Need Advice on Finishing my Wood Stock

[Intheshop]

It's a tough subject to lay out an X,Y,then Z plan.... for numerous reasons. Been "finishing" as well as machining wood for over 5 decades and usually don't get into these discussions.

I've come to "accept" Dura-Block co. danding blocks. 3M Gold stick it paper on rolls. Takes a bit of $$ to get set up so for casual use it's probably not on the table? Once things get out of *"shaper work",I usually start with fresh 120 Gold,then 180 to kill that scratch... 220 next to either,start spraying on,or if the type of finish will handle a finer scratch? The 220 is used as the setup for 320... tough to put into words.

The thing about these blocks is they're perfect for reshaping on big stationary sanders(think BIG belt grinders).... so,I'd just take block and grind the radius on any special needs case. A visit to an auto paint joint should have some. Grab a cpl. Here's a screen shot that may be legible?



*Shapers are vertical spindle moulders. An absolute necessity in a wood mill shop. We have a half dz.... they can make repeatability a breeze. They haven't been fully embraced in stock work.... yet. GRC stocks(think that's it)... it's those boys from Europe making stocks these days. Anyway,they came about stocks through their family biz in the furniture/cabinet end of things. Anyway,love their work.... you're seeing some of what shapers can do.

 

[6MMsteve]

It's a tough subject to lay out an X,Y,then Z plan.... for numerous reasons. Been "finishing" as well as machining wood for over 5 decades and usually don't get into these discussions.

I've come to "accept" Dura-Block co. danding blocks. 3M Gold stick it paper on rolls. Takes a bit of $$ to get set up so for casual use it's probably not on the table? Once things get out of *"shaper work",I usually start with fresh 120 Gold,then 180 to kill that scratch... 220 next to either,start spraying on,or if the type of finish will handle a finer scratch? The 220 is used as the setup for 320... tough to put into words.

The thing about these blocks is they're perfect for reshaping on big stationary sanders(think BIG belt grinders).... so,I'd just take block and grind the radius on any special needs case. A visit to an auto paint joint should have some. Grab a cpl. Here's a screen shot that may be legible?

View attachment 1459473

*Shapers are vertical spindle moulders. An absolute necessity in a wood mill shop. We have a half dz.... they can make repeatability a breeze. They haven't been fully embraced in stock work.... yet. GRC stocks(think that's it)... it's those boys from Europe making stocks these days. Anyway,they came about stocks through their family biz in the furniture/cabinet end of things. Anyway,love their work.... you're seeing some of what shapers can do.

A shaper with made cutters and templates would do the work quick, I concur

 

[joshb]

Any tips on how to get the curve around the cheek piece?

Hit a hardware store and grab some dowels in various sizes. I cut them into 6-8” lengths and wrap one end with sticky back sand paper.

 

[joshb]

Careful work with a Dremel sanding drum and dowels can do it .

 

[joshb]

 

[CjC73]

View attachment 1459499

That's a neat feature around the cheek piece (that 'ledge'). Do that with a dremel sander?

 

[Intheshop]

Was using this J.D.Wallace hollow chisel mortiser a few days ago....

You can do an action inlet in about the same time it takes to find,and install a long endmill in the Bridgeport. I'm sayin with practice,a 700 action roughed out in around a minute,no joke... that's how fast these foot treadle mortiser's are.

It takes longer to draw layout lines on top of the blank,than to seeing a big rectangle hole. Only thing on this ole girl added is an airline for blowing chips.

A shaper with made cutters and templates would do the work quick, I concur

Was using this late 30's Wallace

A shaper with made cutters and templates would do the work quick, I concur

 

[6MMsteve]

Was using this J.D.Wallace hollow chisel mortiser a few days ago....

You can do an action inlet in about the same time it takes to find,and install a long endmill in the Bridgeport. I'm sayin with practice,a 700 action roughed out in around a minute,no joke... that's how fast these foot treadle mortiser's are.

It takes longer to draw layout lines on top of the blank,than to seeing a big rectangle hole. Only thing on this ole girl added is an airline for blowing chips.

View attachment 1459617





Was using this late 30's Wallace

yep that works also, plunge router with templates, like the handplane I have a 5 No 5's and a smooth no 4 that cuts like dream stanley it's old SW

 

[CjC73]

I think I'm done with the rollover area. Started sanding with 220 just to see where I was at with rough spots. Probably have to go back to 120. What are these black lines? Something I need to sand out?

Also, thoughts on the size of the grip cap? Smaller/thinner?

And the tip of the stock? Barrel channel isnt fully sanded yet but it's only a Sporter barrel.

I know there isn't a definite answer to this question, but how much rough sanding should I be doing? Hours and hours? More time with 220 or 320? Just curious really. I know it depends on stock condition as to how much sanding is required but rough idea?

 

[COLT45SA]

Once you have the stock sanded to the level that you want, my recommendation is GB Lin-speed. Apply thin coats with your fingers and palms rubbing it in. Allow each coat to dry (it may take several days). Once dried, knock the finish down with 4-0 steel wool. Continue the process until the finish is level. 4-0 may be used to eliminate any Sheen to the finish, or you may continue to build to a gloss.

I say "NO" to the steel wool. Tiny fleck will get imbeded in the wood. Instread, use a white Scotch Brite Pad which is just as fine as the 4-0 steel wool

 

[Twdmar]

I think I'm done with the rollover area. Started sanding with 220 just to see where I was at with rough spots. Probably have to go back to 120. What are these black lines? Something I need to sand out?

Also, thoughts on the size of the grip cap? Smaller/thinner?

And the tip of the stock? Barrel channel isnt fully sanded yet but it's only a Sporter barrel.

I know there isn't a definite answer to this question, but how much rough sanding should I be doing? Hours and hours? More time with 220 or 320? Just curious really. I know it depends on stock condition as to how much sanding is required but rough idea?

If you have already sanded to 220 and gotten rid of the sanding scratches, don't go back to 120. You'll just make more work and may even remove too much wood when all done.
The black lines are probably just black lines in the wood that occur, don't worry about them.
Does the grip cap fit your hand? Adjust from there but i think it looks fine. Sand the tip and grip cap as you sand the rest but watch the edges that you don't round them over. This stock looks like they are meant to have some shape and not look melted.
Rough sanding takes the longest and can be done with a random orbital. You can take a damp paper towel and gently wipe the stock to see if any low spots don't get wet or run the palm of your hand over to find low spots.
As you go up in grit, you'll spend less time with each grit. You'll know know when you get the sanding scratches out and can move up a grit.
Wet the wood at 220 and sand off the whiskers with 320 and see how it looks. Use compressed air to blow out the grain frequently.
If you need, to experiment on a scrap piece of walnut, carved into a rounded shape, then move back to the stock.

 

[joshb]

That's a neat feature around the cheek piece (that 'ledge'). Do that with a dremel sander?

Yup. VERY CAREFULLY with the small drum the cleaned up with a 1/2” dowel holding the paper. Sanded to 1000.

 

[CjC73]

Back at it some more today. Wanted a sharper rollover so got out the Dremel and worked on it. Pretty happy with it now, needs a little more edge towards the back curve.

Decided to just sand the grip cap flat, wasn't fond of the rounded look. Needs more but working on it.

One question, anyone know what these black spots are? There's this one and a smaller one on the top of the butt end.

 

[joshb]

The dark staining is the nature of some walnut.

 

[leakeyjohn]

The dark staining is the nature of some walnut.

That is the reason some stock blanks are more than others as well as some people can "see" those defects in the wood earlier than others.....

 

[ebb]

I have never even considered using my shaper, we have a love hate relationship but the jointer and I are friends. I lay the work piece on the out feed table and make multiple passes and can get tapers perfect and straight. I find I do a lot of work on th shaper and it can be fast but always straight. I used to do a lot of the inleting with a template and router like Josh does and made a similar cradle before seeing his but, now that I have used the end mill for inletting I am hooked on it. I have used some of the cheap chinese router bits in a collet and the work good if you turn up the spindle speed.

 

[CjC73]

Ready to start 220/320 sanding. Then working on the inlet for barrel and action.

Got the rollover to where I want, I think . Grip cap too, got it parallel to spacer and flat. Fore end is still up in the air. Feels as though it has a small dip but it fits my hand nicely.

Thoughts? I wiped it down with some thinner, hence the darker areas.

 

[CjC73]

Well, I dropped the barreled action in and it fits pretty well actually. Need to sand some area away so safety works fully and some below bolt release works freely. Minor.

But did find there's about a 1/16" of stock below the bottom metal, so will have to sand that down till flush.

And biggest concern is the fore end. Looks way to long and big. Guess I'll have to round it off a bunch. Dremel time!

 

[CjC73]

Thoughts?? Think I need to slim down the fore end tip.
Thoughts on the length of fore end with barrel?

 

[joshb]

Thoughts?? Think I need to slim down the fore end tip.
Thoughts on the length of fore end with barrel?
View attachment 1461553View attachment 1461554View attachment 1461555

Sand it down to 600 or 1000 and oil it. It’s good!………or you could futz with it forever…..
On second look at the pics: is that barrel touching the stock? I’d give it a little more clearance.