Refinished handgrip

[slayer6769]

I accidentally dropped my frame on my replica 1860 Army in the hot soapy water i was cleaning my revolver in. I figured I'd just go with it at that point, so I finished cleaning everything. When I removed the frame from the hot soapy water, the finish was gone from my wood handgrips.
My question is, what's the best thing to refinish the wood with?? I was thinking linseed oil, but I figured I'd ask before doing anything else. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[FishDFly]

I accidentally dropped my frame on my replica 1860 Army in the hot soapy water i was cleaning my revolver in. I figured I'd just go with it at that point, so I finished cleaning everything. When I removed the frame from the hot soapy water, the finish was gone from my wood handgrips.
My question is, what's the best thing to refinish the wood with?? I was thinking linseed oil, but I figured I'd ask before doing anything else. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Geez, I have to ask, just how hot was the water you used?

How did hot water remove a wood finish from the grips?

Did you boil the entire gun?

Tru-Oil, but you might consider having the pistol checked by a person who knows about BP pistols before doing much else.

 

[slayer6769]

IDK how hot the water was. However hot it is out of the tap.
I'm certain the gun itself is fine.

 

[Zonie]

Linseed oil is not very water resistant and it takes days/weeks to dry.

Pure Tung oil also takes weeks to dry and some people are highly allergic to it.

Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil is a linseed based oil that has additional driers added so it will dry in a matter of hours.
It is best applied in small amounts with each coat thoroughly rubbed into the wood before it is set aside to dry.

If it is rubbed in the final finish will be a nicely oiled dull gloss which is very water resistant.

If T.O. is applied in thicker coatings without rubbing it in it will make a very high gloss finish.
This can be used as is or it can be dulled slightly by using Birchwood Casey Stock Sheen, a slightly abrasive polish.

 

[swathdiver]

I like boiled linseed oil. If it's nice wood, it will look great after 7 or more coats, each sanded with 0000 steel wool, once per day.

 

[bpd303]

I use Formby's Traditional Tung Oil Finish (low gloss)gives a beautiful finish after about 4 coats. Let each coat dry overnight then buff with 0000 steel wool between coats.

 

[RADeO]

+1 on the Tru-Oil. It is easy to apply and gives you a very nice finish. :thumbsup:

 

[M. De Land]

Yup, I'm a Tru-oil addict myself after beginning with Lin-speed which was also very good.
Been experimenting with epoxy for sealer when heated and worked into the wood surface, knocking it down and then finishing with Tru-oil on top.
I have always hated epoxy finishes and was prejudice against them until a fella convinced me to try thinning and heating it for surface penetration as a sealer and then come back with an oil top finish. Seals many time better than T.O. alone and really strengthens wood fiber for good checkering points. Done right you will never know epoxy was used for the sealer.
You really can teach an old dog new tricks! MD

 

[RADeO]

Yup, I'm a Tru-oil addict myself after beginning with Lin-speed which was also very good.
Been experimenting with epoxy for sealer when heated and worked into the wood surface, knocking it down and then finishing with Tru-oil on top.
I have always hated epoxy finishes and was prejudice against them until a fella convinced me to try thinning and heating it for surface penetration as a sealer and then come back with an oil top finish. Seals many time better than T.O. alone and really strengthens wood fiber for good checkering points. Done right you will never know epoxy was used for the sealer.
You really can teach an old dog new tricks! MD

Boldface added

M.D., can you give us some specifics regarding thinning and heating epoxy finish to which you referred? What was used as the thinning agent? How hot did you get the mixture and what was the heat source? Sounds like a very interesting idea.

 

[Bob in iowa]

Tru-oil is great stuff, if the wood is a little light colored, use the Tru-oil Walnut stain first.
Apply 6 or 8 light coats and buff between each with 0000 steel wool.
Almost forgot, while the grips are off, be sure to finish the back sides just like the front sides. Water or oil won't enter the back side of the grips that way.

 

[M. De Land]

I'm new to this technique as well and have only used it twice so keep that in mind as I share what little I know about this procedure.
As you probably know two part epoxies heat up just before they kick over but if you can use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat up both the wood and epoxy before the chemical reaction initiates the kick over it can be worked into the opening up grains of warmed wood.
This was with Agra Glass without floc mixed in. I also was able to darken the wood with the die in the kit.
I'm told there are also some very thin two part epoxies that work very good for this as well that do not have to be heated as the time to work it shortens with added heat. It is messy work but I used it first on the home made grips I cobbled together for the Yazel flint pistol. It made them checker like a dream from this rather soft black walnut I picked up somewhere I don't remember.

This is what they look like after the Agra-glass was worked in, wiped off and cured. I used only my hands gloved in the thin Nitrile anti chemical glove mechanics wear. I will have to get some pictures of them off the gun sometime to show what they look like after the Tru-oil was put on for the finish.
Top picture is epoxy knocked down for checkering without Tru-oil added yet. MD

 

[slayer6769]

Thanks guys. I think I'll go with Tru-Oil. Seems to be popular and fairly simple to use. Most guys I know have used it with great success on M14 stocks. I'll give it a go on my revolver.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Most of these tips about finish will probably be much easier than linseed oil. Linseed oil finishes are greatly misunderstood, generally because of the time involved to do the job right. The finished result can be beautiful and very protective but you have to remember the old adage about linseed oil finishes:

"Once a day for a week;
once a week for a month
and once a month for a year."

Slow but pretty, which reminds me of an old girl friend! :rotf:

 

[bobthemotorcycle]

When I read this a few days ago I thought you must be muyz because there is no way this can happen.

Yesterday I came back from the range and came inside, turned on the hot water in the bathtub and added dish soap. I took the barrel off my muzzleloader and put it in the tub and all of a sudden I had to pee really bad so I just put my Pietta revolver in the tub also with out taking it apart. I figured there was a sealer on the grips but when I pulled it out after cleaning the muzzleloader barrel I noticed how dry the grips were. After about 5 minutes of being out of the watter they expanded, none of the lines line up with the edge of the grip frame anymore.

I am just going to give it a few days and see if they unswell but reguardless I am not going to worry about oil and just let my dirty hands give it the finish.