i have started working on my kit, and have searched and read lots of posts about this kit. i filed and sanded all the metal, now i'm starting to work on the stock. on the stock as i have sanded there is still grooves with the grain. if you wet the wood it doesn't look bad but it does other wise. kinda like stretch marks. i have tried different levels of sandpaper and sanded with the grain. it feels smooth along the grain but not if you run your finger across the grain. is this normal for gpr stocks and when will i know i have sanded enough. i hope this makes sense. thanks
help with 1st GPR
- Thread starter cavscout
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Shooey
45 Cal.
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Cav Scout,
Try using a sanding block. Get a small square block of wood and wrap your sandpaper around that. Your stock will come out smooth.
You don't say if you're holding the sandpaper in your hand, but if you do, the softer wood between the rings gets sanded down quicker than the harder wood in the rings. So you get a wavy surface. By using a block you get a nice smooth surface.
Hope this helps. Be sure to ask lots of questions, there's a lot of us here that have built a GPR so if you get stumped, ask away!
-Shooey
Try using a sanding block. Get a small square block of wood and wrap your sandpaper around that. Your stock will come out smooth.
You don't say if you're holding the sandpaper in your hand, but if you do, the softer wood between the rings gets sanded down quicker than the harder wood in the rings. So you get a wavy surface. By using a block you get a nice smooth surface.
Hope this helps. Be sure to ask lots of questions, there's a lot of us here that have built a GPR so if you get stumped, ask away!
-Shooey
thanks for replying. i have been sanding with the paper wrapped around a file after reading some of the other posts. one of the posts i read about said that the wood on the gpr is walnut and it will have this problem. i'm not sure,lol. i guess this is why everyone recommended to try one of thes kits first. thanks as always for any help.
How do, cav.
I finished my GPR stock last week (my first kit, also). I went down to 220 grit wrapped around blocks and files (for contours) and my stock still had some open grain like you describe. I opted to go ahead and finish it without using a filler. I personally like the way it turned out because it is more rustic and to my eyes more period looking, but if you want to do away with those voids, you'll need to use some kind of filler before finishing it.
:thumbsup:
I finished my GPR stock last week (my first kit, also). I went down to 220 grit wrapped around blocks and files (for contours) and my stock still had some open grain like you describe. I opted to go ahead and finish it without using a filler. I personally like the way it turned out because it is more rustic and to my eyes more period looking, but if you want to do away with those voids, you'll need to use some kind of filler before finishing it.
:thumbsup:
Shooey
45 Cal.
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Cav Scout,
Here's a pic of mine. I stained it with Laurel Mountain Forge "Nut Brown" stain. One coat was cut to about 3:1, the second coat was about 1:1. Then I rubbed in about 5 coats of Tru-Oil. It didn't fill the grain but I like the way it looks.
-Shooey
Here's a pic of mine. I stained it with Laurel Mountain Forge "Nut Brown" stain. One coat was cut to about 3:1, the second coat was about 1:1. Then I rubbed in about 5 coats of Tru-Oil. It didn't fill the grain but I like the way it looks.
-Shooey
your gpr sure looks nice.. i have been using the sandpaper wrapped around a file, but not on parts of it since it isn't flat. i didn't want to make flat spots on the rounded parts. i thought maybe the wood would do that since i had read about it on other posts. i have some spots to shape under the stock by the trigger that don't look right. i'm kinda looking at pics of guns and trying to make my look like they are as far as the shape goes. i'll have some questions i'm sure for you guys. i just hope i'm not making a big mess out of this kit,lol. thaks again for the help
You guys may already know this but I'll say it anyway.
There are basically two kinds of hard woods.
There are "open grain" woods like Walnut, Oak, Hickory and Mahogany and there are "closed grain" woods like Maple, Birch, Beech and Poplar.
The closed grain woods do not have noticable open pores and will sand/scrape very smooth.
The open grained woods will always have very noticable openings where the pores of the wood meet the surface. Mahoganys grain is notorious for catching on sandpaper and lifting up and tearing a hole in the sanded surface if you sand "against the grain" and catch one of the open ends of these pores.
Fortunatly for us gun builders, I have never known Walnut to do do this.
When sanding Walnut or other open grain woods, you will never be able to remove the pores. They are a part of the way the wood grew.
When the surface is as smooth as possible with 220 grit sandpaper it is time to apply the finish to the wood.
If you like the "open grain" look, just apply the oil or whatever finish you want.
If you want the surface smooth, you must "fill" the pores.
Several different fillers are commercially available to do this, or, if you saved the saw/sanding dust you can mix it with Linseed oil to form a very thick paste.
Rub this paste across the grain to fill the pores and let it dry.(With Linseed, this takes a few days). Then using a rough cloth (like burlap) rub the excess filler off wiping across the grain, not "with it".
This will leave a filled, smooth surface which is ready for the final finish coats.
Never sand "across" the grain of the wood. It will always leave rough scrape like marks on the surfce. The only way to remove these is to resand the area "with" the grain of the wood.
If the surface has large noticable waves where the shape departs from a smooth surface, you may have "gouged" the wood out making a pocket or hollow. This is one of the dangers of using a hard object like a file to "back up" you sandpaper.
IMO, the only time a person should use a sanding block or other hard tool to back up their sandpaper is when they want to keep areas flat with sharp edges where the surface meets another surface. For other surfaces, I much prefer to let the sandpaper blend and fare into the other surfaces.
If you have created a gouged or hollowed area, the only cure for this is to work the adjacent surfaces down to blend the hollow in.
If you do this, don't just blend the immediate area into the hollow. Work the whole area down gradually to blend with the hollowed area. The further back you can start this blend, the less noticable it will be when the finish is applied.
It's just my opinion, but I've known people to sand their bare wood down using 320, 400 and even the 600 grit paper. This is a colossal waste of time and energy. All wood, including the closed grain woods have pores which are much courser than even 220 grit paper so using the finer papers can never make the surface smoother than the woods pores will allow.
Actually, using these super fine grit papers will only smash the wood fibers down making them look and feel smooth until you wet the wood and "whisker" it down.
Save the fine papers for working the final finish down smooth.
There are basically two kinds of hard woods.
There are "open grain" woods like Walnut, Oak, Hickory and Mahogany and there are "closed grain" woods like Maple, Birch, Beech and Poplar.
The closed grain woods do not have noticable open pores and will sand/scrape very smooth.
The open grained woods will always have very noticable openings where the pores of the wood meet the surface. Mahoganys grain is notorious for catching on sandpaper and lifting up and tearing a hole in the sanded surface if you sand "against the grain" and catch one of the open ends of these pores.
Fortunatly for us gun builders, I have never known Walnut to do do this.
When sanding Walnut or other open grain woods, you will never be able to remove the pores. They are a part of the way the wood grew.
When the surface is as smooth as possible with 220 grit sandpaper it is time to apply the finish to the wood.
If you like the "open grain" look, just apply the oil or whatever finish you want.
If you want the surface smooth, you must "fill" the pores.
Several different fillers are commercially available to do this, or, if you saved the saw/sanding dust you can mix it with Linseed oil to form a very thick paste.
Rub this paste across the grain to fill the pores and let it dry.(With Linseed, this takes a few days). Then using a rough cloth (like burlap) rub the excess filler off wiping across the grain, not "with it".
This will leave a filled, smooth surface which is ready for the final finish coats.
Never sand "across" the grain of the wood. It will always leave rough scrape like marks on the surfce. The only way to remove these is to resand the area "with" the grain of the wood.
If the surface has large noticable waves where the shape departs from a smooth surface, you may have "gouged" the wood out making a pocket or hollow. This is one of the dangers of using a hard object like a file to "back up" you sandpaper.
IMO, the only time a person should use a sanding block or other hard tool to back up their sandpaper is when they want to keep areas flat with sharp edges where the surface meets another surface. For other surfaces, I much prefer to let the sandpaper blend and fare into the other surfaces.
If you have created a gouged or hollowed area, the only cure for this is to work the adjacent surfaces down to blend the hollow in.
If you do this, don't just blend the immediate area into the hollow. Work the whole area down gradually to blend with the hollowed area. The further back you can start this blend, the less noticable it will be when the finish is applied.
It's just my opinion, but I've known people to sand their bare wood down using 320, 400 and even the 600 grit paper. This is a colossal waste of time and energy. All wood, including the closed grain woods have pores which are much courser than even 220 grit paper so using the finer papers can never make the surface smoother than the woods pores will allow.
Actually, using these super fine grit papers will only smash the wood fibers down making them look and feel smooth until you wet the wood and "whisker" it down.
Save the fine papers for working the final finish down smooth.
thanks for the help on the wood. i'm sure i'll have more questions before i finsh the stock. another question i have is that i read on anothe post where the builder filed all the writing off the barrel flats. is this ok to do, or does it take to much metal off the barrel. i was thinking of doing this if it is safe and doesn't make the barrel look bad. JOE
Shooey
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I filed everything off of my barrel except for "Lyman Great Plains Rifle .50 Cal." I got rid of the stuff about reading the owners manual before using and don't stand in front of muzzle while firing. :shake:
You won't remove enough metal to even notice, let alone weaken the barrel. Go slow with your draw file and be patient. Make sure you keep your file flush with the flat; don't let it rock side to side as you're filing. This will keep the flats, well, flat! :RO:
I gripped the file in both hands, palms down. Then I stuck out my index fingers a little and they rode on either side of the barrel. It helped me to "feel" if I was rocking the file or not.
Keep up the good work! :grey:
-Shooey
You won't remove enough metal to even notice, let alone weaken the barrel. Go slow with your draw file and be patient. Make sure you keep your file flush with the flat; don't let it rock side to side as you're filing. This will keep the flats, well, flat! :RO:
I gripped the file in both hands, palms down. Then I stuck out my index fingers a little and they rode on either side of the barrel. It helped me to "feel" if I was rocking the file or not.
Keep up the good work! :grey:
-Shooey
