True Oil Questions

[pab1]

I'm building a GPR kit using Birchwood Casey True Oil and have a couple questions.

1. How many coats do you guys recommend?

2. After the final coat I want to take a little of the gloss look off. Should I use 0000 steel wool for this?

 

[Keb]

None. Just my opinion. I don't like the stuff.

 

[pab1]

None. Just my opinion. I don't like the stuff.

I have 3 coats on now so I'm committed.

 

[mtmshieldshotmail.com]

None. Just my opinion. I don't like the stuff.

:shocked2:

What do you like to use, and why? And how is it better? Seems a statement like that should at least be followed up with an alternative. Just my opinion.

To the OP, Birchwood Casey also makes an emulsion (think they call it sheen conditioner) just for the purpose you're inquiring about. Use it with a light touch, though, or you'll end up with an even glossier finish.

Regards,
Mike

 

[matt denison]

Yer about half way there. Four to six coats depending on the grain and how thick you're putting it on. I'm assuming that you are knocking it back between coats with steel wool or fine (320 - 400 grit) sand paper.

After the last coat I dull it back with 0000 steel wool and then a generous coat of Johnsons Paste Wax. It will end up satiny instead of glossy.

 

[pab1]

I'm assuming that you are knocking it back between coats with steel wool or fine (320 - 400 grit) sand paper.

I'm using 00 steel wool between coats.

After the last coat I dull it back with 0000 steel wool and then a generous coat of Johnsons Paste Wax. It will end up satiny instead of glossy.

I have a bottle of Birchwood Casy Gun Stock Wax I planned to use after the True Oil. Is the Johnsons Paste Wax better?

 

[Birddog6]

If applied correctly, it is a awesome finish, IMHO. I have used it dozens of times & to this day it is my favorite & most durable finish. But you have to learn how to work with it to obtain the look you want.

Most guys put it on way too heavy & use way too much..... :shake: End result is a wet sloppy looking stock.

I first coat EVERYTHING wood heavily, let it sit 15 min & then wipe it all off & care taken to get into all the cracks & recesses, as I want no buildup there & this is to seal the wood.

Then I wet just the tip of my index finger (about a 3/8" dot, and work that into a 3" x 3" place til it is dry. Move over & go again. Some wood takes 5-6 coats, some may take 12..... just depends on the wood. You want to build Into the wood & bring the grain luster out, not build ON the wood.......

Let it dry 8-12 hrs. work it down with 0000 steel wool. Vacume with a brush on the vacume & get all the steel wool particles off, repeat the tiny bit of finish at a time, going all over the rifle. Keep doing it till all the grain is full & it will take no more finish. Then LIGHTLY take it off with steel wool & then wax the heck outof it with Howards Paste Wax (Walnut color) End result is a durable low gloss sheen that looks great & really breangs out the grain, colors, & stripes in the wood..

This is a stump cut maple stock with it.

This is a Black Walnut stock with it.

Keith Lisle

 

[jerrywh]

I know a lot of modern custom gunmakers that are in the Guild and a lot of them use true oil for a base. They put on two to four coats just to fill the grain and then use a slower oil for the final finish. This is what I do now. Over the last 50 or more years I guess I have used almost everything there is. Personally I don't think it's what you use as much as it is how you put it on. but this is probably the most controlversial subject amoung gunbuilders. There is a way to put on True oil without the super gloss. Thin it down about 50% with turpenoid. Wipe it on very thin and work it with a piece of nylon panty hose wrapped around your finger until it has the texture you want. The final wipe must be all in one direction. If it dries too fast put a tiny amout of boiled linseed oil in it to slow it down. Always use a fresh bottle of true oil. It has a very short shelf life and will not dry well after it sets a while. This is what I do.
Looks like Birddog has it down pat. Upon more thought , that;s a real nice gun Birddog.

 

[roundball]

I love the stuff having stripped and refinished several gun stocks with Tru-Oil, using almost the identical approach as Birddog6 posted about...note: all of them were walnut.

I knew I needed to let each separate coat get bone dry / cured but didn't know how long to wait...so to be safe, I put on a coat one weekend, hung it up until the following weekend, and so on...spanned several weekends but I wasn't in a hurry.
Tru-Oil has always made grain & figure just pop out for me.

A little tip if you're not already aware of it...when you finish with a bottle for a while, put the cap back on tight and stand the bottle upside down...that way the 'skin' forms on what will be the bottom of the liquid when you turn the bottle upright to use it next time.

 

[George]

After 2 coats of BC Sealer and Filler, I put 10 coats on this one, each one rubbed on as thin as possible with my hands and allowed to dry completely. When the last coat was thoroughly dry I rubbed it back with rottenstone in mineral oil to the sheen I liked. A coat of paste wax completed the job, and I repeat that periodically. This gun has been used in a lot of wet conditions for the last 14 years and there seem to be no problem spots with the finish.

Spence

 

[pab1]

Beautiful work Birdog6 and George! :hatsoff:

Thanks for all the info guys! :thumbsup:

 

[Birddog6]

Thank you... but they are nothing compared to what you make. :shake: But completely dif. styles for dif uses. Mine are made to be used, your are definitely art to be admired. I may make 8 in a year, you put a year of time in one, and I still cannot grasp how you do it. I wish I could own one of yours, as they are really something.

As for the Tru-Oil, it took allot of rifles to learn to get what I want out of it. Stripped Many... back down & started over. I always seal with Tru-Oil or Permalyn first, then go from there. And I buy a brand new bottle for EACH stock. Use the old stuff for sealing the ends of stock blanks & etc. $ 5-6 bucks is a cheap price for a durable finish, IMHO :thumbsup:

If you are in a humid atmosphere, put a teaspoonful of Tru-Oil in a jar lid, add 3-4 drops... of Japan Drier to it & then apply as explained & it will dry faster in a humid environment. Discard the excess after applying & repeat procedure when it is time.

Keith Lisle

 

[Birddog6]

Thank you, you are most welcome. :wink:

Keith Lisle

 

[pab1]

Thank you... but they are nothing compared to what you make. :shake: But completely dif. styles for dif uses. Mine are made to be used, your are definitely art to be admired.

I'm humbled by the work all of you do! I feel like I'm making a fiddle using rubber bands, a 2X4 and a Cheerios box while asking Antonio Stradivari for advise. :grin:

 

[Kentuckywindage]

You have to apply the layers THIN and let them DRY over night to achieve the best results possible.

I normally do 8 to 9 coats of hand rubbed finish. Once i have 4 coats on, i use 2000 grit sand paper and wet sand LIGHTLY. 24 hours to dry and then apply my hand rubbed finish again until i get to the 8 or 9 coats i need.

Once there, wet sand again to scuff up the surface and then let it dry again.

Follow up with 6 coats of Spray on truoil and wet sand one last time. I normally go for a classic satin finish and use birchwood casey stock conditioner and lightly buff the stock.

Heres some rifles - pistols ive restored for myself and others.

Probably my most favorite, http://gandersmuzzleloadingblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/birchwood-casey-pistol-restoration.html
http://gandersmuzzleloadingblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/muzzleloader-restoration.html

It works best if you go slow and let the product dry over night between coats. Its slow but the results are darn well worth it.

Oops cant forget my other pic LOL. GPR .54 kit i did but later sold :youcrazy:

 

[matt denison]

Jerry said:
"...I don't think it's what you use as much as it is how you put it on."

That says much about why Tru Oil is controversial. Since the label says "oil" some think it should be used like BLO then when they get poor results they blame the product not the technique. The directions on the label are very rudimentery, not good for the beginner. I've used it on many many guns over the years and I fiind it to be a good durable finish and when applied right it can make a beautiful finish.

I once sold a kit to a fellow which included a one ounce bottle of Tru-Oil. One ounce is enough to finish about four guns. He called one day and told me he needed a couple more bottles to finish up his gun. I asked how many coats he had already on the gun? ..."one". He had used the whole bottle and applied with a brush. Yuck! He never read the instructions.

 

[Keb]

None. Just my opinion. I don't like the stuff.

:shocked2:

What do you like to use, and why? And how is it better? Seems a statement like that should at least be followed up with an alternative...


Regards,
Mike

Mike,
I was asked for my opinion by the original poster as to how many coats of TrueOil do I recommend. I said "None. Just my opinion."
I'm sorry it doesn't agree with your opinion.
I didn't say what I use is better. I said I don't like it.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Every body has their own preferences. I like Lin speed which is very similar. As said above, the finish you get depends more on preparation, method and patience than on what you use. In the old days alot of kits and other nice wood were screwed up by guys who didn't take the time to prep the stocks properly.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I began using Linspeed, and found it too thick, and difficult to put on thin enough to get good coats.

I have now used B/C True Oil for years, and I think the most of it. I am sure there are equally good gun stock oils out there, but True Oil doesn't everything I need or want.

You should know that it allows you to repair scratches to the stock finish easily. Just put a dab of finish on the scratch and rub it and stretch it over the area. Presto- the scratch disappears!

As for a glossy or matte finish, I simply wait ten minutes after my last coat of the finish is put on, and sets up a bit, then Drag my VERY CLEAN index finger over the surface to break it down to a Matte finish. The result is NO plastic flashy shine to the stock. I think Birddog6's Walnut stock picture shows what a matte finish looks like on a stock.

You can also dull a finish by rubbing it with rottenstone, or fine pumice, and oil( available from paint stores, and some hardware stores.) Dip a rag into motor oil, squeeze off the excess, and then dip the oiled rag into the dry abrasive. Then rub lightly a small area of the stock. Move to a new area of the rag, dip in oil, squeeze, dip in the abrasive and move to another area.

The secret is to let the abrasive do the cutting, Not heavy pressure from your hands. ( Technique, again- not product!) :shocked2: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I have gotten good finishes on some wood with as little as 6 coats of True Oil. Others have taken 14-16 coats. If someone can tell me how to spot which wood will require more finish, they would be doing me a very big favor. Right now, the only way I know how many coats a piece of wood will take to achieve that finish is by doing it! :shocked2: :surrender: :thumbsup: I do take the finish down with light rubs of 0000 steel wool between coats. :hmm:

 

[pab1]

Thanks for all the info guys! I wound up doing 8 hand rubbed coats on the stock. It was much easier to use and gave better results than products I've used on wood in the past. I posted pics in the "Photos" forum.