Clear Coat first? or Work on stock first?

[gilmillan1]

Hello,

I have a new unfinished PR&T low-boy stock. I plan to build a 6.5-47 build. My gunsmith does not finish stocks. He only inlets them, pillar beds them, and fits them to the action. My question is, do I get an automotive clear coat first or do I send it to my gunsmith to work on it first?

 

[butchlambert]

Do you put your pants on before your underwear?

 

[tac284]

I've been talking with Joel Russo over the last few weeks. He is going to be building me a stock. It will be shaped, fully inletted to my barreled action with pillar holes and adl trigger guard. I will be installing the pillars, bedding and finishing the stock myself. Joel said to bed and then finish the stock, although mine will be oiled. Either way I would still do the bedding first and then oil or clear coat. Just my .02¢

 

[ridgeway]

Do you put your pants on before your underwear?

That's funny Burch!


OP, I'd clear it last.

 

[hpshooter]

In past years it depended on whether or not I had to exit via the front door or the bedroom window.

TWH

 

[butchlambert]

Stock finish is always the last thing that I do on my rifle projects.
Good luck with your build.

 

[Changeling]

Do you put your pants on before your underwear?

That is a very great statement, cracked me up!

Anyway, to answer the OP's question, anytime one is working with wood on anything, you never contemplate putting on any kind of finish until all the wood work is completed and final sanding has been applied .

When the wood looks like a surface of glass and you have examined it for absolutely NO cross sanding marks, then you can start thinking about the coatings to make it beautiful!

 

[NorCalMikie]

If it was me, I'd put on a lite coat of anything to keep fingerprints and oil off the wood while it's being worked on and sand it off when all the work is done and ready for the final finish.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Do you put your pants on before your underwear?

Lol!

OP, finish comes last, unless you enjoy wasting time and doing it twice?

 

[gilmillan1]

Underwear first, then pants! I think i got it!

 

[sean68]

It can be done and I have done it successfully. I do my clear coating in an unheated pole building next to my shop. I find spraying automotive clear at 70 degrees and above works the best so I can only paint for about half the year. I have painted a stock at the last of the warm weather and then built the rest of the gun over the winter. I covered the stock in blue painters masking tape and was more careful with padding in the milling vise jaws and clamps when doing the inletting. I use System Three Clear Coat epoxy with a brush to touch up any areas where I expose bare wood during inletting like the trigger guard, screw escutcheon, etc.

It's not the best way, but it didn't really cause me any issues either. I wouldn't pay someone for a complete paint job first and then risk damaging it, but since I do it myself, it would just cause some cursing and a re-do when it warms up in the spring. At least it doesn't take many coats in the spring since the build layers are already there.

Also, like NorCalMikie mentions I do like to put a coat of something on the gun prior to all the work to keep oils and stains out of the wood. You can hit it with a coat of clear, but I usually use the System Three Clear Coat epoxy for that since I don't have to spray it and wear all my protective gear. I am not a professional stock maker or painter.