What would you all recommend for a walnut gun stock finish? I have to do the checkering on it first so no rush with getting the correct finish. Thanks, Sean
[OP]
Member
What would you all recommend for a walnut gun stock finish? I have to do the checkering on it first so no rush with getting the correct finish. Thanks, Sean
Contributor
I you want to stay traditional, there's really only 2 choices, IMHO:
1) straight BLO
The finish schedule for this takes FOREVER. If you want to really do it the traditional way, you'll be applying finish for 6 months, and then you'll maintain it once a year by adding more BLO. Meh.
2) Tru OIL
GREAT finish. Easy to apply. Looks great.
Contributor
I used waterlox and everything I've read said to checker after finishing so the finish doesn't fill in the nice new checkering. Are you doing your own checkering?
You could check out Brownells website for all sorts of stock finishes and advice.
Confidence: The feeling you experience before you fully understand the situation
[OP]
Member
I guess I won't be using BLO, lol. I'm doing an old .270 of a friends and he has no checkering and doesn't mind his being the first one I do. From what I've seen so far, the lay out seems to be the hardest part. The actual checkering just takes a lot of time and light touch on the first cutting of the lines. I'll check out Brownells for more info before I get started. I'm waiting on the new tools to get here anyway so I have time to learn. I'll practice on some scrap walnut before I start on the stock. thanks, Sean
Contributor
It's a lousy finish, anyhow. If they'd known to do something better, they would have.Originally Posted by Sean Troy
Contributor
People have been using Tru-Oil for a very long time. https://www.birchwoodcasey.com/Refin...ck-Finish.aspx
John
Contributor
I suppose I'll share my experience here. I used a combination of BLO followed by Tru Oil on an old Marlin 336. It was a seriously labor intensive process, although I probably made it harder than it needed to be due to my inexperience. I started out filled the grain by wetsanding with linseed oil, then squeegee-ing the excess wood/oil paste off of the surface so that it was only left in the grain. This is tricky and takes at least a half-dozen coats (waiting 24 hrs between) to get really close. If I had to do it again, I would have used a film finish with the sanding technique, or just a grain filler. Not sure why I used linseed oil for that- I guess I read about it somewhere. But it's really too soft and slow-drying to be an effective grain filler...and it's prone to shrinkage.
Anyways, once I got the surface mostly leveled, I used tru-oil as a surface finish. I found it difficult to work with, even though it's a wipe-on/wipe-off type of application. It was a bit on the thick side for wiping IMO, and I had trouble wiping the coats off cleanly- too much varnish in the mix, it seemed like. I had lots of penultimate coats...and ultimately had to settle for rubbing down to a satin finish using various grades of sandpaper and finally #0000 steel wool with paste wax. There were just too many imperfections to leave it with a glossy finish. But I think I prefer the satin anyways; it looks great with the filled grain. Only problem is, over time the linseed oil and varnish shrank back into the pores a bit, so it's no longer quite perfect. It still looks good and I can fill what is left of the pores with paste wax pretty well. But I would definitely do it differently.
Later, I did one other stock- a friend's old Savage .410/.22 combo gun. It had a birch stock with "walnut paint" on it that I stripped off. Then I made my own oil-varnish blend a with a bit less varnish and thinned down considerably. It builds slower than tru-oil but I was able to get a very nice finish with no troubles. Sort of satin to semi-gloss due to the low amount of varnish in the mix, but looks lovely.
Well, that's my $0.02. Best of luck.
Contributor
FWIW, I use TruOIL a lot on guitar necks, because it feels great. On mahogany, which needs pore filling, I fill with thinned Timbermate. I can usually get it filled in one shot. I apply the oil differently than the instructions suggest. I actually put it on VERY sparingly. So, I'll literally just put a drop in a tiny square of a paper towel. I just fold up a piece of paper towel, put it over the mouth of the bottle, quickly flip it over once and back, and that's it. That's more than enough for me to do a coat. I typically do a couple of coats a day for a week, then let it sit for a week or so (longer is better, of course) and then rub it out. That's not to say this is the "right" way, but it's something to try on a scrap piece for a change of pace
Surface prep is absolutely critical with this finish. It won't let you get away with anything.
What blend did you end up using? How's it holding up?
[OP]
Member
I just ordered some Tru-Oil and just finished the sanding by hand to 320 grit. Tru-Oil should be here Wednesday so I'll know more after that. I'm just going to take my time. My friend doesn't need the gun back until mid November.
Member
Nothing WRONG with Tru-Oil, but it is basically just a varnish custom labeled in small quantities and sold at big prices to a market that believes it to be superior, mostly based on it's price.
MSDS info "
Mineral Spirits*** 56%
Modified Oil*** 33%
Linseed Oil*** 11%
Save your money ... buy some good varnish ... thin it down (a LOT) ... use it as a wiping finish. Add linseed oil if you must, but I hate the stuff and will not allow it anywhere near my shop.
Contributor
Bob makes some reasonable points, and while I have not used the product I've wondered how with such simple ingredients it could be so special. But we have experienced smart guys here saying it's good, so maybe there is some magic in it; good wine and bad wine comes from grapes.
[OP]
Member
What is the best thinning agent for varnish? Thanks, Sean
Member
I like VM&P NAPTHA, but that is just a personal preference ... mineral spirits & turpentine are also good choices.
[OP]
Member
Thank you for the info.
Member
Don't think Tru-Oil is actually a varnish. The Modified Oil mentioned in the MSDS is polymerized linseed oil as far as I know. That would differ from varnish in than the varnish would have an additional resin, such as alkyd, or phenolic, that would be the "modifier" for the oil. Polymerized oil is heated in the absence of oxygen which alters its properties, making it thicker (until thinned) and giving it more elasticity than BLO after curing.
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