I just finished the below stock and forend for my Marlin. It took me about 13 coats of true-oil before I was satisfied. The final finish looks great but it is a little shiny for my liking. I tried buffing with #0000 steel wool but it leaves little uneven scratch marks. The buttstock is the glossy true-oil finish, while the forend has been buffed with the steel wool. I like the way the forend looks but when you look closely you can see the scratches from the steel wool. Any suggestions on how to knock the shine off without the scratches?

I use Birchwood Casey Stock Sheen. I think it will give you the results you're looking for.

Efryman,
I use lindseed oil and rottenstone applied with a small piece of "hard felt". Dip the felt in the oil and then into the rottenstone and work the surface in small circles. Clean it off with a clean cotton rag. Be careful taking it off, use some more lindseed oil to remove it and then wipe clean. You can get the hard felt and the rottenstone from Brownells or most paint stores.

I agree with the rottenstone/oil as a final treatment and would offer the following tips. It takes some experience and feel with the felt and I would start off with your fingers to get the feel of its 'cut'. For the best results make SURE the finish is really cured before any final polishing. I will sometimes wait 1-2 months before knocking off the final shine from a finish. If you don't think it is still curing hold it up to your nose. Once you get the sheen you want a coat of Birchwood C's stock wax or a good auto otive wax ( Meguires) will really bring it out.....again make sure it is cured.

efryman-

You have done a beautiful job. The rottenstone will work wonders.

Thanks for the tips guys. I will try the rottenstone, I have heard about it but wasn't really sure on how to use it. Sshould I do the rottenstone/linseed oil treatment now and then let it cure, or do I let the true-oil cure and then do the rottenstone/oil.

Make sure the Tru-oil is cured before you use the rottenstone. Like others have stated waiting longer is better.

Chic,
I have been using the same box of rottenstone for 30 years and finally ran out...None in the hardware stores!! they didn't even know what I was talking about!!!, finally had to call Brownells to get some..

The stuff is a thing of the past, at least in Idaho. they told me it was not manufactured anymore!!

Ray that wouldn't surprise me. I used up a can of it and bought my last from Brownells a few years ago. I have used 4F pumice stone also instead of rottenstone. I believe some of the better mail order woodworking stores like Wood Craft still carry it.

I would not do a whole stock with my fingers as suggested and I may have not understood what Ultra was suggesting. I have tried thin pieces of cotton before and you can actually see where your fingers were pressing on the cloth. An alternative to a felt pad is a cloth ball as those used in a French Polish finish. You wad up a lint free peice of cotton so it forms a ball and dip that into the oil and the polishing media. The idea of the felt of the ball is to distribute the load so it is spread out and therefore you get a more uniform finish.

For the other idiots who, like me, don't know what rottenstone is:

Rottenstone

A fine powder abrasive made by crushing decomposed limestone. Rottenstone and oil are used as a fine finishing polish.

Rottenstone is ordinarily used in hand polishing operations. Rottenstone is softer than pumice and the particle size breaks down easily under use. Thus, Rottenstone is used to achieve smooth, final finishes. This material is not designed to achieve mirror finishes. Rottenstone is also used on lacquer or varnish coatings (often with linseed oil and a fine felt pad) to achieve a fine, soft finish.

Regards,

Terry

[ 12-20-2002, 01:18: Message edited by: T.Carr ]

what I meant by starting with your fingers is to get the feel of the cut. You have a lot of effort into that finish already and don't think rottenstone is so fine that you can't screw it up....espicially with too much effort on felt. Whatever oil you use is just a carrier/suspender for the abrasive, it is not a topcoat as to your drying question. I actually use lemon oil with mine. You won't be battling any driers while you are working with the amount of cut. Check it frequently by wiping off your abrasive mixture with a VERY soft rag (like old cotton undies or shirts, no nylon thread though)and mineral spirits. If I were you I would find something else to practice on before launching in to the pictured stock. I can't count the number of times I have had to redo a finish after trying something new toward the last.....but that is how you learn.

Again, thanks for all the information. Ordered some rottenstone from Brownells, so all I need to do now if wait a month or two. Oh, and then of course it is time to cut the checkering. This is my first time working on a nice piece of wood like this.