The top 2 rifles are made from Sugar maple. The way I do the finish is as follows.
Sand and whisker as you would on any rifle. Take the finish down to 400 or 600 grit depending on the density of the wood.
Next I stain. ALWAYS use alcohol base stand, NEVER oil based.
When the stain is completely dry I use 0000 steel wool to even out the surface.
Now the "secret"
Take boiled linseed oil and paint thinner and make a solution of both 50%/50%. Put that on the stained wood until it dripping wet and keep it dripping wet for 30 minutes. As it soaks in, put on more. You want this to penetrate the wood deeply. It will soak in so keep it as wet as you can. After 30 minutes take paper towels and dry it off.
Now set it in the window for 4-6 days in sunlight. Do nothing but turn it every day.
After it's cured you inspect it closely. Any small imperfection in the surface will show up clearly. Take the same 50%/50% mix and wet sand (with wet-or-dry paper) the imperfections out. Because you use alcohol based stain you can match the color after the wet sanding. Go over the stock and make sure it's all as perfect as you can make ti. When you are done re-stain the whole stock.
Up until this point everything you have done is for color, surface finish and detail. NOW comes the real finish.
I use Formbys or Gilispies Low Gloss Tung Oil.
Put it on thinly and let it cure 2 days between coats. After 2 days do it again. Use 0000 Steel Wool if you need to blend any of the coats. Keep doing that every two days and only use the steel wool every other coat, and then only if you see a need.
You just keep finishing the wood until there is nothing left to even out or coat. The stock will tell you when it's done.
Sometimes it takes 5-6 coats and sometimes it take 10-12 coats. Depends on the stock. You'll know when it done because you will not be able to find anything else to do.
The reason for the linseed base is that if ever you need to touch up the finish you can sand down to wood and re-apply the stain and get a color match through linseed. If you put Tung directly on the stained wood the finish looks great but you will hate life if you ever try to make a color match through it because once Tung is cured no stain will go through it and give a color match.
