sealing inletted parts of stock

[jtmattison]

How would y'all recommend sealing the inletted parts of the stock from moisture? Should I brush tru-oil into all of the nooks and crannies?

Thanks.

HD

 

[renovato]

Thin it about 50/50 with mineral spirits and brush it liberally into all those nooks and crannies until the wood can't absorb anymore. Wipe off the excess and let it dry a day or two, then repeat. Don't forget the ramrod cutout and all the hard to reach spots like bolt holes, etc.

 

[lonewolf5347]

Should I brush tru-oil into all of the nooks and crannies?

I always use tru-oil to seal up them areas I get into it with a Q tip

 

[Black Hand]

I use several applications of shellac in all the "hidden" areas (lock mortise, under butt plate, barrel channel etc.). I can get 5-6 coats without any major build-up.

 

[AeroncaTAL]

I brushed a few coats of thinned boiled linseed oil on all the covered pieces of the stock. Course, that was what I was using on the outside. If you are using True Oil for a finish, then I would use that.
Scott

 

[flintriflesmith]

This topic comes up fairly often and I always ask the same question -- Why?

I have been able to examine several hundred original firearms (longrifles, fowlers, muskets and pistols) and I have never found any original with finish, or any type of sealer, under the barrel, lock, side plate, or butt piece. There guns have survived for 200 years without this unnecessary step!

Just wondering where and when modern builders got the idea that sealing is an improvement over what was the normal practice from the period.

Flintriflesmith

 

[paulvallandigham]

Because its too easy to put way too much stock finish in corners, be real " thin " when applying True Oil to lock mortises, and other nooks and crannies. But do seal them with finish. Just stretch the oil out so it does not puddle or pool in corners, or bottoms. You will not need to put as many coats of finish in these areas as you do on the outside of the stock. All you are trying to do is seal the end grain wood in the mortises, so they don't absorb water, oil, cleaning compounds, etc. during the life of the gun.

The outside finish has to repel water, of course, but also has to deal with sunlight, ( UV rays), wind, bangs, dinks, and dents, and you usually want to put enough coats on the outside so that you get a smooth, clear finish, matte, or glossy, as you wish, so that you can take pride in owning your gun, while enjoying the fine grain of the wood stock. A well finished stock will not only bring out the grain patterns, but also the small stress lines in the wood, or the fiddle back that seems to only appear when water is wiped on the stock, or the stock is finished in a good hand rubbed oil. Even gunstocks with relatively uninteresting, straight grain can have fiddleback, and that makes them an interesting piece of wood to look at.

 

[Norskie]

I seal that wood because it helps stabilize it. Years ago I sliced the rubber buttplate off my Traditions Pioneer and inletted a brass shotgun style buttplate. This was midwinter. I didn't seal the inlet. Fast forward to midsummer in Wisconsin: hot and humid, the wood around the buttplate had swollen until it stood proud of the brass. I waited until the next winter and the wood settled down to where it had been. Then I sealed it and it ain't moved since! Since then I seal under all my inletting. Take as near zero time to do as nevermind.
As to no surviving examples, etc: I'll never let pc considerations keep me from practicality, especially when it does not show.

 

[DrTimboone]

Gary, perhaps its the other several thousand rifles that didn't survive that are the cause.... :hmm:

I just feel better with a few coats of shellac all over, including the inlets to seal; and then a medium oil varnish to finish what shows, then wax... :redface:

You would probably know better than most what was done on the early guns. I would like to hear more from you about how guns were finished in 18th century. :hatsoff:

thanks

 

[dlocke]

My first step in finishing (I have only used Formby's tung oil finish, Minwax tung oil finish, and BLO, but I have done lots of stocks) is to thin whatever finish you are using 4 to 1 (4 parts mineral spirits to 1 part finish) and flood the stock, getting the mix into all the screw holes and nooks & crannies. The reason for thinning the finish so much is that the mineral spirits will soak deep into the wood, taking finish with them (at least that's what I believe). You can repeat this flooding as many times as you like, but I only do it once or twice and have never had a problem. I like to seal my finishes with a couple or 3 coats of Butcher's bowling alley wax.
If you get buildup in corners, etc., just scrape the excess out with an awl or dental picks.
DJL

 

[Zonie]

"...How would y'all recommend sealing the inletted parts of the stock from moisture?..."
______________________________________

If you plan on staining any of the areas, don't put any sealer of any kind on the wood.

If it's already stained, or you don't want to stain that area then follow the guidelines the other folks gave.

zonie

 

[renovato]

FRS, sealing the wood is a relatively modern idea from what I can tell. It's not so much about long term survivability as it is about wood stability. Just ask anyone who has had a ramrod lock into their stock because the wood swelled up from moisture. I got into the habit of it while working on modern guns. If you keep the water out, you keep the wood from swelling and placing stress on the barrel and action, which can disturb accuracy. A well sealed hardwood stock is almost as stable as those laminated attrocities and a lot better looking.