Assemble then finish?

[Nav]

What is the advantage of completely assembling the rifle and then finishing it?
It seems more logical to me to finish the stock and brown the barrel before completely assembling it.

 

[64Springer]

Your hunch is correct.

Finish every piece. Then assemble every piece.

A rifle cannot be finished if all the unfinished pieces are completely assembled.

I guess a few cans of rattle camo would work, but that's it.

 

[Sidney Smith]

And then what happens if there's a slight issue you didn't notice before, and you have to shave a little bit of wood here or there? You gonna refinish it?

 

[reddogge]

Completely assemble the rifle and test the fit and function. THEN disassemble and finish each piece after you make sure everything fits and works.

 

[Nav]

Got it.

 

[Nav]

Some things, like the trigger I assume are left in when finishing (i.e. the hardware that is pinned and not easily removed).

 

[HSmithTX]

It sure saves a lot of headache scraping finish out of inlets and things like that if the things that stay in the rifle are in the rifle when it gets finished. Inlays, escutcheons, etc. If you see an issue doing the finish it's not hard to correct and finish/refinish.

 

[wiscoaster]

I suppose to some degree it depends on the finish. Oil can easily be wiped off metal. Hard to do with poly, especially without messing up the poly.

 

[Nav]

Well, the Woodsrunner went together very fast. I found myself looking at the parts bag with just the patch-box plate blank in no time; VERY little sanding and very little fitting. Everything went together tight and nearly perfect. I was really glad they included a lot of extra pin-stock. It's a small thing, and easily and cheaply obtained, but I didn't have any that size in the inventory, and a couple of extra lengths instead of just enough was appreciated. I can't get the patch box retainer to "click", but it does catch. I got a carved one, so 99% of the sanding was done beforehand as well. Just a little touchup around the butt plate and a couple of other areas was really all that was necessary. I honestly could started finishing without assembling first after some light sanding to blend a few areas of the stock. Back apart in 1/10th the time, a super diluted cote of tannic acid, two coats of iron nitrate, and hung to dry. I'll heat gun it tonight.

It's so well put together I'll bet a lot of older builders think it's cheating (and it is, which was kind of the point). My flint is hitting 2/3 up the frizzen, which looks like it was adjusted perfectly to me. The first snap sent a shower of sparks into the pan.

Couple of more questions for the experienced:
I have both tung oil and BLO. I know the tung takes a longer time to cure. I only have three weeks till I need to use it. Call it two with a weekend to find the load. That may not be enough time for the tung to cure... Does anyone finish with tung? I have a drying cabinet for the bamboo fly rods I make. I can regulate the temp by adjusting the distance from the intake that the space heater blows into. I find it cuts the cure time in half, but still... Thoughts?


I am pretty sure I want to rub it back significantly, especially with the tannic acid darkening it. I see different colors of Scotchbright mentioned. I only have the green. Should I get a different color? Should I rub it back with the oil, or do it dry? Both?

Thanks in advance for your knowledge.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Geen is fine. BLO NEVER dries. I find tung oil dries over nite.

 

[HSmithTX]

I suppose to some degree it depends on the finish. Oil can easily be wiped off metal. Hard to do with poly, especially without messing up the poly.

Don't use poly on these type rifles. Please. Good polymerized oils don't wipe off all that well either, but it can be done. You'll end up with a coat on anything that's finished in the stock, and it's not a bad thing. It protects metal like it does wood, keeping water out being the primary benefit in my mind.

 

[Nav]

Geen is fine. BLO NEVER dries. I find tung oil dries over nite.

Do you thin it at all?

 

[HSmithTX]

Not Mike but the only thinner you need is how thin you put the coats on, a single drop will cover over half of one side of the buttstock when applied correctly to a sealed stock. Most people put on WAY more than that and I think that's where nearly all of the drying time complaints come from. Your hand should get HOT when you are rubbing it in, it shouldn't be greasy at all when spread out well enough. THIN coats until you get the depth and shine you want.

 

[EC121]

The metal catch/notch on the spring is a little too long and there is a high spot where it was machined. I hit mine with a file to square the corner up, and it clicks in place now. Didn't have to remove much. I didn't want it dragging on my clothes and getting lost.

 

[James Kibler]

Completely assemble then file / sand metal parts and sand stock. When is see parts finished first, it drives me crazy.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Completely assemble then file / sand metal parts and sand stock. When is see parts finished first, it drives me crazy.

I went crazy long ago.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

. Does anyone finish with tung?

Thanks in advance for your knowledge.

Yes, and it is my favorite finish. This rifle has polymerized tung oil finish. It dries much faster than regular tung oil. It goes on well and you can see for yourself the result.
Larry

 

[SDSmlf]

Completely assemble then file / sand metal parts and sand stock. When is see parts finished first, it drives me crazy.

It doesn’t matter the industry or product, many will not read/watch instructions, let alone follow them, until everything else fails.

 

[HSmithTX]

That is quite a piece of wood Larry, I am a bit jealous of that one!

 

[64Springer]

What no man should ever say to another man.