simple instructions on starting one from scratch? Getting older isn't as much fun as I thought it would be. I figured I'd just remember this shit. | ||
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Yes, forget about that and use some sort of modern finish that actually will repel water and is easier to apply, and looks the same. There are many makes of finish. I use tung oil and poly, sold by Brownells. Most of the "old time" formulas containing linseed oil and other magic ingredients, never dry, and do not repel moisture. You can rub the hell out of them and it is a waste of time. | |||
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My buddy has a Ruger 44 carbine that someone mucked with. Amateur checker halfway done on the grip and forend (should have taken pics of the before). He had a can of Linspeed so I just sanded off the checkering (and all that god awful red stain) and used a few coats of the Linspeed. | |||
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Well for what its worth I use Tung oil thinned and Jap dryer added. Lots of very thin coats until I get the finish I want. 24 hours between coats. Never rode a bull, but have shot some. NRA life member NRA LEO firearms instructor (retired) NRA Golden Eagles member | |||
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I have a Winchester super grade that has fiddleback up one side and on about 30% of the other. The factory finish is ok, but you can see the pours. The wood is clearly exceptional. The ones I have done in the past have been factory finished that I could see had a real nice piece of wood under it. A (probably original) 1933 Husqvarna that is just gorgeous and a CZ Safari that looked like someone just painted it brown. Turned out the Turkish Walnut underneath was very nice. So, this finish job isn’t bad, but the potential to be exceptional seems to exist. I don’t mind the work. I have used Tru-Oil before and one other homemade concoction that was given to me. I could strip it and start from scratch. Or is it possible to improve on an existing finish? | |||
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If you are going to do a true hand-rubbed oil finish…you will have to strip and start from scratch. PM me your email Wendell and I will send you a good step-by-step instructions. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Lane Easter, DVM A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991. | |||
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Thanks Lane. PM sent | |||
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I have used Diggory Hadeokes formula from Vintage Guns. Takes time as waiting a few days between coats, but end result is very pleasing. I have cut back the finish a few times using a mix of linseed oil and turpentine and 2000 and finally 2500 grit wet and dry. Also very useful for bringing back an existing finish. Use a little real turps on a cloth to cut through the old grime / oil, and then use the original finish as a base for a new one. https://www.vintageguns.co.uk/...-for-stock-finishing | |||
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This | |||
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I've had really good results using the method recommended by Duane Wiebe, Daly's Seafin Teak Oil and Rottenstone, his website used to have the details. I've also had good results using TimberLuxe. | |||
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Teak oil, which is just a trade name and has nothing to do with Teak trees, is an example of a modern blend of oils, varnish, dryers, UV protectants, and petroleum distillates. It is deliberately made thin so as to soak into the pores. Is that necessary? You decide. | |||
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T he real advantage of a non built up finish is the easy maintenance. A thin coat applied after each hunting season...Apply, let set up a bit and wipe off across grain with a paper towel. Sweep out the checkering with an old tooth brush. Just gets prettier and prettier. Any of the "blends " work well, I like Sea Fin teak oil | |||
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I've gone to making my own blended finishes, not for cost savings but to get control of the product. As dpcd said, modern finishes, although sold as "oil" are a blend. The blend typically is polyurethane, linseed oil, stains, and thinner. The more they push it as "oil", the more thinner it has in it. I mix roughly 60% polyurethane with boiled linseed oil, and then add jap dryer to it to speed up the polymerization of the linseed oil. Then, cut it back to the thickness I want using true turpentine. I like the smell better than paint thinner. Sometimes I add stains, you can thin with Watco "danish oil" finish instead of turpentine to get the color you want. In use, I use it full thickness for the first penetration coat. Wipe it on generously, let it penetrate as much as possible, and then wipe off the excess from the surface. Let dry thoroughly, this takes several days in warm weather. Then, I start adding surface coats to fill the pores. I cut 320 wet dry paper into 1" squares, put a half teaspoon of finish in some kind of small dish/bowl (bottom of pop can) and thin it with turpentine. Wipe on with the 320 wet dry, sanding down the dried old finish with the new wet finish. Just a thin coat, and let it dry a day. Repeat until you have the pores filled satisfactorily, and then add a few surface coats. When you get the buildup to where you want it, use rottenstone to cut the shine, and to even out the wiping marks to give that "hand rubbed oil finish" look. Or, you can spray the whole thing down with pore sealer or polyurethane, let dry, and sand off to smooth surface. Then, add a few coats of the wipe on poly mixture with sandpaper as above, and rottenstone it as before. I personally like the multiple coat wipe on finish to fill the pores, I haven't been able to get the same look/effect with the pre-filled polyurethane pores. But, both finish work. | |||
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I also use 320 paper to wet sand it and then use that slurry to fill pores. It is a lot quicker than it sounds. | |||
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The key to doing a BLO finish is Japan Drier. Without that, the linseed oil never really cures. And cutting it with some kind of solvent makes it dry faster, at the expense of having to do more coats. The big advantage to this type of finish is it's really easy to fix scratches, dents, even cracks. You don't need to strip and start over. And ditto to maintain. Plus the linseed oil has a unique property of showing off the grain, giving the illusion of depth. You can add a little polyurethane if you want surface gloss, but that's a matter of taste. OK on a modern firearm but totally out of place on a vintage high grade gun. If you are going to checker the stock, then BLO finish will not dull your files like epoxy or other artificial finishes. Russ Gould - Whitworth Arms LLC BigfiveHQ.com, Large Calibers and African Safaris Doublegunhq.com, Fine English, American and German Double Rifles and Shotguns VH2Q.com, Varmint Rifles and Gear | |||
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Look for Mr Echols Waterlox based method. Posted here some time back. Very good and much quicker and more resilient than the old hand rubbed. | |||
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Waterlox is tung oil, mineral spirits, and phenolic resin. Which is a synthetic polymer. Again, it is a modern formula, light years away from the ancient methods made before chemists got involved. And much better. Also, polyurethane is not necessarily glossy; there are different flavors of it, so using it will not make your stock glossy unless you use the glossy formula. I guess the bottom line is, you might think your stock finish is some classic natural formula, but I guarantee it contains modern technology; and if it doesn't, do not take your rifle out into the rain. | |||
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Wendell, I have used most of the popular methods for a hand rubbed oil finish. This is the best oil that I have found. https://www.leevalley.com/en-c...d&numberOfResults=25 There are some tricks that I will be happy to share. PM me if you want to know. Brian IHMSA BC Provincial Champion and Perfect 40 Score, Unlimited Category, AAA Class. | |||
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I want to try the Walrus Oil. Sounds like it would be waterproof. Like it's name. | |||
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Wendell, here is a recipe for "slacum" oil that I found somewhere and have used. It works. 9.5 oz. boiled linseed oil 1.25 oz. spirits of turpentine (or terebene driers) 125 grains carnauba wax (or 50 grains beeswax and 75 grains carnauba wax) 1.25 tsp. Venice turpentine (or Canada balsam) I understand that Purdey uses this, except with raw linseed oil, and with butter of antimony mixed in as a darkener and a wee bit of plaster of paris added as a pore filler. I think they add vinegar, too. I have not used those ingredients. It's supposed to be a secret recipe, so I'm afraid I may be missing something critical, like eye of newt.  A couple of pinches of alkanet root powder mixed and steeped with turpentine and boiled linseed oil can be used as a first finish to redden the stock before application of the final finish. This slacum oil is fun to make - you can get the ingredients at any art supply store. The key is to mix and warm it in a double boiler (so it doesn't catch fire!) until it simmers, then keep it warm. Apply it very sparingly with your bare hands while it's warm, and rub in each coat with the heel of your hand until it's fully absorbed. Let it dry for at least 24 hrs. Then repeat every day or two for at least 4 weeks (Purdey says 8 weeks). The carnauba wax will precipitate out but will dissolve again once the mixture is warmed for re-use. Of course, the store-bought stuff referred to above is far less work, and will produce a fine finish. This slacum oil is to be used only by men who are so old school, they went to the school they tore down when they built the old school. Also by curmudgeons who hate everything newfangled and have a lot of time on their hands. As I say, I have used it. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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Mike, based on the high esteem I hold for you and your wife, I’m going with your method. I mean … surely you wouldn’t steer me wrong, right? … right??? | |||
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No he is a truthful; but he left out the Witches caldron and adding the eye of newt and gizzard of toad. And blood of a virgin, which is hard to fine around here. | |||
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The real stuff. Unicorn approved. I have one quart left.  | |||
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You forgot the Everclear!!!  | |||
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Jus a word on driers..Japan, Cobalt, etc...Read and fully understand the warnings on the container...While they work, not to be careless in their use. | |||
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No way would I steer you wrong, Wendell! This stuff is the real deal, 100%. But speaking of wives, you should be careful. You will definitely get some sideways looks if you do what I did and start cooking this stuff up on the kitchen stove! WoodHunter: Everclear is a drier, no doubt - it would probably improve the mix! You can even drink it. Although, as Duane says, you had better read the warnings on the label! Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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Pretty sure the Venice turpentine in the pic isn't the same as the non vet stuff as can be found here. https://woodfinishingenterpris...venetian-turpentine/ | |||
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While a lot of the newer finishes are far superior, they do not like to stick to previous coats that have sit very long. In my humidity world, which will be different for most everyone reading this, if I wait much more than a day between coats wetsanding through the grits, the finish has gone past the point of adhesion. I'd recommend reading the finish label concerning timing of coats. Using different finishes can become a problem if they don't play well together. I had a spec project that was soaked with half & half TruOil and Mineral spirits for a sealer first coat. It sat in the back of my safe for years and later I tried putting coats of Permalyn Sealer on top to fill the pores. Painting on about 2 coats a day until pores were full. The idea was to dry sand them back quickly starting with an aggressive 150 grit. The second I cut through the Permalyn layer, the rest pealed off the stock in short order. Nothing stuck to the dry TruOil. After pealing all the Permalyn, I wet sanded through the grits daily 220-600 half&half TruOil & spirits and it finished fine. It's been hanging in the shop for quite a while and it's got a steel buttplate on it. It changes dimensions very little through the seasons compared to other current super finishes. Pretty easy to notice around the toe of the buttlate. I'd recommend trying a few blocks of stock cutoffs with any latest greatest finishing recommendations. Do it right dry sanding /whiskering etc.. and apply the finish exactly as you would on a perfect stock.I do this often. I use these blocks setting my power checkering tool to LPI. | |||
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I'm curious.... A few decades ago my friend/mentor introduced me to a wipe-on/wipe-off technique. I then went on to use Pilkington's finishes, using their extensive instructions. The sanded-in/wipe-off procedures worked very well. Anyone use their products? Kevin P.S. Here's a pic of an old stock project finishing.  | |||
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sIve use the wipe on wipe off technique on a number of rifles..I works real well, thefinish must be very thin and the consistency of water, and its the slowest process of all, and probably the reason few gunmakers use it..I loved the stuff I used but it does have Tuenal (sp) in it and thats a cancer problem Im told..I don't have cancer..I like Brownnells GUN-SAV-R. Its an oil modified finish like most mentioned here..Spray on or in a can..I actually like the spray on several coats, let it sit, then wet sand and rub in the slocum cross grain, change to lighter grit with each application to about 360 for egg shell or 800 for high gloss... Problem: High gloss is more water proof, end of story..I dont care for high gloss so I use rotten stone and fine grit to cut back to an eff shell and on a hunting rifle I may try for finish that appears to be nothing more than dull wood with a glow.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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I also use the Brownells GunSaver. That, and other modern finishes, are FAR superior to all those old formulas no matter how much you rub them; they will still absorb water. You guys need to move into the 21st century. Never had a problem of it sticking to old finishes either. | |||
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Witches brew has a certain effect on some folks, 150 coats must be the best!!  Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Haven’t seen tung oil mentioned. It’s highly touted on the milsurp forums, but I have no evidence on its effectiveness. I used it on a CMP commercial stocked Garand with good results… to the eye. Not tested in the weather. Shoot Safe, Mike NRA Endowment Member | |||
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Tung oil on two. these are over 20 y/o. stock were sold.   | |||
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Gunmaker's observation about the buttplate gives pretty good testimony to the fact that wood will breathe....and must be allowed to do so My experience refinishing stocks on Weatherby warranty tells me that the left over moisture will eacpe somehow..even if it means eploding the finish right off the wood..seen this on many guns with that hard, "waterprof" finish. The modified oils seem to give the best of both worlds. . Plenty of water resistance, with enough room for climatic changes | |||
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Used some Timberlux on a Lefever last week looks good easy to use,8 coats. | |||
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