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I’ll be finishing a Woodsrunner walnut stock that has some decent figure. Any suggestions on the best way to highlight the grain would be appreciated. How would you finish it?
Thanks for the info. I’m new to this and wonder what would be best to get the figure to stand out or would any of the finishes you mentioned do that equally well. I have a colonial in walnut which I bought already finished and it’s pretty plain with no noticeable figure (which is okay too).What do you want it to look like?
Tried & True varnish oil will show the grain really well as do all linseed-oil based finishes and not be too shiny no matter how many coats you put on. It takes almost forever to cure between coats unless you modify it.
If you want quick and dirty, BC Tru-Oil, hand rubbed in a few drops at a time until dry, for several coats, will leave a durable finish although it is absolutely loaded with resins and dryers so it shines like glass.
Another quick and dirty is Minwax Antique Oil Finish which is a thinned linseed varnish and truly dries overnight if flooded on, allowed to soak a few minutes, rubbed in, and buffed off. Three coats is good.
Then there's tung oil and tung oil varnish, and finally polyurethane which I would avoid.
I would definitely consider a varnish over a straight drying oil to harden the surface a little. Walnut scratches easily with a fingernail but soaking in a thinned varnish like Minwax Antique or thinned Tru-Oil will firm up the wood fibers near the surface.
Wow! That's exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks! What oil was used on that stock?Many methods posted as per below. I use the black spray paint method - see Post #5, ala Mike 'Comfortably Numb' Brook's treatise.
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/highlighting-figured-walnut.167416/
Very true, but it depends on how authentic you want to be.American walnut is porous. You will want to fill the grain.
Jim Kilbler has some helpful videos on finishing stocks. I'd start there.I’ll be finishing a Woodsrunner walnut stock that has some decent figure. Any suggestions on the best way to highlight the grain would be appreciated. How would you finish it?
The wiping varnishes by Arm-R-Seal, as used by high end custom furniture makers. Build up the coats in gloss and then use satin for your last 2 coats, to dull the gloss but leave depth. It's just another of those modern polymerized super finishes.Wow! That's exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks! What oil was used on that stock?
I’ve always burnished walnut wood prior to and after staining with a smooth rounded end piece of dowel rod or antler. I’ve read it greatly hardens the surface to prevent dents, lays down the fibers or “hairs” and closes the pores. Is there historical accuracy to this? In the pic below you can see the difference (glossy looking wood has been burnished).View attachment 283579
I’m no expert, but I’ve used both the Permalyn and Birchwood Casey. They both dry quickly so you don’t won’t to dilly dally with the application. I’ve only used the BC on walnut, but the Permalyn should do the job with multiple coats with sanding in between.Because I thought I was going to run out of of Permalyn Sealer during my last build, I ordered a can before they started having supply problems. Turns out I did not have to open it.
Would Permalyn work on a Walnut stock? I have an order in for the new Fowler and latched on to this thread as it will be with the - as Jim says - more traditional walnut stock.
The Doc is out and looking for Continuing Education now.![]()
In one of his videos he mentions that he doesn't recommend it for use on walnut.I wonder what a neutral ferric nitrate , like what Kibler sells (NOT acidic aqua fortis), would look like on those really figured walnut stocks. Might get too dark, but if it has those light streaks....
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