I just finished sanding (I think, how do you know for sure?) a laminate, thumb-hole stock from Richards and am going to start applying a Tru Oil finish tonight. I've read a lot of Sitka Deer's posts on stock finishing and like what he has to say.

I'll be applying a coat, waiting 15 minutes or so, wiping clean with a cloth (will a tack cloth be good?) and then applying a second and third heavy coats (with wiping in between) and then hanging to dry overnight until I can do more tomorrow.

Was thinking about using a straightened coat hanger or other wire to hang it by the front action screw hole from the ceiling in my work shop....is this how you typically do it to prevent marring the fresh coat of oil?

Thx!
Chris

stiff wire works great! coated wire works better!

make sure the wire does not contact the stock once it's hung (dry fit). I use a bone pin (SS rod) with a little "L" on it in either the action screw or the magazine well or the sling swivel stud.

I hadn't thought about the sling swivel stud....I took them out for the sanding job....guess I could put it back in for the oil finish.

Do you actually pour some of the Tru Oil into your hand and then wipe it on, or put some in a small bowl and then dip your fingers into it?

I thought I remember a post where someone modified a Tru Oil bottle somehow to dispense it better....anyone remember how they did it?

Sorry for the dumb questions...first time finishing ANYTHING (other than spray paint) and know very little about wood working!

thx again!
Chris

I store my Tru Oil in the freezer and pour about a teaspoonful into a disposable plastic weighing dish to use; a finger dip at a time. Get it off my hands with a squirt of WD-40 followed by dish detergent.

I apply oil with a small folded up piece of linen, dipping it right into the can I mixed it up in. (Equal parts pure Tung oil, Epifanes spar varnish and mineral spirits)

To hang it up to dry overnight, I run a buttplate screw into it's hole and tie whatever I'm using at the moment to it (heavy cotton string usually).

I used the coat hanger method when I re-finished my 77-17 stock.
Let it hang over-night, in the shed. Then packed it to the house. Dropped the darn thing!
Will remember the sling swivel stud next time!
Virgil B.

I usually suck up the oil in a 6cc syringe and drip it on where needed while rubbing it in. It really minimizes wastage and applying exeessive amounts!

wait for sitka to find this, he'll have plenty of tips !

Sling swivel and heavy wire/coat hanger works. Have you looked into the aerosol tru-oil? Much better imho.....

I use the coat hanger wire in the action screw hole.

Tom M is correct in the aerosol stuff has advantages. It stays fresh longer as there is no exposure to air and it applies easily. The advantages end there as the idea with oil finishes is to rub them dry after allowing them to sit for a while. It also significantly more expensive, but either way works.

Coat hanger me too....got two hanging now over the woodstove that appear to be a permanent part of the decore.

I rub Tru Oil straight, no thinning after learning what Sitka says about thinned oil and how it dries leaving minute air "bubbles" for moisture to leak through.

I dribble it right out of the bottle onto the wood, not a lot, just enough to go a ways. Then rub it out with my whole hand as far as that amount will stretch, repeat until the whole stock is covered. I wait a bit then buff it out with flannel cloth. Then hang for a day or two or three depending on the humidity. Sand and repeat.

I don't worry at all how it looks until after at least ten coats are rubbed in, then I pay attention to how much the grain is being filled and how the finish looks in a glancing light. I'm done after about 20 coats or so.

One trick I do to make the Tru Oil last longer in the bottle is poke a small hole in the foil seal so that just drops come out. Seams to lessen the amount of "skin" the stuff gets if the bottle sits a while. Also is way easier and less wasteful to apply a few drops to the stock right out of the bottle than to pour a bunch in a cup that doesn't all get used. Don't remove that foil seal, just poke a hole in it near the edge of the mouth........

I store Tru Oil in the bottle upside down so any skin that forms is on the bottom. I use a small hole in the foil too.

If you are going to do this right, and esp. if you want to do this more than once, make a jig that will allow you to work on the stock without touching it. A dowel dummy barrel might work in a vice. Better, if the stock can be rotated so you can work on any side you wish without touching it, you will be immensely happier.

The problem is that you really cannot finish a stock that is swinging in the breeze on a wire. And as soon as you grab it to stop the swinging, you have a problem.

Be creative and make a little benchtop jig. If you do, you will reward yourself with a good beer for thinking ahead.

Brent

I don't think that we're talking about applying finish as it hangs....it hangs to allow it to dry, after the finish is applied.

Savvy?

A dummy barrel might be a good idea, but at least in my case the inside of the action inlet and barrel channel get just as many coats of finish as the outside. A dummy barrel would get in the way of that...one would think, if one was thinking ahead.

I dunno about anyone else but when I hang a stock after applying a coat of Tru Oil, the stock is dry to the touch anyway from all the rubbing and buffing....

yeah, I savvy

How are you going to hold that stock while coating every square millimeter of it's surface?

Note he said heavy second and third coats...

Savvy?

Brent

I have got 1 1/2 coats on so far....Got one coat on and then realized I hadn't sanded will enough around the pistol grip and found a couple other spots that needed more sand paper. Sanded them out and then applied another coat.

I used a rubber bungee cord and straightened out one of the hooks a little bit and it fits perfectly into the hole for the sling swivel stud without any contact.

I am putting oil in the barrel channel, but haven't gotten much in the action inlet, just around the edges. Gonna get some more coats put on today!

Thanks for all the advice!!!!

Chris

Brent...

You speak as if you know something but I'm left wondering just how many stocks you have finished with Tru Oil.....

I can speak only of that which I know and have done...and can recall no difficulty "handling" a "wet" stock. As I've plainly stated the stock is dry to the touch BEFORE it gets hung up to "dry" or "cure out" for a day or two or three....the very essance of a hand rubbed finish dictates that.

Besides, the first 15 to 18 coats, for me, are just to fill the grain and seal the wood. The only coats that matter for looks are the last two or three and the final finish is a hard buffing with flannel to absolute dry, a hang time of a couple weeks then a goodly couple coats of wax.

If you've BT/DT then you would know........

The man was soliciting info from abroad and that's what he's getting.

Brent
Oil is applied heavily... Allowed to work for 10-15 minutes and then buffed DRY. Touching it a little at that point is not a problem. Many think they need to apply oil and leave it wet on the surface. That makes for runs and a poor finish...
art

I saw Larry Potterfield on a Midway spot using a gadget I'd like to try. It's basically a piece of mild steel strap that's screwed into the recoil pad screw holes using tube spacers to make a nice handle. Weld a piece of tube at one hole for a fixed spacer (or don't to use different length spacers). Mill a slot for the other screw and leave the spacer loose for a universal tool. Hang through the forend sling swivel stud hole with tie wire and have at it. It could be in there somewhere but I couldn't find anything like it in the Midway online catalog.

cla..,

Don't forget to take off the butt plate or recoil pad and finish the butt section of the stock, too. You can also run a screw back into the hole and tie a cord to it if you want to hang it at another direction.

I use an art brush to make sure every surface of the inletting is covered - even the action screw holes.

Gee, I've done dozens of stocks (I use straight linseed) and I just stand 'em in a corner.

+1 on the stud.

Straight linseed never dries.......boiled linseed, however does.

Never did like linseed, though it is pretty.

Soaks water up like a sponge........

ALL oil soaks water up like a sponge...

You guys have some pretty strange sponges. I'm still using oiled stocks on 180 year old rifles and shotties with original finish and they are still working in the rain and snow. I suspces they will still be working 180s from now too.

Brent

Brent
Cured oil on wood soaks up water vapor faster than bare wood. A simple, easily tested concept, that. Relative rate of water movement is not always a factor in rifle function, but it certainly can be.
art

Well, bet hat as your theory may, I'm still using a 1827 Joseph Lang original with original finish, a 1885 Wichester made in 1887 with anoriginal finish, and origal William Evens double made in the mid1860s with original finish, and except for the dents and the scratches the finish on them is still working perfectly. They get used in any and all weather.

I have other guns that I have refinished or restocked and they too continue to work just fine and dandy. I know you guys like plastic finishes and that is just fine for you, but why you rain on everone else's preferences for oil finishes when they have been working for hundreds of years is beyond me.

So, say what you want, but there are lot of antique firearms that are doing just fine with their "sponge" finishes - and in my opinion, they look a lot better too.

Brent

Prolly don't rain much in Iowa.......

Hand rubbed 20+ coats plus wax ain't "plastic" no matter how you try to slice it.

Mer..,

I'm guessing you don't much care what your stocks look like and enjoy it when they stick to your face.

I'm guessing he meant boiled...

Rain, Iowa? That's really so stupid it hardly merits response, but do you think I am somehow imprisoned in Iowa?

20+ coats of what?

Brent

As the originator of this thread, I'm gonna step in here a little bit.....

Let's all stay cool here....everyone is entitled to their own opinion and as a result it can neither be wrong nor right. People have different preferences and I came here to hear what other people have had success with and develop my own approach. Take a little from here, a little from there, and voila....beautiful stock!

There's a lot of ways to make lasagna, and each one still tastes good!

Life's too short to get all tangled up in some forum brawl!

Thanks for all the submissions!

Chris

Tru Oil........stupid.

I am a custom gunmaker AND a wood dealer and have studied these questions copiously. Here are some of my suggestions.

Linseed oil is rather ineffective against moisture intrusion. The turn of the century government Mil Specs were to soak the stocks about 24 hours in Linseed Oil to get the oil really DEEP into the wood. We amateurs certainly don't do that. Linseed oil stock care was like this: Once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and once a year FOREVER. It was used as a base for hundreds of different formulations which were all better than Linseed oil itself. The term BOILED Linseed oil means Linseed oil with drier added like Japan finish. That makes it truly dry. Tru-Oil also has Linseed oil in it but is one of the improved finishes. In government tests, Tru-Oil is 75% effective against moisture intrusion where Linseed oil is only 15% effective.

Another question was how to keep the finishes from going bad. What happens is that air (oxygen) causes the hardeners in the finishes to come out of solution and form a hard coating between the liquid and the air. You can break the surface but then the remaining liquid is low on hardeners. The secret is to remove the air. An easy way to do this is to add marbles to the container to fill up the bottle and remove the air above the liquid. When you are out, the marbles can be removed and saved for the next bottle.

My finishing technique:
There are no bad finishes, just ones you personally like. Here is my method. This works well for Tru-Oil or Pro Custom Oil (available from Brownells and is another fast drying finish which keeps the original wood color instead of darkening like most oil finishes). After finish sanding (I usually go down to 600 grit), I mix the Tru-Oil with 50% thinner (paint thinner) and apply thickly to the stock. This is to get MAXIMUM penetration into the wood. I also apply this coat under the pad and to the interior of the machined stock to keep moisture intrusion to a minimum. After it dries, I use 4/0 steel wool to rub the finish COMPLETELY off the exterior of the stock. I do NOT use sandpaper as I don't want to go through the finish. The finish first turns very dull as the steel wool ruffens the surface of the finish. The look then brightens a bit as the surface finish is completely removed and the wood is burnished. The stock is then blown and/or wiped to remove the steel wool particles which have broken off and may be adhering to the surface of the stock. The steel wool wiping of the stock will take about an hour to complete. The second coat is now applied THICKLY. Don't worry about drips as we are going to now hasten the filling of the open pored wood. When the finish gets TACKY, we SMEAR the finish all over the stock and let set until dry. Looks REALLY CRAPPY now, but there is method to our madness. After steel wooling and another coat done the same way, the surface pores are now completely filled after only 3 coats! Pat self on back and have a brewski. Now we have some choices to make. Do we want a matte finish or a bright finish? Since we have both seen the finish with a bright look with the coat freshly instally and a matte finish after steel wooling, we know what each looks like and can choose what we prefer. (Have another brewski). Now our last choice. Do we want a finish IN wood or a finish ON wood. At the moment we have a very classic looking finish IN wood. There is not a lot of protection but it looks great on a classic shotgun. But if we want a thicker finish coat, we can add more coats and LIGHTLY steel wool between coats. Just enough rubbing to dull the finish surface so the next coat will stick to it but not enough to remove the finish. You can gradually build up a finish this way...you can even fill holes on old stocks this way. You can even build up "wood" where the metal is proud of the wood this way. Enjoy. have another brewski.

Thinned Tru Oil leaves microscopic air bubbles in the dried finish that are absolutely perfect for letting moisture through....

Steelwool fibers embedded in the finish will rust very nicely....

Copius coats of Tru Oil plus a few coats of wax looks very classic and is darn near water proof....a bit more than 75% is my guess.

I have made over 100 guns with Tru-Oil and never left a piece of steelwool fiber in one. Your "microscopic" air bubbles, if existant, are surrounded by dried finish. Silly theory.

Peter B
Bet every one of the gunstocks left steel particlees in there. It is almost impossible not to. In some cases they leave freckles you can see across the room in poor light. Used in wet weather the freckles will be at least visible under magnification.

The pores in thinned finishes are a matter that is easily tested and proven. Thinned finishes do not stand up to water like unthinned. (All finsihes have thinners, but quantity makes a big difference)

The severity of the weather the stock is used in makes a big difference. Oil may be all you need... YMMV.
art

You did not thoroughly read, SD. Only the FIRST coat is thinned for added penetration.

Wood is a wonderful filter and penetration is not enhanced by thinning... Again, long proven in many lab tests.

Easy to test for yourself...
art

No insult intended nor taken.

Only a hundred..??

That's funny.....

No offense of course.

Art...

Tell the man what a real wood stock finish is all about.

Alaska tuff water proof finish......