Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Tru Oil, how much?

Beautiful!!

Okay here is exactly what you said:
"REALLY AMAZING the different views on "HOW TO" on the stock finish. I use true oil my self. I have done clost to 60 stock and really like the finish I get with the slurry thing. I like the color I get by using Herters original stock stain and doing the slurry with it. This is made from walnuts and the color comes out alot like pre64 win on some stocks. I would be afraid to say how many stocks a guy can finish with 3 oz of tru oil but several. After opening a new jar, when I close it up, I squeeze the air out of the bottle as much as possible and put the lid on... then store it upside down. If you don't store it upside down you get a dried film of tru oil that you have to break thru to use the next time. The slurry thing gives me a very different look ... more of a higrade furnature look and my stock finish sell themselves... they have more of a "GLOW" than a shine. OH !! +1 on Renagade50 last post."


Sorry, but I thought everyone knows the model 70 finish is very red. Herter's made more than one color finish, but if it looks like a 70 it is red. Walnut dye produces a blue-black color. Alkinet root is what most use for natural red dyes to match the 70 finish.

If you can really see a huge difference in the "slurry thing" you are doing it very different from most...

HEY SITKA ?? You said the herters stain is not made from walnuts.... That got me to wondering where I came up with that so I went to my notes and found I had taken a chunk out of the stain { does yours have chunks?} and looked at it under a magnifying glass and it looked like chunks of walnut shell. I also went looking for my can of stain and just remembered I "loaned" it to a buddy 6 months ago and it hasn't made it home yet so I can't look at the can to see what it says. Just checked the Brownells catalog and it really doesn't say. Do you know for sure what is in there.... what the chunks are.

Walnut dyes are not made from the shells... the husk is where the color comes from. It is usually done as a water "tincture" and not in oil. The browns are not very color-fast.

Alkinet root on the other hand produces the red of characteristic 70 stocks. It has been the standard for a long time.

If your stocks actually come out red it is not a walnut based stain, period.

Any oil-based finish more than 6 months old and I would not want it back...

Earl you need to get out more. Minwax is just playing CYA as the polys actually penetrate the wood whereas the varnishes, they are pushing, are just a surface coat. The Min Wax wipe on polys work fine for me as it doesn't rain in WY and when it snows it doesn't melt until June.
Having spent almost 30 years playing with wooden boats, in a previous life, there is no "nature based" finish that will hold up in the wet over time. The best we ever found was Cetol matte #1, followed by Cetol gloss #2 which was easy to renew every year with a scuffing with Bronze wool (steel wool is never used on a wooden boat!) and a recoat of #2 with a foam brush.
For something that can be really sealed on all sides, like a gunstock, there is nothing better than a sprayed on automotive clear coat. It is even more bulletproof than the older epoxy finished Weatherby stocks. Think about what your car/truck goes through vs your gun.... any questions?

I disagree on the auto finishes as better than epoxies... For one thing the difficulty applying makes it very limited in application.

I also disagree on the penetration difference in polys versus varnishes... A very simple test board would prove that... None will give you measurably more penetration than the other.

Thinning either or both will not increase penetration, either.

kick it up a notch. i'm loving this!

Nothing can get a conversation going like a question about gun stock finishing or metal bluing.
We all have different levels of experience and if we`ve been around for awhile have tried several different products and methods to accomplish the task.
I have two products that I have used with good results and would recommend .The method used is the similar with both.
When doing a Pre 64 Winchester I use John Kays Pre64 Winchester stock oil and follow the instuctions.John is not in business any longer but his oil can be found on Gunbroker from a seller in Texas. The second product is available at "Woodcrafters" and on line. It is "Waterlox original sealer".This product is a combination of linseed,tung and driers.
With the John Kay product dilute with low-odor mineral spirits per instruction sheet.With the Waterlox I dilute it 50/50 with the same. With the stock clean and prepared for finishing flood the stock with either product and allow it to soak in.Towel off any excess that does not penetrate and allow to dry. Next step is wet sanding with either 220 or 320 wet dry paper. Small one inch square piece with a backing. Work a small area at a time and make the strokes with the grain only. Don`t be stingy with the product.Leave the residue "the slurry' on the stock and let it dry. Another wet sand will follow with either the same or finer grit paper like 400 on up to 600-800 grit depending on your judgement and number of sandings.About the third cycle of sanding you will begin to see the results.As mentioned in some of the other replies the pores of the wood and even minor damage that did not fully respond to steaming etc will begin to fill in and disappear.
The two products differ in the time that must be allowed for drying.If you use the John Kay oil it must dry a number of days between wet sandings.A week is not too much.When I use this oil I try to do at least three stocks so I can stagger out the time waiting for them to dry.
Of the two, I much prefer the Waterlox as the drying time is fairly short. Using good old Florida sunshine really speeds it up.Artificial source such as a small heater or your fireplace if you don`t have the sun. When you have finished with your last wet sand; stopping at whatever grit you judge fine enough, it is time for the final finish.After drying apply finger dunks of Tru-oil and handrub it all over the stock. Immediately wipe it off with a clean cloth.If it becomes tacky and hard to remove cut it with a little mineral spirits and apply more and again wipe it off.You can`t get it all and this is what you want ,just a very thin layer of Tru-oil. Allow to dry and if you feel another application is needed cut the finish down with 0000 steel wool,wipe it well with a clean cloth and do it again. If the finish is too shiny you can use a rubbing compound or lightly use 0000 steel wool to take the sheen off. A final application of a good paste wax like Johnsons paste furniture wax and you are done.
There was mention of stains. The John Kay product has the Winchester red stain in it so you don`t have to do anything with it. The Waterlox contains no stain. Spirit stains are available that can be used with this method.I make mine with denatured alchohol and alkanet root and the powdered water soluable stains available at most craft supply outlets. Even after application and drying of the Waterlox the stain will penetrate through the finish. I usually wait until the last wet sand and apply the stains then. With the light sanding that is done in the last cycle the stain can be feathered into the areas needed.
Since this post was about Tru-oil I felt I should mention that I do use it but not as the primary finish. That 8 ounce bottle would do a thousand or more stocks for me.
Last kink for those that do like Tru-Oil ; To keep it from gumming up in the bottle keep some marbles in the shop.Put them in the bottle to take up the air space as you use the oil. Bring it right to the top and you will have no more skimming over and gummy oil.
Joe

We agree on one point, automotive clear coats are tough to apply. Cars are not easy to paint either. In both cases, if done correctly, the prize is worth the quest.
As I doubt you have any experience with the application of either sprayed epoxy finishes or clear coats, your statement on their durability has little credibility.
Having applied both as well as Awlgrip (really nasty stuff) to WEST laminated hulls, I speak from experience. Unless you are set up to apply any of the three, it's too much work for a occasional
home stock refinishing job.
Truoil works, synthetics are just better.

Tru oil can do a really nice finish. I did a write up on it for another forum. The trick for gloss is in coffee filters.

http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/10254-finishing-your-own-rifle-stock.html

It does yellow over time, but is easy to redo.

Actually the amber tint is why I like it when doing a classic finish, a clear finish just looks odd on some pieces. To me anyway.

Not going to agree with you on "best" for auto clear coats for stocks... It requires a ton of work to get the finish applied, a ton more work to bring it from too glossy to eggshell, and you never get rid of the coke bottle look. For most applications some form of varnish will work fine and certainly epoxies are tough enough for any application. Oil simply makes things easier to look at. Superglue does a better job than most anything while making a water-clear finish to match the best automotive paints.

And all can be applied anywhere, by anyone, with very minimal rigging.

Automotive needs are far greater than any reasonable stock will ever need.

Now why would Minwax be playing CYA? Don't go paranoid on us now. LOL
As far as getting out more. Believe me when I say I deserve to stay in more than usual.
I do APPRECIATE all input into stock finishing though.

Not much drama in slapping paint on wood... so some have to manufacture intrigue...

A perfect description boredom with a capital B.

Except for durability, I expect the quality and looks of any finish has a lot more to do with the care and method of application than what it is, assuming someone uses a product so designed to accomplish the job.