Finishing a Kibler Walnut Stock

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?

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.

Agree with @IanH. Another tip that I’ve learned is to mix a little gum turpentine with the Tried & True oil varnish. I like the finish T&T gives and the turpentine greatly reduces drying time and makes for a smoother application. You don’t need much turpentine, maybe a 12 to 15 to 1 mix. But it needs to be real gum turpentine for best results.

IanH said:

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.

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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).

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/

American walnut is porous. You will want to fill the grain. A paste filler that is colored darker than the wood will work. Another option is to wet sand with dilute finish and 320 to 400 grit paper. The sanding mud will fill the grain. For guns I normally use the wet sand method.

As for finish, take your pick. I would avoid satin or mat varnishes. They have stuff in them that scatters the light. Whatever product you choose use thin coats. Do not try to get by with a few thick coats.

The only thing to avoid is BLO. BLO on the walnut we get today is a mistake. It will turn the wood extremely dark. IF you had 200 year old fine English walnut that is different. They did use BLO but that wood is much different. That wood is much less porous. However I did ONCE put BLO on and very expensive piece of English walnut. It really messed it up. It got even darker over time. The checkering is intricate and very fine. Rubbing it back would be very difficult.

For the ultimate 3D iridescent effect I used the modern catalyzed bowling pin finishes over filled wood. This will is not appropriate for a ML. They are also extremely toxic.

Flint62Smoothie said:

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/

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Wow! That's exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks! What oil was used on that stock?

Scota@4570 said:

American walnut is porous. You will want to fill the grain.

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Very true, but it depends on how authentic you want to be.

Hardware store BLO and many commercial finishes are not properly boiled and have a very high acid number. Tru-Oil also has a very high acid number and will darken wood in time. Tried & True varnish oil has an almost neutral acid number and does not darken much with time.

It appears we have a winner with the paint-filled grain technique, that's why I asked what the OP wanted it to look like, there are a number of techniques to use that all affect the outcome. If filled grain is desired, I prefer the mud-sanding technique you mentioned, especially on modern guns.

Flint. said:

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?

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Jim Kilbler has some helpful videos on finishing stocks. I'd start there.

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).

Flint. said:

Wow! That's exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks! What oil was used on that stock?

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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.

But, on tiger-striped maple, such a method (oil finish only, NOT the paint!!!) will ADD to the chatoyance!

Compressorguy said:

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

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Burnishing was method used by early gun makers. I’ve read that whale bones were used as well as deer antlers and other harder woods.

they sell hard plastic burnishers that work very well.

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....

I’m just finishing up a Kibler SMR in walnut. The stock had nice figuring so I decided not to use any stain. After a thorough sanding I applied 2 coats of BC sealer/filler using green scotchbrite, wiping off the excess each coat, and 600-800 grit sandpaper after each coat was dry. Then today I hand rubbed 2 coats of my T&T oil varnish and gum turpentine mix. Started putting the hardware on but the barrel isn’t finished yet. Outside in the bright sun it looks very light, inside it looks much darker of course. I’m pleased with how it turned out.

I guess I’m strange. I like the look of very dark walnut unless there is distinct curl. Seems most of the old original SMR’s are almost black. I use BLO with a little Epithanes spar varnish mixed into the last couple coats. These pictures are taken before the last three coats. The grain is mostly filled now. I also don’t mind seeing a few pores in the wood

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.

DrLaw said:

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.

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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.

Thank you, TDM.

yellowhammer said:

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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In one of his videos he mentions that he doesn't recommend it for use on walnut.

I accidentally found a walnut grain enhancer yrs. ago. All walnut wood has some light colored graining in it. To make this add to the color of the wood , use an application of orange alcohol dye first. This makes the lighter colored grain pop instead of just being part of the normal dark walnut hue. Try it. Feelings makes orange leather alcohol dye.