Tru Oil
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Black Hand
Cannon
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3-5 (or more) thin coats applied with a lint-free cloth. Allow to dry completely between coats and steel wool (0000) before applying the next coat. With the final coat, steel wool to cut the shine or leave glossy as you prefer.
I have been using Marine Spar varn with some BLO and a bit of turp the last ten years and it works pretty well IMHO it does not get so "plasticy'lookin/feeling like some finsihes but application method can be a big part of this, Intried Tru Oil a few times and it just did not seem as much to my liking as the spar varn mix.but everyone has different tastes
I like Tru-Oil.
It is easy to use and it dries in 3-6 hours depending on humidity and sunlight. Exposed to sunlight it hardens faster.
Although it can leave a high gloss surface if it is applied fairly heavily, if it is rubbed on with a clean rag in very thin thicknesses while working in small areas it can leave a very nice soft sheen when it dries.
It is waterproof and if it is scratched it is easy to apply more of it to the scratch to completely cover it.
Most of my rifles receive at least 6 coats and more often than not they have 12-16 coats.
It is easy to use and it dries in 3-6 hours depending on humidity and sunlight. Exposed to sunlight it hardens faster.
Although it can leave a high gloss surface if it is applied fairly heavily, if it is rubbed on with a clean rag in very thin thicknesses while working in small areas it can leave a very nice soft sheen when it dries.
It is waterproof and if it is scratched it is easy to apply more of it to the scratch to completely cover it.
Most of my rifles receive at least 6 coats and more often than not they have 12-16 coats.
hoochiepapa
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My friend and partner in gunsmithing used tru-oil exclusively, and rubbed it in with the heel of his hand. He said that was how he was taught in Colo. School of Trades Gunsmithing School, and every rifle he finished was amazing.
Here is a tip for that sorry paper Tru-oil cap seal, a water hose gasket as a replacement, works much better.
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Great tip!!! Another good day when I learn a useful piece of information!! :hatsoff:
Cheers, DonK
Cheers, DonK
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I use tru oil on all my builds. That includes barrel channel lock an side plate openings an trigger holes. And I hand rub around 20 coates buffing with 0000 steel wool between each coat. Then after the final coat I buff with a wadded up newspaper an get pretty good results :thumbsup:
I agree with the majority. Tru Oil is my favorite.I do 18 to 20 coats, a few drops rubbed in by finger tips working quickly from foreend to butt. 12 hrs between coats and steel wooled w/0000 wool.then tack clothed before each coat. ps: turn bottle upside down on cap to keep oil from skimming over at the cap!!!
ryzman
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pondoro said:
Its all ive ever used so i cant compare to other methods... that being said I do like the ease of application and the quality of results. I find that the first few coats dry faster than the rest. Im on the 5th or 6th coat right now and its taking about 3 hours to dry. You dont want to get in a hurry and end up with runs in the finish. they are not pleasant to deal with. Lint and dust is the enemy and I would not use a piece of cloth to apply tru oil. use your fingers for best results. also i would not worry about steel wool until you get a good three or four coats on... very thin coats btw...
if you like tru-oil, there's another similar finish called "waterlox" that i think builds (fills grain) slightly better and is just as tough.
i've also found that leaving just a small amount of helmsman spar varnish in an open jar long enough to get real thick.if it skins over, which it will, just pull the skin off and the finish under the skin will be about the consistancy of honey. rubs on very nicely. i now have a small jar of it standing out at all times and use the lid to control how thick it gets. let it get thick enough that it runs very slowly, like honey, when you tip the jar and then just rub it in with your fingers untill it starts to get sticky.when that coat cures till it's just barely tacky, apply another coat. when it dries, rub it out with a scoth-brite pad lubed with spirits. it can be tinted with any oil based stain. i buy a small can of minwax stain of a dark red tone and scrape some of the pigment off the bottom of a the can and mix it in with the finish to achieve the tint i'm after.
i've also found that leaving just a small amount of helmsman spar varnish in an open jar long enough to get real thick.if it skins over, which it will, just pull the skin off and the finish under the skin will be about the consistancy of honey. rubs on very nicely. i now have a small jar of it standing out at all times and use the lid to control how thick it gets. let it get thick enough that it runs very slowly, like honey, when you tip the jar and then just rub it in with your fingers untill it starts to get sticky.when that coat cures till it's just barely tacky, apply another coat. when it dries, rub it out with a scoth-brite pad lubed with spirits. it can be tinted with any oil based stain. i buy a small can of minwax stain of a dark red tone and scrape some of the pigment off the bottom of a the can and mix it in with the finish to achieve the tint i'm after.
The first couple of coats I do, I use the tru oil and 1000 grit wet grade paper. I wet sand it. It fills the grain really nice. I leave the sludge on the stock and let it dry. Then sand it dry with the 1000 grit to smooth it out. Do this 2-3 times and all the pores will be filled. It leaves the wood very smooth. Then hand rub however many coats to make it look like glass.
