Does a hand rubbed final finish produce a better result than other methods of oil finishing?

Some say to use the bare index finger. Square inch by square inch and coat after coat, up to ten or twelve coats.

Others say use a lint free cotton cloth on the index finger, but the same painstaking approach.

Others recommend just slopping it on, more or less, then letting it set a while, then wiping it off with a non-absorbent paper towel just after it starts to gum up. These folks generally recommend fewer coats, too. Maybe only a few or up to five or six, max.

I'm sure I'm leaving many methods off the list. But the last approach above obviously appeals to me!

But I wonder if the hand rubbed approach is really better?

"Better" is in the eye of the beholder.

Better than what?

What you have here is a clear case of: There's more than one way to skin a cat.

In the end, it's how you finish the finish. For me, I use parafin oil and rotten stone to finsh. How the oil got on there dosen't seem to make a difference.

My experience is one English walnut stock worth. I found that cloth and brush did not give the same finish before each sanding. I diluted the Tru-oil with stove fuel (white spirit) and hand rubbing a teaspoon at a time gave the best results. it was quick to dry overnight and sanding still left a good base to add the next coat. Here is what my stock looked like after about 20 coats.

My brother used tru-oil on one of his guns and I think he put it a little thicker than rubbed in and then wet-sanded with very fine paper to make a slurry and then re-coated. I'll see if I can get what he did the gun looks great.

I believe the best finish is in the wood rather than on the wood and I have changed how I finish my stocks to reflect this.
For a start I cut the straight Tung oil 50/50 with vegetable turp and with plenty in the palm of my hand I rub it into the stock and do this evry 15min for 7 coats. Then wipe hard with an old tee shirt and continue on with straight Tung oil and wiping off when it starts to 'gum' for another 7 coats. Then I let it sit for a couple of days and use a mix of Tung oil with a little bees wax melted into it and with a cloth wipe the hot oil/wax on and leave for 24 hours and again rub in/wipe off with cloth. I repeat this on a daily basis for a week and call it good. I like the subtlety of the low gloss finish much more than the layered on look of some finish aplications.

Von Gruff.

VG - I'm always interested in another oiled stock method and yours is interesting. You are saying straight Tung oil. As in raw Tung oil? I use this for things, but as raw it really never dries unless I add Japan drier. Is it the turp that is making it dry? As far as plain oils, Tung is my favorite for looks.

I've used more than a few finishes over the years. On the last stock I finished I used Formsby's low gloss tung oil. Final rub out with rottenstone.

Pics here:

http://forums.accuratereloadin...1019521/m/3971063651

Let us see some photos guys!

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
My brother used tru-oil on one of his guns and I think he put it a little thicker than rubbed in and then wet-sanded with very fine paper to make a slurry and then re-coated. I'll see if I can get what he did the gun looks great.

Actually two there little brother...

THE trick is to wet sand with 400 or 600 once you've got the original finish off. I take the sandpaper and put double sided tape on the back of it, then cut it into about 1 1/2" squares. You gotta wear latex gloves as it gets a bit messy. I thin the Truoil with mineral spirits then just put some on the middle of the paper and start working in circles. The tape helps you to hang on to it. The ONLY thing I'm trying to do at this point is fill the grain. Just lathering the stuff on full bore will give you an uneven finish and you'll still see voids in the grain. It also helps it to penetrate the wood. As I'm doing it, I kinda wipe it with newspaper (no lint) that has the Truoil/mineral spirits concoction on it. Once the grain is filled, meaning a couple of nights of messing with it, I go over the entire stock with 0000 steel wool. That helps to level the finish. Then comes the next pain in the butt. Get a 3/8" or 1/2" lambwool paint roller and peel it off the cylinder. I cut it into little squares as well. Make sure you get ALL of the little tufts of hair out of it or it will be part of your stock. Using the thinned solution again, I put light coats on and build up the finish. Usually a coat a day. Yes, it takes forever. There is a point where you can "buff" the finish when its not 100% dry (I use burlap) and you get a satin finish. Depending one where you want the final finish to be, you can use the burlap or wait until its completely dry and hit it will 0000. You can use rottenstone, but I never tried it. If'n you want a shiny finish, just let it dry without any buffing then top it with stock wax. It takes a bit of doing and you gotta get a feel for what the truoil is doing. There's an old saying about once a day for a week, once a week for a month, and once a month for a year.....but honestly, I lost count. Both of those chunks of wood are factory and over 40 years old. Course all that work goes to hell as you can see on the cheek piece on the 223. Hello Mr. McMillan.

Ok Bro...get going on that Daly. The gloss has got to go. I'll send ya my Dembart...

Oh yeah, Chad Dixon did the flute job. Not too shabby if you ask me

First is a Model 70

I pointed up the checkering first, then stripped..






Second is a Remmie. Remove some of the checkering, thinking I'd redo it with some fancy pattern...and well..didn't quite get to it.

quote:

Originally posted by walnut:
VG - I'm always interested in another oiled stock method and yours is interesting. You are saying straight Tung oil. As in raw Tung oil? I use this for things, but as raw it really never dries unless I add Japan drier. Is it the turp that is making it dry? As far as plain oils, Tung is my favorite for looks.

Yes Walnut, I use pure Tung oil, even if it does take two or three weeks to fully dry. I use the vegetable turps as it has a drying agent in it. Its main job is to thin the oil and get as much of it as possible deep into the wood. The straight oil still penetrates but with the hard wiping off with the cloth keeps it in rather than on the surface. The subtlety of the finish is really noticable beside the layed on type of finish.

Von Gruff.

From the advise of a member on this board, I've been using Teak oil. Heat the stock and the oil to around 120* on the first few coats, then follow basic techniques of rubbing and sanding.

Heating the stock and oil thins the oil and opens the pores to allow for deep penetration of the Teak oil.

Von Gruff.[/QUOTE]

"Yes Walnut, I use pure Tung oil, even if it does take two or three weeks to fully dry. I use the vegetable turps as it has a drying agent in it. Its main job is to thin the oil and get as much of it as possible deep into the wood. The straight oil still penetrates but with the hard wiping off with the cloth keeps it in rather than on the surface. The subtlety of the finish is really noticable beside the layed on type of finish."


I agree wholeheartedly that an oil finish in the wood is light years above an "on top" finish. A standard stock can come alive with oil. Plastics can't do that. I will play with that finish on some walnut and get a feel for it.

I always use Turp to thin a finish rather than mineral spirits. Is vegetable turps different than the regular Home Depot stuff I buy?

Yes vegetable turps is different to mineral turps but for our purpose mainly in the drying component rather than a evaporative component of the mineral turps.
My vegetable turps says 100% wood turpentine anf I get it from a specialty paint shop.

Von Gruff.

Thanks VG. I'll dig around town and the internet and see what I come up with.
Lotta great people on AR. I always learn something when I read it - now a finish to try from someone in New Zealand!

TUNG OIL!

Hand Rubbed with a rubber glove...........

Once an hour for a day.......(16 coats)
Once a day for a week.......
Once a week for a month......(with VERY light scuffing with 0000 steel wool in between)

Sure it takes a month, but nothing easier or gives a better, easily repairable, finish

Guys, FWIW, some of the experts whose work I've studied say that they NEVER use steel wool on a stock.

It tends to embed itself in the finish, or so they say.

The sources I have studied all recommend Scotchbrite pads instead. Makes sense to me.

I'm no expert, but just passing along what I've gleaned FROM some of them.

Some of them also recommend a painstaking, multi-coat, hand-rubbed finish.

this gun has a hand rubbed spar varnish with japan drier took about 20 coats ,,its put on very thin ...paul the stain is behlen red mahaogany water base ,,,as it stains deeper ...paul

Paul, I love the look of that stock.

mike,,i had the gun built years ago the stock was fully inletted and 90% on the outside ,,i did the final ,,forend lenght ,loading port shapeing ,final sanding and finish plus the butt pad,,,,,i said 20 coats of finish,,it may have been 40,i like it because the grain remains a little open ,i dont like when the stock pours are so filled it almost looks like plastic ...paul

On most of the classic English-made rifles that I have seen, the pores in the wood have not been completely filled.

I like the look. I'm a sucker for a reddish stain, too.

I have used Marine Teak oil and it does a very nice job. I made a dust free drying box which has several holes cut in it with air filters to keep the dust out, with a small computer type fan to keep the air moving. Smoothing out between coats is essential to the final gloss, will use very fine steel wool for the final buffing

this finish i like a french polish,,i put a little varnish and japan drier in a bowl dab a small peice of cloth and rub it on ,,and it dries pretty quik...paul