Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Custom Rifles, wood only?

Tsquare
I trust you recognize the location of my tongue for much of what I wrote... but you make some statements that I have proven to be flat wrong.

"There are two rules when dealing with fine wood stocks. Rule 1 is that wood will move; Rule 2 is that you can't do anything about Rule 1."

While in general this is true of the vast majority of wood and wood stocks... but there is something that can be done that will produce an absolutely watertight finish. It involves either cyanoacrylate or epoxy sealing the stock and any finish atop that. Either can be used as is without oil atop, but they look more classic with oil.

"but only after the stock is really finished with resin."

Sad fact is that even the most highly touted of the resin and oil finishes (which includes every last "resin" finish I have seen) are only mediocre at keeping water out of wood. I have taken hundreds of 1" walnut cubes and finished them with every type of finish I have found that claimed to seal wood. If oil is in the mix it will soak up atmospheric and liquid water faster than bare wood. If solvents are in the mix (required by resins) they will evaporate through the finish leaving holes water molecules can run through without even ducking their little heads.

"Ease of application" is almost always the same thing as "compromised sealer."
art