Post by waarp8nt on Jun 18, 2019 17:49:47 GMT -7
Gentlemen, I have recently tried a combination oil finish on a couple of gunstocks and found the results to be more than satisfactory. A little over 25 years ago I used Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) to finish a cedar shooting box. The finish turned out nice and to this day the box looks great, however even after all those years, the opening edge of the box base and the opening edge of the lid still stick together. I requires a bump from the palm of the hand anytime we attempt to open the lid, as if it has never stopped being tacky. I have read about numerous homemade Tru-oil finishes, this combination oil finish is based on one of those homemade versions. 60% Tung Oil, 30% Boiled Linseed Oil and 10% Mineral Spirits. I used Tung Oil Finish do to its availability and having read the main difference between Tung Oil and Tung Oil Finish is the addition of a thinning agent and a drier installed in the “Finish”. To me the addition of a thinner and a drier didn’t matters as I was planning to add both of them so this combination oil finish actually dries, especially in high humidity conditions found here in my home state of Illinois. The Tung Oil Finish, Boiled Linseed Oil and Mineral Spirits were added in a glass Mason jar, they were added by volume and combined by closing the lid and shaking the jar. The ingredients were poured from the Mason jar into a small disposable container for immediate use and 6 drops of Japan Drier was added. The reasoning behind putting the combination oil finish is a small disposable container for use is it to prevent the larger batch from being exposed to air for an extended period of time and to be able to discard the small container when the stock was finished. I didn’t want to add the small container of finish back into the Mason jar for fear of ruining the batch because of the Japan Drier, maybe it would jell up and maybe it would be ok, but why take the chance? I have tried to save automotive paint with hardeners in it and it simply turns into unusable jelly. Also, the wiping and buffing rags were discarded properly due to the potential of the Boiled Linseed Oil combusting.
Why go to all this trouble? Why not just buy Tru-oil? The answer is simple, I had many of the materials needed to make the combination oil finish, I have a few more stocks to finish, plus I like the idea of the finish being compatible with oil stains. This gives us the option of touching up the stock as needed or simply applying another coat to freshen it up.
The stock I finished was a single trigger Thompson Center (T/C) Renegade stock. The stock was in good condition, but had the dreadful thick plastic like finish. I used a stripping method that a friend and fellow muzzleloader enthusiast told me about, I stripped it using Klean Strip. Klean Strip does a good job, but the T/C finish is thick and stubborn, it took four coats of Klean Strip to get all of the thick plastic like finish off. The first three coats I used a plastic putty knife and the last coat I used a green Scotch Brite pad to remove the remaining spots of the finish. I wiped the stock clean with cool wet rags, then dried the stock off completely. From this point the stock set for several months while I was working on another project. You see the intent of the T/C stock was to us it as a proving ground for a couple of other projects; a Harper’s Ferry variant and Southern Mountain Rifle. I purchased the Harper’s Ferry stock from Pecatonica and the Mountain Rifle stock blank from a local auction. Both are nice walnut stocks and both worthy of my best attempt at stock work / finishing.
With the forecast of rain all weekend, I decided to complete the stock work. Mixing the above combination oil finish. I proceeded to stain the stock with Minwax Dark Walnut. I didn’t let the finish stay on too long before rubbing it off, I simply wanted to give the stock a uniform look. I completed the staining procedure twice before moving on to the combination oil finish. I coated the stock by rubbing it a small section at a time, then wiping the whole stock clean. I done this again, rubbing a small section at a time and wiping clean. Then I let it set for two hours. When I went back to the shop, the stock was dry to the touch and I used super fine steel wool to rub down the stock. After rubbing down with steel wool, it was back to coating the stock by rubbing a small section at a time and wiping clean. Over all this was done a total of four times, no steel wool the last time, just a complete wipe down and hand buffing with a clean lint free cloth. Then I hung the stock up in the garage to dry for 24 hours. The following day the it was clean, very low odor and dry to the touch. Overall, I’m impressed with the finish. It is simply a clean natural looking oil finish that is dry to the touch and not tacky.
Pictures of the stages of the Renegade stock; Covered in Klean Strip, Ready for Scotch Brite, Stripped and Cleaned, Finished with the Combination Oil Finish
I am working on another stock to provide further testimony to the combination oil finish, the stock is off of an old double barrel gun and I’m doing the woodwork for a friend. He brought it to me and the buttstock was cracked in multiple locations, yes there are numerous cracks to repair. I even had to cut out a section of the stock and install a new piece of walnut. It has taken some time to glue it back together as it required being clamped to hold each of the cracks while the glue was drying. I started to apply the same finish to it by using the same procedure as the T/C stock above. However, one of the repairs required a small wood filler patch, but didn’t accept stain as well as the manufacture claimed. I removed the inferior wood filler patch from the stock and moved on to a different product, ultimately deciding on using glue and walnut saw dust as a wood filler that hopefully accepts stain better than the previous wood filler patch. The glue is drying at the time of the post, hopefully the stock can be repaired and freshened up with no noticeable changes.
Pictured is the cut in walnut patch, the red arrow points it out the start of the patch.
Getting close on the color, so blending the combination oil finish in will be next. ***UPDATED 6/26/2-19*** I have an update picture once the owner installed the stock. The finish was fairly easy to match, requiring a rubdown with steel wool so the finish would apply properly, otherwise finished the same with multiple coats. Not perfect, but certainly better than a missing chunk of wood.
Why go to all this trouble? Why not just buy Tru-oil? The answer is simple, I had many of the materials needed to make the combination oil finish, I have a few more stocks to finish, plus I like the idea of the finish being compatible with oil stains. This gives us the option of touching up the stock as needed or simply applying another coat to freshen it up.
The stock I finished was a single trigger Thompson Center (T/C) Renegade stock. The stock was in good condition, but had the dreadful thick plastic like finish. I used a stripping method that a friend and fellow muzzleloader enthusiast told me about, I stripped it using Klean Strip. Klean Strip does a good job, but the T/C finish is thick and stubborn, it took four coats of Klean Strip to get all of the thick plastic like finish off. The first three coats I used a plastic putty knife and the last coat I used a green Scotch Brite pad to remove the remaining spots of the finish. I wiped the stock clean with cool wet rags, then dried the stock off completely. From this point the stock set for several months while I was working on another project. You see the intent of the T/C stock was to us it as a proving ground for a couple of other projects; a Harper’s Ferry variant and Southern Mountain Rifle. I purchased the Harper’s Ferry stock from Pecatonica and the Mountain Rifle stock blank from a local auction. Both are nice walnut stocks and both worthy of my best attempt at stock work / finishing.
With the forecast of rain all weekend, I decided to complete the stock work. Mixing the above combination oil finish. I proceeded to stain the stock with Minwax Dark Walnut. I didn’t let the finish stay on too long before rubbing it off, I simply wanted to give the stock a uniform look. I completed the staining procedure twice before moving on to the combination oil finish. I coated the stock by rubbing it a small section at a time, then wiping the whole stock clean. I done this again, rubbing a small section at a time and wiping clean. Then I let it set for two hours. When I went back to the shop, the stock was dry to the touch and I used super fine steel wool to rub down the stock. After rubbing down with steel wool, it was back to coating the stock by rubbing a small section at a time and wiping clean. Over all this was done a total of four times, no steel wool the last time, just a complete wipe down and hand buffing with a clean lint free cloth. Then I hung the stock up in the garage to dry for 24 hours. The following day the it was clean, very low odor and dry to the touch. Overall, I’m impressed with the finish. It is simply a clean natural looking oil finish that is dry to the touch and not tacky.
Pictures of the stages of the Renegade stock; Covered in Klean Strip, Ready for Scotch Brite, Stripped and Cleaned, Finished with the Combination Oil Finish
I am working on another stock to provide further testimony to the combination oil finish, the stock is off of an old double barrel gun and I’m doing the woodwork for a friend. He brought it to me and the buttstock was cracked in multiple locations, yes there are numerous cracks to repair. I even had to cut out a section of the stock and install a new piece of walnut. It has taken some time to glue it back together as it required being clamped to hold each of the cracks while the glue was drying. I started to apply the same finish to it by using the same procedure as the T/C stock above. However, one of the repairs required a small wood filler patch, but didn’t accept stain as well as the manufacture claimed. I removed the inferior wood filler patch from the stock and moved on to a different product, ultimately deciding on using glue and walnut saw dust as a wood filler that hopefully accepts stain better than the previous wood filler patch. The glue is drying at the time of the post, hopefully the stock can be repaired and freshened up with no noticeable changes.
Pictured is the cut in walnut patch, the red arrow points it out the start of the patch.
Getting close on the color, so blending the combination oil finish in will be next. ***UPDATED 6/26/2-19*** I have an update picture once the owner installed the stock. The finish was fairly easy to match, requiring a rubdown with steel wool so the finish would apply properly, otherwise finished the same with multiple coats. Not perfect, but certainly better than a missing chunk of wood.