Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Alternative to steel wool for "knocking back" Tru-Oil

I have a set of S&W smooth target grips that had a crinkly finish � it was oxidized or whatever, bottom line it was all cracked. Tried Formby�s refinisher on them per Sitka Deer�s recommendation and it was ineffective, apparently the finish was not something it would cut. Anyway, I ended up sanding off the original finish down to bare wood. The original wood is very light colored so I stained it with Minwax walnut stain. The final color came out very pleasing and very similar to another pair of S&W grips I own.

Put a first coat of Tru-Oil on it last night and am going for as many coats as it takes until I am satisfied. The directions on the bottle say to knock back the first coat with 00 steel wool.

Have heard all kinds of varying opinions about how steel wool leaves little rusty bits in the wood. So the question is: What cheap and readily available alternative is there to steel wool for light rubbing/whatever you�re supposed to do between Tru-Oil coats to knock it back? Or is steel wool just fine to use?

TIA

Synthetic steel wool - looks like a Scotch Brite pad with abrasives coated onto the fibers throughout the pad. Check at Home Depot, Lowes, Woodcraft, and I think even Walmart has them. You want the fine.

Just called the Home Depot up near my home and they carry it.

Thanks for the advice!

If you use a good tack cloth after you rub with steel wool , you won't have any problems !

I'd personally stay away from the metal wools and go with rotten stone on a small cotton or felt pad.

Rottenstone is good for polishing out the final coat, but doesn't leave much "tooth" for between coats. If you do use rottenstone, or pumice, between coats use water, not oil to lubricate, then get clean and let dry before the next coat.

Lots of the oil finishes don't actually need to be knocked back between coats (or after the first if you've sanded and de-whiskered right). You just don't want them sitting too long before getting the next coat on. Depends on what finish you're using, temperature, humidity, and airflow where you're doing the finish as how long to wait. You want it past the tacky stage, but not hard enough to sand. I go anywhere between an hour and about 4 hours between coats.

I'm not an expert on this - but here goes.

I don't believe you have to "knock it back" between every coat. The last stock I did I put on five or six light coats before I did anything. Then I wet sanded with Tru-Oil and 600 grit wet or dry sandpaper. I carefully, very lightly, block sanded it in sections and wiped away all the residue with a clean lint free piece of cotton cloth before it started to set up. Then repeat the same process until the grain is filled.

As long as you don't wait too long between coats (no more than a day), IMHO, knocking it back isn't necessary.

Tack cloths are good stuff for painting when you're sanding between coats but I don't feel it's needed on a oil finished stock. If you choose to use one don't scrub with it. They're meant to be only lightly wisped/wiped and using any pressure will leave a waxy residue on the surface.

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kcnboise,

I was writing while you were posting. It looks like we're thinking along the same lines.

Personally I haven't had a problem using steel wool on Tru-Oil when completely hardened. I use a tack rag in good condition. Or I should say I haven't noticed a problem in deference to the more experienced here. The tacky part of the rag is a non-drying varnish, AKA resin, (Newell) that hardens when the hardeners in the next coat hits it, if any remains on the surface.

I have used std 0000 steel wool for a lot of years and have never had the rusted particles that others talk about, but it might be so.(I think 00 is too course.) However, after use, I use and air compresor at high pressure 80psi+ to blow the stock off,and then use a tack cloth.
I have had spar varnish /etc set over night that I did not have to knock back,but I usually do as every coat has a few imperfections that I need to get out.

You can read a hundred differnt methods and everyone claims thier method is the best.You just have to experiment and find out what works for you.

I read one time that stock makers usually do not get 100% perfection,but finally give up as what they end up with is about the best thay can do. Some of their best is better than others best though and most are better than mine.

+1

The good thing about doing an oil finish is there's lots of room for errors.

Sounds perfect for me.

Tru Oil is a varnish. For removing dust nibs, etc, I like 400 or 600 grit sandpaper, and prefer the 400 as it doesn't corn up as much. Since you have stained your grips, 600 grit is probably a better choice so you won't cut through the Tru Oil and sand your stain. You don't need to sand the entire surface, though doing so may make for a better mechanical bond between coats. I'm doing two stocks now with Minwax Tung Oil Finish. Filling the pores is very slow, but must be done if you're going to "finish the finish". I'll use grain filler in the future. Get Flexner's book, it's all in there.

Actually a varnish (of some type) mixed with a drying oil (of some type) in unknown proportions plus a dryer. At least unknown to me - trade secret stuff. Whatever, it works.

Yep, it's truly not oil, in the true sense of the word. It behaves like varnish.

Almost all "oil" finishes these days consist of an oil (boiled linseed or tung, or a mix), resin(s) (with polyurethane probably most common), a drying oil (mineral spirits), and sometimes a drying agent (usually colbalt based).

Instead of using sanding with the oil, or a filler, to fill the pores you might sometime try spar varnish or epoxy (search here for epoxy and user name = Sitka deer). Put on coats until the pores look filled, then sand back almost to the wood. Then put your oil finish on top. You'll never do another sanded in pore filling finish after comparing the results...

Some still swear by BLO, or raw linseed, or tung oil, which are oil finishes. Life is too short for these, IMO. Then you have the varnishes and the varnish/oil blends. Most "Oil Finishes" are varnish, but pretend to be oil. Most consumers are misled by the labels, and think they are actually using an oil instead of a varnish.

I mixed up my own spar varnish/BLO blend, but it takes too long to dry because of the long oil characteristics of the spar varnish. I won't do a sanded in finish, but will try a true grain filler with colorant on my next stock. I may mix up my own topcoat mixture with Behlen's Rockhard finish, which has a phenolic resin and so is harder than the alkyd resins, with some Tung oil. It should be similar to the Pro Custom Oil, or Velvit Oil, or Benmatte.

00 steel wool is too coarse, use 0000. I never had a rust problem, I use a tack cloth & lightly wipe after steel wooling.

I have seen 0000 steel wool leave particles in the grain but it was when I made the mistake of using it while de-whiskering a stock before finishing. Under a good light you could see tiny silver specks. Oops.
Using it to knock the shine off a Tru-oil finished stock doesn't present the same problem as long as you use a tack rag between coats. I've also used it on a couple of Weatherby factory finished stocks to do the same. Works like a champ.
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NRA Life,Patron, or Benefactor since '72

If you do your own mix, and the dry time is too long, go to a store that sells artist's oil paints and get a bottle of Japan Drier. 5 - 10 drops in half a baby food jar of mix is about right. Cutting it a little with mineral spirits helps also, as it's a dryer.

Thanks. I hope to avoid that problem by using the Behlen's stuff. I say that because I used just a tiny bit of BLO, like a 1:6 ratio of it to the varnish, and it still took forever to dry. I think the type of varnish plays a large role in drying time. Spar varnishes are made to remain flexible, and are what they call "long oil", as opposed to the other "short" or "medium" oil varnishes. I want to avoid the driers, as I've read they're difficult to control. I figure maybe 1 part Tung oil to 3 or more parts varnish should be good. I'll do some testing first.