Finishing wood

[Henry2357]

I have high hopes of ordering a kit soon to build myself a flintlock.
So as a start I ordered myself a candle lamp kit, yes I know FAR from building a rifle, to work with wood a bit and finishes.
Plan on staining it and applying some sort of finish. What do you folks use when you're finishing a stock?
Tried a search but, couldn't really find the right word to search. I guess I'm looking for a period finish back in the early 1800's. I put this up here do to the fact interested on what goes on a stock.
Thanks, MJ

 

[Eric Krewson]

I have put Chambers antique oil finish on my last 4 builds, mighty good stuff. It does have a dark tint to it but I like darker guns, very easy to apply and has a nice satin finish.

 

[Billnpatti]

I've never used Jim Chambers stock finish but that is a beautiful rifle. :thumbsup: I love the color and the beautiful satin finish. You silver tongued devil you have talked me into buying some of Chambers stock finish for a stock that I am going to refinish.

WHOA!!! I just checked the price for that finish. It is $11 per bottle. That stings a bit but the real deal breaker was the $13 shipping. I'd love to give it a try but not for $24 per bottle. Guess I'll just have to stick to what I am using. I'd sure like to have given it a try.

 

[Ames]

Don't overlook Birchwood Casey gunstock oil either. Tru-oil that is.:thumbsup:

 

[Ames]

 

[Larry Akers]

A "period" finish would have been an oil(various kinds used), varnish, or a combination of oil and varnish. I use modern finishes because they give better protection to the wood than what was available in the "period". I seal the stock with a mixture composed of 50% mineral spirits, 25% polyurathane and 25% tung oil by volume. I slather this on liberally adding more to areas that absorb more rapidly. I let the stock absorb what it will for 5-10 minutes and wipe off the excess. After drying for at least a day, I begin to rub on thin coats of Formsby's satin tung oil finish, allowing each to dry at least 24 hours.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

Tried a search but, couldn't really find the right word to search. I guess I'm looking for a period finish back in the early 1800's. I put this up here do to the fact interested on what goes on a stock.
Thanks, MJ

A period finish would be a shellac or a boiled linseed oil, with that said, today's shellacs and boiled oils are not the same as those of the past.

Not sure how correct it is but the last rifle I finished was done with bees wax just to see how it would turn out.

Have heard nothing but praise for the Chambers finish and will try it out on my next project, really like the looks of the rifle pictured.

 

[Billnpatti]

Don't overlook Birchwood Casey gunstock oil either. Tru-oil that is.:thumbsup:

Yep, I've used it many times and have some on hand. I think that is what I will use on my stock refinish job. Sure would have liked to try some of Chambers stock finish. That stock that Eric did sure is beautiful. But, then, so is yours.

 

[Col. Batguano]

So, this is a related, but slightly different question;

When you guys are working on a project, do you basically finish up with the wood, and ten move on to the metal, or, do you try to get it all done and to the finishing stage at the same time?

It would seem to me that there is some benefit to doing the wood first, because the drying time between coats can be quite lengthy. I've certainly heard of people taking MONTHS to get their wood finish to the point they are happy with it. Having to work on metal (polishing, engraving & finishing) in between would certainly help keep you from rushing in between coats of finish.

Sometimes the "in between coats" stuff can only take 5 minutes, and if you're blocking out a couple of hours for the project there isn't much else to do (unless you are already on to your next build). The temptation to rush things in a finishing sprint to the finish line can be quite powerful can't it? I have heard that to do a PROPER wood finish, you should allocate at least a couple of weeks, but a couple of months is better. If you're doing a lot to the metal, that can certainly take up that much time, not to mention metal finishing. But, by and large, it seems that metal finishing goes much quicker than wood finishing.

 

[Billnpatti]

In most respects, the metal and the wood have to be worked together, that is, shaped, together to ensure the best wood to metal fit on everything. Once everything fits properly and the inlays have been worked smooth and even with the wood, you can take it apart and finish the wood and metal separately. If you are doing any carving that doesn't effect the fit of any of the metal parts, you can do that with the metal parts removed. You can finish (blue, brown, engrave, etc.) the metal while the finish on the stock is drying. You sort of work them simultaneously even though each is receiving a different finish. Does this make sense?

 

[Col. Batguano]

Indeed that was exactly my point. Engraving parts that are dismounted from the stock (screws, lock, barrel, PB, butt plate, etc) are not dependent on the stock being finished. If you're doing extensive work there, that can take quite a while. Parts that are inbedded in the stock (inlays, muzzle cap) are best completed before finishing the wood. The question really was; is that how you do it to help yourself maintain discipline to not rush things?

Of course, final assembly will very often take a while, just to clean up some varnish in corners, or other things that may be causing problems that weren't necessarily apparent when it went together oh so nicely when it was dry. PB Inlays can often be quite frustrating.

 

[Dane]

Period finishes were mostly oil finishes with dryers added.
We should not think that a guy that makes his living building guns would take months to finish a stock. He's almost done, ready to get paid, and, Oh wait, only 3 months till I can deliver this.
As was stated before, out boiled linseed oil is NOT the boiled linseed we have today. When it's boiled properly, and driers added, it becomes a varnish.

 

[Henry2357]

Wow, beautiful finishes. I really like woodworking and look forward to my first rifle build. Thanks for the info guys.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I have found one bottle of the Chambers finish will do about 4 guns, I never buy it by itself, I include it with a lock, part or white lightning touch hole order.

It keeps fairly well but will set up if you leave it untouched for a couple of years.

 

[Vaino]

I've been using 2 very different products to finish a stock and this combo yields a very low sheen finish.

To start, LMF sealer is generously applied for a wipe on/wipe off coat w/ a 5-10 min soak in time. The second coat is applied the same way after a complete dry for the first coat. Id a 3rd coat is req'd, the same applies but usually 2 coats suffice.

A hard rub w/ 0000 steel wool removes any surface sealer and really smooths the stock. A good vacuuming is then req'd.

Next the Wahkon Bay Trucoat is sparingly rubbed in w/ the fingers on small areas until the entire stocj is coated. After a complete dry, another coat is rubbed in and dryed. Rarely is a 3rd coat req'd. This finish yields a very low sheen but if rubbed w/ a fluffy towel, a nice soft sheen is produced.

This finish is as moisture proof as any and is on my hunting MLers.

 

[Zonie]

So, this is a related, but slightly different question;

When you guys are working on a project, do you basically finish up with the wood, and ten move on to the metal, or, do you try to get it all done and to the finishing stage at the same time?

I finish all of the fitting, shaping and polishing before I apply a finish to anything.

I usually do the metal finishing like browning next because often it increases the size of things like the barrel.
If it does, then a bit of additional fitting is needed to get the barrel to slip into the stock.

Last, I finish the wood.

This often changes the clearance in the barrel channel and with things like the lock plate but a bit of scraping in the barrel channel and in the lock mortise will allow them to fit snugly (but not tightly) into place.

 

[Henry2357]

I've been using 2 very different products to finish a stock and this combo yields a very low sheen finish.

To start, LMF sealer is generously applied for a wipe on/wipe off coat w/ a 5-10 min soak in time. The second coat is applied the same way after a complete dry for the first coat. Id a 3rd coat is req'd, the same applies but usually 2 coats suffice.

A hard rub w/ 0000 steel wool removes any surface sealer and really smooths the stock. A good vacuuming is then req'd.

Next the Wahkon Bay Trucoat is sparingly rubbed in w/ the fingers on small areas until the entire stocj is coated. After a complete dry, another coat is rubbed in and dryed. Rarely is a 3rd coat req'd. This finish yields a very low sheen but if rubbed w/ a fluffy towel, a nice soft sheen is produced.

This finish is as moisture proof as any and is on my hunting MLers.

Very nice.

 

[rushlake1]

+1 Chambers traditional oil finish.
1 can can do several guns.
worth every penny!..frugality has limitations...

 

[Vaino]

Have been hesitant to use Chambers oil finish because I don't know how glossy it would be. I agree....if a gunstock finish yields what the builder wants, cost should be a secondary factor, w/in reason.

Would you be so kind and post a couple of your guns that have the Chambers oil finish so I could get an idea of the gloss?...Thanks.....Fred

 

[Spikebuck]

Fred, your gun pics have as beautiful of a finish as anyone could want. And it doesn't sound like a very painful process either!

A few questions: You say you pretty much slather on the filler/sealer and wipe it off after it soaks in a bit, then repeat. Q1: Do you have to "brush" it out of your carving to keep it from filling fine details? Q2: I've never used filler/sealer and probably should. Do you attribute that use to having to then use so little final finish or is the final finish just that good that two very thin coats do the job? Q3: When you do the "hard rub" with the steel wool, do you ever have any issues with removing your stain?

I like the end look I am getting with TruOil, but man is it a LOT of work and time! I know you've mentioned before that while other products do the job, why spend so much time rubbing back a finish to get the look you want when you can use a finish that just does the job right the first time. I think I need to change what I'm using.