Laminate stock finishing

[ktoney]

Basic how to etc
already read what i could find via search

I am not unfamiliar with airbrush use and have painted several stocks in past with excellent results
Now for a laminate i have tung oil, i have used before with success

however i read many prefer auto clear coat, NAPA crossfire seems popular

So which would be best for that deep wet look and overall durability

 

[Preacher]

Lots of coats wet sanded between each one with at least 400 wet dry paper and NAPA
will give you a deeeeeep weeeeeet look, Crossfire works great for me...
Just did a Russo MBR and one of my rear grip XP's with the second coat....

 

[Steve Blair]

I finished a laminate stock with 3 coats of Danish Oil Natural and 10 coats of Behlens Rock Hard Tabletop Varnish, wet sanding between varnish coats with 600 grit. Final coat was wet sanded 600, 800, 1000 and then rubbed out with Meguiars #3 Machine Glaze. I do not recommend this to anyone. The results were excellent but it took forever and was a big pain. Varnish cures slowly. The attached photos show my old .223 788 in this stock.

Bill Shehane is stocking a Stiller Viper SS for me in the ST1000 stock and will finish it with Auto Clear. I think that the new, self-leveling auto finishes, properly applied, are the way to go. If they can stand UV and road crap, they will do real well on a stock. You should check with a pro, but the auto clear can probably be applied over well-cured Tung oil just as varnish can.

 

[ridgeway]

I did a Shehane tracker and a walnut xp-100 stock with 10-12 coats of Nason urethane. Wet sanded after every other coat. Both came out with a durable deep wet look. Took a few weeks for it to totally harden.

 

[RJinTexas]

Sometime ago I came across a post I believe on this suite regarding stock finishing. A gentleman raved about a product named Arrow Wood Finish claiming how superior it was to Tung-oil and about every other product out there. So I had to buy a bottle and give it a try. Folks the man wasn't lying, this product is amaizing. It's oil based, contains oil which penetrates the wood, a filler for the pores and a sealer to lock the finish in and moister out. I'm not gifted like Preacher and some of you other folks, so I stay away from spraying anything. I'm fortunate because my wife's nephew is a custom car builder and custom car painter and his work is outstanding. So I do the sanding and prep work and leave the spraying to the pro. Last summer I sanded and prepped a XP100 walnut stock with the Arrow product and had the nephew applied seven coats of auto clear he did the necessary wet sanding and buffed out the last coat making the finish look like it inch deep. I've never seen anything make wood grain stand out like this product does. Preacher I believe it seals the wood every bit as well as Gorilla Glue. This product doesn't have to be clear coated and can be left as a stand along finish like hand rubbed Tung-oil is you so choose. This product can be purchased from:
IMP - P.O. Box 44 - Milton, WI. 53563 - 1-608-756-0044 - irishtalker@yahoo.com

Regards
RJ

 

[wilpenny]

8)I like ur thoughts on how u finish out ur stocks i myself prefer using a linseed oil hot mixed with a selack mixrubbed in to a sheen then cured after that use a hard spar varnish that gives u the depth ur looking for ive done several stocks in the last few months this way and im very pleased with the outcome this is my newist build a 338 win mag on a mark x Mauser action richards microf

it stock

 

[gamma]

When you guys speak about wet sanding, do you actually wet the job your sanding and what do you wet it with.

 

[Preacher]

I stand mine up in the kitchen sink and keep the warm water running right over the wood I'm sanding...........
I keep the sanding block dripping wet all the time
I don't have a wife so I'm allowed to do that in the sink ;D

 

[Steve Blair]

The youngest daughter still lives with me and I cannot get away with sanding in the sink. I keep a pan of water next to the stock and keep wetting the paper. It is important to keep a drying slurry from forming and to know when the finish is fully "flatted". It is easy to sand through a coat.

 

[swglenn]

For wet sanding I use a spray bottle with water and a couple of drops of dish washing detergent. For intermediate coats, usually 3 coats at a time, a 400 grit is fine. For the final finish use an 800, then 1000, then 1500, then 2000, then buff. When using the 400 be careful not to cut through on the edges. Use painter's tape to protect the sharp edges and then carefully do the edges after the rest of the stock is sanded. Auto paint stores sell a sanding pad that is thin rubber that is helpful in preventing your finger tips from exerting more pressure and sanding grooves in the finish. If this sounds like a lot of sanding I wet sanded a 1969 Camaro this way, all the way to 2000.

 

[JCummings]

"So which would be best for that deep wet look and overall durability?"
IMO the clear coat will give the deepest wettest look and durability if done right.
It also reguires special equipment, involves hazardous chemicals and more difficult clean up.
It also is harder to do well.
But, most important to me is that if damaged it is much more work to fix.
For me this is the best finish for a synthetic stock.

But for wood:

Oil varnishes like Tru Oil and Formby's Tung Oil Finish work well, are easy for just about anyone to do, and produce a very pleasing finish which can run from matte to high gloss. If injured the finish is easily fixed with some sanding and rewiping of the finish. For me the is the best finish for my laminate stocks.

 

[gamma]

If one was to use a good oil finish, whats a good one to use. Im told a lot of these oils take from the lustre of some wood like light coloured lamainates etc. I was thinking it would need to be a very clear oil, almost as clear as water, is there such thing.

 

[JCummings]

I've pretty much settled on Formby's Tung Oil finish. It is an oil varnish finish. You really don't want a pure oil finish as it never really hardens and you can not build up a solid thick coat (been there, tried that, had to strip off the sticky goop and cover with an oil varnish finish). You can get a high gloss finish with oil varnish. It will never be as brilliant or clear as clear coat. It will have a warmer color. Personally I like that better on wood anyway.

Plastic clear coat looks best on plastic stocks.

 

[normmatzen]

I bought a used Savage BVSS laminate stock that had been abused and painted black. I wanted the original finish.

I stripped the paint and sanded and finished with #0000 steel wool,

Then, wipe on a thin coat of Tru-Oil with cotton "T" shirt material. Let dry 2 hours, polish with #0000 steel wool and wipe with a tack rag. Do this every 2 hours for 6 times and polish the final coat with #00000 steel wool.

I was amazed how great it looks. In fact, my wife won't let me put the rifle in the safe, I had to buy gun hangers and hang it on the wall of my home office!

 

[Bob3700]

The oil finishes are great on stocks that are either dark or have brown tones in them. Most oil finishes carry an amber tint and that is not going to mix well with a very light colored or gray laminate stock.

I have one each of the above and wanted to steer clear of the oil finishes for that reason. Tried one of the clear poly finishes (they look milky in the can) and it finished OK. The problem was that the finish wasn't hard and my shooting mit left it's impression in the stock once it got really hot outside.

I stripped all that off and now have applied auto clear coat to both stocks. They turned out very good. Nice depth and the finish is hard. Two benchrest stocks had this finish and held up really well. They were both graphite/fiberglass so this is my first excursion into clear coat on Laminated wood. We will see just how they take to sling shooting.

Bob

 

[therifler]

Bob i just set up a spray booth and i agree with the poly coat amber finish looks great on walnut . but i am building stocks and have experimented with several different lacquers and clear coats . what type of auto finish are you using i would like to use that on the laminates . The Rifler

 

[Bob3700]

I am using a Ditzler Automotive Clear Coat. Nothing special.

It was easy to apply and once you let it harden, the labor intensive part was to wet sand it with 600, then 1000 grit paper. That is all the finer I went to smooth the stocks as I didn't want a real high gloss like an auto fender.

Turned out pretty nice for me.

Bob

 

[therifler]

Thanks for the come back Bob . The rifler

 

[JCummings]

Take a look at the House of Kolor products too. I used their clear on an Laminate F Class Stock. It came out very nice.

 

[ktoney]

Ok thnx for all info and tips guys

I prefer if able to do things myself
So here are my chosen products
Arrow wood finish, recommended by many

Clear coat was an issue as i dont have booth
So i searched online several hours later....result
Product can be applied with brush or roller, self leveling etc
KBS diamond finish

ordered wet n dry 600, 1000, 1500 final polish will be done with 3" car buffer and autoglym