old fashion finish?

[Kentuckywindage]

Im redoing the stock on my kentucky and was just wondering if there are any old style stock finishes i can do. I know how to do the linseed oil but that takes a lot of work and time. I really dont like todays clearcoat junk that flakes off. Any ideas?

 

[Zonie]

Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil is a Linseed oil with dryers added.
If left out in the sun, it drys in about 3 hours.

Unlike Linseed, it does not "spot" from water droplets and it can be built up to be quite thick if enough coats are applied.

The biggest complaint I've heard about it is it usually drys with a high gloss finish.
A little polishing with pumice will knock off the gloss but it is easy to cut thru it down to the bare wood if you overdue it.

Another method of getting a nice semi gloss finish is to rub on the last coat using a small cloth pad and rubbing a small area with it until it seems to be dry. Then working on the next small area until the entire stock is finished.

zonie

 

[Goldhunter]

I agree with Zonie. I've used both Linseed and Tru Oil. I like the Tru Oil. Does not take nearly as long to dry. I does dry glossy though. On my latest project I knocked back the Truoil with a little steel wool, and it is still a little too glossy for my taste. I may try another coat and try buffing it lightly with a green scruby pad or denim (some have used that method also.)

 

Tried and True Oil Varnish is about as close as you can get with a commercial finish to the linseed oil/rosin based varnishes often used by the old time gunmakers (which was a version of the period violin varnishes).
The big difference is the old time varnishes used lead as a dryer....

Well known builder Eric Kettenburg wrote a treatise on old time finishes for Muzzleblasts - here's the link:[url] http://www.muzzleblasts.com/vol5no2/articles/mbo52-1.html[/url]

 

[Stophel]

I concur. Without making your own, Tried and True is the way to go. It does dry nicely, but like all linseed oil based varnishes, it has to be put on THIN. This cannot be emphasized enough.

It can be had from Woodcraft. It is on their website, but never in their printed catalog. I don't know why.

 

[Bubba45]

Years ago there was an "The Way I Do It" on gun building in 'The Buckskin Report' magazine.I cant remember the fellas name , but he used a boiled linseed oil over several days letting it soak in sun or next to the woodstove.He wet sanded the initial coats and rubbed in to fill the grain.After the stock wouldnt take any more oil, he kept rubbing it down until it quit bleeding out oil,then let it dry for a day or so depending on feel.He then took a pint jar,put boiled linseed oil about half full and a marble size chunk of pure beeswax in the jar.He then put the jar in a pan with an inch of water in the pan on the stove at low heat to melt the beeswax.Once the beeswax wax melted ,mixed the two together with a stick.
To apply,put it on hot and rub in with the heel of the hand, just a dab at a time until the grain is filled smooth.
This final finish could be put on for touch up at any time.
I've used it on several guns and it leaves a real low luster finish .

 

[Kentuckywindage]

Bubba that sounds exactly what im looking for.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

Bubba that sounds exactly what im looking for. I knew the linseed oil part but forgot about the bee's wax! Every othr gun ive redo always used tru oil but i hate the gloss finish. My brother used the stock sheen conditioner to take out some of the dullness and it worked good. Im just looking for a more traditional way. Im going to give that a try once i sand the stock down. Should i use water base or oil based stain? Im looking for a dark chocolate color.

 

[Goldhunter]

I'll have to give it a try. thanks

 

[Bubba45]

Ive always used aquafortis and potasium permangenate.Put the aquafortis on and let it dry,then heat it with a propane torch.Be careful with the torch and dont stay in one place very long or you will burn the wood.Use a sheild on sharp edges to keep from burning them.When its the way you like it mix up some vinegar and water and wipe it down to kill the acid(or it turns green).After it dries put on a couple coats of potasium permangenate.
After its good and dry start wet sanding with b.l.o. until you get the color you're after.
Then you just do the b.l.o. finish technique.

You can even get good results with potasium permangenate alone, but if I have good figure I like to make it stand out with the Aquafortis.

 

You're welcome GH - BTW all original Linseed oil based finishes NEED sunlight to properly dry - something we here in the high, dry west have in abundance! :thumbsup: