Boning your stock...

[Pork Chop]

Years ago, my father used to do a lot of gun trading. He would refinish stocks on beaters to make them look nice and trade up. He used to bone his stocks with a chicken bone. What he did was to strip it, steam out the dents, sand it, whisker it, and then before applying the finish, he used a leg bone of a chicken and rubbed the snot out of the stock until it was glass smooth. The finished stocks looked like glass - like expensive French polishing.

Does anyone else do that?

 

[kentucky bucky]

There are alot of people that scrape and then burnish their stocks with an antler tip or something similar. I guess a chicken bone would be as good as anything . Also you get to create the bare bone at dinner, which would be a plus!

 

[DRC]

My grandfather would bone his hand tools the same way with a soup bone. His shovel,rakes, axes and such.Put a heck of a glossy finish on them. They were nice to work with after that slide through your hands real nice.

 

[rich pierce]

I learned one should not bone a stock before staining and sealing. Otherwise the pores close up and it does not take stain or sealer properly. Afterwards, it is a great technique. I use antler because it usually has the curves I need to prevent making flats on the gun.

 

[Packdog]

I use antler tips also. Same reasons Rich gave. You can also shape them to fit your needs.

 

[Pork Chop]

As I recall, my father never used stains. It has been a LONG time though, so I could be out to lunch...

 

[tg]

I usually use antler but thick glass works well also, and would agree with a post stain/finish approach.

 

[3 stinky dogs]

I usually use antler but thick glass works well also, and would agree with a post stain/finish approach.

I have burnished or "boned" alot of wood working projects with a lerge mettal spoon as well as a glass bottle.On the self boe I baught (oxymoron?)I boned with the spoon and used no finish.The bottle covers alot of ground faster and you can get an awsem shine.I wear welding gloves when I use glass tho in case it breaks. :m2c: