Need help finishing a wood rifle stock

[mao0720]

I scored a very nice unfinished wood stock, recently, that I want to tackle as a winter project. I have done some wood finishing before but I want to make sure that I finish this thing right. I have watched the videos that are linked in the stock finishing page on this site as well as several other videos and articles covering the subject. It seems that there are a lot of methods used to finish stocks, but this ones seems to be manageable.
I was hoping someone could help me make sure that I am thinking this through correctly. I bought a can of spar urethane, and my plan is to thin down a small amount of it and apply a coat all over the stock and allow it it to soak in and cure. Then sand with 320 grit all over and apply and un-thinned coat of urethane over the whole stock and allow it to cure. Then sand again with 320 grit. I will do additional coats of un-thinned urethane as needed to fill the grain. I then plan on hand rubbing tung oil or linseed oil over the sanded urethane to produce the final finish.

Does this sound like a proper way of finishing the stock? Would I be better suited using a spray on aerosol urethan? I do not have access to an HVLP or other spray gun so I am limited in what I can use. Any other tips, suggestions, or help are very welcome. Thanks guys!

 

[joshb]

You have a good plan. I would only change a couple things. After a couple coats and the 320 grit, I would use 400, then 600 on the following coats. See what it looks like, then use Arrow Wood oil. I used Watco Danish oil on my stocks but after seeing what some experts here get from the Arrow, I'll be using that. I sand mine to 1000, but I have OCD. Nice stock, by the way.

 

[shortgrass]

Try wet sanding that thinned spar urethane in with 320 wrapped around a 'sanding block'. That'll help fill the pores. Make sure you've got that urethane thinned enough to soak in as much as possible. I use Permalyn sealer. Apply the 1st very liberally. Then wet sand with Permalyn and 320 'till the pores are filled. Then use Pro Custom oil for finish. Takes some elbow grease to get it done.

 

[ShootDots]

My comment here is not intended to be taken as a wise-crack. But you have a very nice piece of wood there and if you really want it turned into something gorgeous, send it to Keith Weil>>Cigarcop on here. His work is superb. Then get somewhat of a lesser piece of wood and use that as a learning project.

 

[Preacher]

You have the right idea, but straight Arrow Wood sanded in will give you a really nice finish depending on how much time you invest in applying coats of it..
Start with 360 and go to a higher grit in-between each coat.
You will be happy with the outcome...

 

[mao0720]

Thanks everyone for the input. Do you guys think that useing brush on urethane will give a better finish than useing aerosol urethane? I am a little concerned about getting even coats with the brush on.

 

[mikeinct]

hey Bud...I do knife handles..& I'll tell you..Brush or spray varnish always aggravates me ..really tough to do perfectly...That said...I've been using a mixture of Formbys tung oil & true oil finish...I rub it in after sanding to about 320..each coat I rub out I use finer grits of wet dry sand paper...I finish it after 800 or 1000 grit...Then after the last coat I use that foam backed 3000 grit trizact performance paper...smooth satin finish, no blobs..nice hand feel..4 coats looks pretty good... PM me your phone # & I can find you a pic of the last burl walnut I did...Mike in Ct

 

[jepp2]

I then plan on hand rubbing tung oil or linseed oil over the sanded urethane to produce the final finish.

You do know that "tung oil" and "tung oil finish" are 2 totally different animals, right? So much depends on the look you want. I like to still be able to see the grain pores. I want the finish in the stock, not built up on top. So for my preference, here are two jobs I did. The first pic is a handgun with pure tung oil with Johnsons Paste Wax on top, the second pic is a rifle with Arrow wood finish.

 

[mao0720]

I was planning on using tung oil over the sanded urethane, not a tung oil finish. I would like most of the grain filled but I'm ok with a little unfilled grain. I looked at the arrow wood oil website. Sounds like interesting stuff. I did notice that is said by rubbing in the oil with sand paper you are filling the grain with the wood dust that comes up with sanding. Since this stock has two types of wood will I wind up with a mess by sanding in arrow wood oil (or any oil) because wood dust from one type of wood will be filling in the pores of the other type of wood?

 

[alinwa]

you want smooth, clear mile-deep shine?? And you can't screw it up??

There is only one way IMO. It's messy and time-consuming but when somebody says "polished out" pay special attention to those two words.

#1 you got's to lay down a good, HARD and CLEAR finish. IMO the best thing is catalyzed automotive clearcoat. Go to your local auto paint store and talk with them. You'll be looking for something like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H9MF6Y2/?tag=accuratescom-20

#2 you prep and paint just as good as you can, get it on there thick, coat after coat trying to get it looking perfect........probably 10 coats.

You'll never get it truly SMOOTH and awesome, you'll never get it lint/dust/cockroach free unless you're a pro in a working paint booth...

BUT'CHA' DON'T HAVE TOO!!!!

#3 is a doozy....

I've been building/finishing/refinishing for 40yrs and until recently NEVER put out a seriously deep, flat, crisp shine. I've always settled for "oil finish" and "matte" and "hand-rubbed oil" and on and on andon... because laying down a perfect coat is HARD... And I've tried to polish them back out and get them shiney.

I've got tools and toolchests and cabinets full of every grade of sandpaper and polishing grit down to 4000gr......I've got buffers and polishers and a wall full of blocks and chocks and ho'made gizmo's and NEVER really put out a serious shine until the automotive industry came out with this stuff......supposedly composed of microscopic "discs" that "cut flat".....

#3 is a paste carried cutting/polishing compound like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001O7PNW8/?tag=accuratescom-20

It freakin' WORKS!!! It doesn't have to be McGuiars brand, it just has to say "cutting" or "ultra-cut" or "glaze" or "mirror" and I'm tellin' ya it WORKS! It will slice off the ripples and holes and hairs and bugjuice and leave the smoothest most scratch-free finish imaginable and here's the great part.......if you ain't happy, if you cut thru the coats or otherwise bugger it all up, NO PROBLEM! You just degrease, tack, fire up the gun and PUT SOME MORE CLEAR ON!

And polish it back out to get where you want.

You can literally buy a cheapo little rotary "car polisher" from Harbor Freight and some little foam and rubber and sponge and fake sheephair swabby pads and POLISH OUT the imperfections! Or just slobber it on and wipe it around by hand.... of course you need some modicum of skill and care, if you just rub with your fingers on a cloth it cannot cut really flat so use backing but the thing is, it's a watery paste. It never "plugs up" and you just cut it with water. If it gets dry spit on it! (not really, but you get my drift)

And this crazy stuff will cut FLAT! and leave no scratches/marks/swirls.

I will sometimes knock off the high stuff with sandpaper, sharpen edges, cut lines and check for ripples but in the end the polish comes from the paste..... I've got buckets of the stuff cuz I try different brands and types of finishes but "two-part clear" and "paste buffing compound" are your keys.......your local autopaint store will set you up.

hth

al

 

[alinwa]

BTW, this is gonna' make some of the purists puke but I've done both pool cues and gunstocks with this method using BRUSHES to apply the 2-part auto clear....and after 3-4 coats it looks like Aunt Melba's decoupage wall art, or the surface of the lake in a brisk breeze..... but you flatten 'er down and polish it out with some work. Point is, get it on thick and cut it back to suit.

 

[Intheshop]

We're a;Sata...Iwata...Presta(polishing compounds,they're all good,Presta just smells better....doh) shop.

But reason for post;forced drying... two pcs come to mind.First is a cheaparse "griddle" ,the kind used back in the 70's to make pancakes.Snagged from goodwill,fleabay,whatever... the bigger/cheaper the better.We use them in the weld shop for Tig'n C.I.,pre and post heat,weld part whilst on the griddle.

BUT...suspend small parts over it,and it makes a dang nice part heater,before and after shooting it.

Next;cheaparse elect oil filled heater from sLowes.Throw these pos in a small room and use as a drying station.All cautions apply.But for spraying stocks,they rock!Back to regular programming.ITS

 

[tinkerer]

What has worked for me, for a deep shine and no muddying of all the woods present. In an area of at least 70 degrees F.

1. Sand to 220. Wipe clean with thinner. Let dry. Vacuum. Sand again lightly, vacuum clean.

2. Coat 1, New can of Formby's Tung Oil Glossy with a brush. Wipe down with a lint free cloth after about 5 minutes. Let dry for 24 hours. Repeat for 3 times until pores are filled. Sand with 400 and wipe down with water, buff with soft cloth.

3. Hang stock from ceiling in place where no air movement or bugs.

4. Get a rattle can of Spar Var spray polyurethane in gloss. FOLLOW directions exactly and apply 3 coats within 45 minutes. Let dry 72 hours.

5. Sand with 600 or until surface looks uniform off reflected light.

6. Repeat step 4.

7. Repeat step 5.

Repeat until you like the shine, from grain showing to high gloss. I have applied as many as 8 coats.

Some steel wool and all that stuff, I don't. I prep well and spray smoothly. I usually finish with a coat of Johnson's Paste Wax for that dry feeling and buff.

It's worked on ebony and maple stocks without muddying and reflects light like a mirror.

Larry
Tinkerer