wood oils or finish
 

I'm looking to finish a butt stock, nothing fancy or high gloss. Something matte that will protect the wood, are there any oils or finish that could be used to give that look?

Mr. Riddell:
It would help to know WHAT kind of buttstock you're attempting to refinish. Parker? Trojan? AH?, etc.

Many "oils" can be applied to look matte. Even the vile Lin-Speed. But good advice hinges on WHAT you are dealing with and the condition it is presently in. Photos would help greatly.

Kind of stock, a Wood one! Just kidding, its an old beat up GH, most of the finish is gone. Theres no real value, just want to get it protected so it doesnt dry out and crack. Wood finish is new for me, so I thought I would ask, and thank you very much for your reply. Im not looking for original finish just something matte and protective. And please call me Rick!

My guess: It may be sufficient to get a bottle of the ubiquitous Tru-Oil and hand rub a SMALL fingertip drop or two onto the stock, taking care not to cover any metal bits like the guard tang or action frame. If the wood looks too "glossy" rub the surface off a bit with a paper towel.

Thanks John! I'll try it out!

Timberlux

Re
 

Timberlux! Thanks guys! I totally forgot about it.

Why not use shellac like Parrker did? Denatured alcohol will desolve what's on there now. Make a rubbing pad out of an old tee shirt cut about 3x3" and put a cotton ball inside. Get some amber bullseye shellac and dip the pad in the shellac (don't over do it). Then just put a small drop of linseed oil on top of the pad. Apply it to the wood working just a small area of wood at a time using figure 8's. Keep the pad moving, if not it dries so fast the pad will stick to the wood. Put more shellac and oil on the pad as needed. It takes a little practice but you can do many many applications in 1 day. It's also easy to correct mistakes using the alcohol to smooth out drag marks caused by the pad stickking.

Leave the Truoil on the shelf at Walmart where it belongs. Order a half ounce bottle of Timberluxe from the company website and you will not regret it.

I've used a lot of Tru-Oil and have always been satisfied. What's so special about Timberluxe ?

I just went to their web site - sounds like I might give them a try.

I did use both the tru oil and orange shellac but I couldn't get it right, stripped it and reapplied with Timberluxe, what little I had left, and it's just about where I want it. I think two more coats and it'll be done! Thanks guys for the suggestions. It has that flat look to it similar to the gun featured in the Parker pages.

I refinished the wood on a C grade Fox with Timberlux last year. The finish looked perfect, IMO. After over 100 hours in the grouse woods, rain, snow, sweat, ect.. The wood looks like it did the day it was finished.
Dave

Wood finishing and care
 

After studying the article "Untouched Survivors" in the current edition of The Double Gun & Single Shot Journal, written by Ross Seyfried and turning a brilliant shade of envious green I think I'm going to look closely at the products offered by that publication for wood care.

I didn't dare say restoration.......

Gents, as the new owner of an 1881 lifter action, I think I would like to give Timberluxe a try. It appears a previous owner did a good job cleaning away old grime. The wood appears clean and in relatively good shape for a 136 year old gun. However, the finish is quite dull. Would applying Timberluxe on top of the old finish provide a bit of shine and luster? Much thanks! Joe

Hey Joe, yes it will, I have used it before in the past, it will take a few coats but will come out nice.

Rick, much thanks! I decided to order a bottle of Timberluxe yesterday and a Big 45 pad. I scrubbed the barrels and action with a brass brush and Hoppes and was really surprised how nice they look. I read Ross Seyfried's piece in the Doublegun Journal and agreed wholeheartedly. Our guns are actually very similar, though mine is a bit "newer". I will finish cleaning up the metal with the Big 45 pad, apply Timberluxe and that's all, other than straightening a small bend in the toe of the steel butt plate. There is a noticeable gouge in the comb that appears very recent. I would love to get that out but not sure how without sanding and refinishing the stock, which I do not intend to do. Again, much thanks!

Joe

Try a pad wet with water and a iron on high. Lay the pad over the gouge and apply the iron to it. Keep it moving back and forth. When the steam after a couple of seconds quits coming off it, move the pad to a wet spot and redo. If wood is missing this won't work, but a dent will usually rise. You may have to do it a number of times, maybe 20 or 30, but don't be in a hurry. Brownells sells a little triangularly one with a handle but I just use a old iron I bought for $2 at a garage sale. I've raised many a dent with it and a old white sock with a cup of water.

Thanks for the Timberluxe recommendation. I have applied 3 coats and wow, what a difference! It's almost finished. Unfortunately, I tried the Big 45 pad on my LC Smith with Hoppes. It removed the minor surface rust, and a swath of blue. What a shame. Those armor steel barrels will need to go out for reblue.

I've use different oils/finishes. I like Dembart's the best. After checkering I flood the area, work it in with a toothbrush. I'll fill grain with it by sanding it in. After grain is filled, I'll start rubbing it in sparingly. Just a finger dunk and rub, working it in with the palm of your hand. I'll use thin coats until I get the look I want. If I want to tone the shine I'll wipe with a lint free rag after I'm done rubbing the oil in. I'll let it cure for a good week before I handle it or put the gun together.
Chris

Joe, that has never been my experience with Frontier pads on any of my barrels.
Dare I say your barrels may have been improperly re-blued sometime in the past?
I don't want to appear insulting but they advertise the Frontier pads as safe for blued steel and case colored steel. I can't imagine what went wrong.






.

[QUOTE=Dean Romig;234368]Joe, that has never been my experience with Frontier pads on any of my barrels.
Dare I say your barrels may have been improperly re-blued sometime in the past?
I don't want to appear insulting but they advertise the Frontier pads as safe for blued steel and case colored steel. I can't imagine what went wrong.

I agree with Dean, I have been using them on his recomendation. I will say, if the surface has what i call bottle or cold blue, the pads will take it right off!,, THANK GOD!!

For those who might doubt... read the small red print.


.

Ironing out dents
 

I’m not sure if the WEN type soldering guns are even sold these days, but I have one I got back in the 1970’s. It was in a plastic suitcase- like box with several accessories. One of these is a tip ending in a small steel square about 1/2”x1/2”. I’ve found it is the best heat source for dent removal I’ve ever used. I take a piece of un- dyed cotton and a small saucer of water. Fold the cloth till it forms a pad 8-10 layers thick. Lay the pad over the spot, then go over it in an ironing-type motion. When it dries out, re-wet it. Been using it for several years and I’ve raised some pretty deep dents.

With respect to the negative comments about Tru Oil, I have used it successfully for years to refinish stocks and also to refresh old finishes. I suspect that the negative comments may be because of the way it is used or the fact that it has to be thinned occasionally.

On refinished stocks, I wet sand the wood with Tung oil and then use my fingers to work the mud into the pores against the grain. I repeat the process, letting the mud dry fully, until all the pores are filled.

Then I rub a small amount of Tru Oil into the stock and wipe it down with an old clean T shirt. This leaves a very small amount of True Oil with each iteration. I re-do the process until I get the depth I am looking for.

I’ve never had a problem with Tru Oil. If used properly, it works well……in my opinion.

I have done stocks in the 60s with Tru-Oil and they still look great. Bobby

I refinished a VH with Truoil about 6 or 7 years ago. Still looks great. You can find the discussion on here somewhere where Brian Dudley and others were giving me suggestions and info on the process. Also had some good succes with laurel mountain forge. Especially the sealer finish.

This might not be the "right" place for this posting, but since it is discussing stock finishes, I believe everyone that does any gunstock finishing or refinishing should get a copy of "Understanding Wood Finishing: How to Select and Apply the Right Finish (Fox Chapel Publishing) Practical & Comprehensive with 300+ Color Photos and 40+ Reference Tables & Troubleshooting Guides" Pretty long title, but it is a pretty impressive book. Although it is aimed primarily at the furniture builder, all the usual firearms finishes are covered as well (The author even covers TruOil) He enlisted the help of coatings chemists to de-mystify wood finishes. The author takes each type of finish for wood that exists, notes what each of the manufacturers call each type, and then shows what happens chemically as it is applied and dries or cures. He starts at raw linseed oil and finishes with the latest polymer finishes. He answers most of the questions I have had in 30 years of finishing and refinishing gunstocks. He SHOWS how to properly "cut" shellac, do French Polishing, and has hints on application pads you can make, methods of application, etc. Now, I have no connection with the author, publisher, or any booksellers, but I have found it is a valuable tool for any wood finishing project. His discussion of what was available popular for all wood finishing in the 1800- early 1900's might be particularly interesting to those with restoration projects.