whiskering

[Leon]

I was curious how many times one must whisker till the grain is ready for the stain? I have tried four times using 220 grit in one direction against the whiskers and I switched to 400 grit because I was worried that I was still cutting. Three more times and its still raising the grain. Leon 

[Benedict]

4 times does not seem excessive to me.  Actually, I have never worried about it much, I just keep whiskering until the grain stops raising.  Normally I am sanding with 220 but might switch to 320 after a while.

Does it seem like the grain is not raising as much each time?  I have always noticed that it get less each time.

Bruce

[rick landes]

I am thinking you may be sanding too hard. You are wanting to just cut the whiskers (not take the skin too!)

I like about a 320, just some light strokes...

[Robby]

I agree with Rick. A lot depends on the species and quality of the wood also.

[Leon]

Its rated as Maple plain by TOW but when I wet it it shows a lot of curl. I have been very light with the whiskering. I'm not even using a block with the 400 grit, plus I have been wiping it down with tac cloth. I guess I'll just keep plugging along till its baby butt smooth. Thanks for the reply's Leon   

[Dphariss]

220 is way too agressive, WAY too aggressive for final sanding and grain raising.

Dan

[Long John]

I whisker my stocks with #0000 steel wool.  I think you are using something far too coarse for whiskering.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[Berks Liberty]

Leon,

I had the same issue with one of my first rifles so I tried burnishing the entire stock with a smooth deer antler.  It laid the grain right down.  Just don't use a lot of pressure when you do it or it will look uneven unless that is the look you are after.  I used steel wool on another rifle I built and when I stained it the acid turned the steel fibers a different color.  The steel wool got caught in the grain so I don't use steel wool any more. 

Berk 

[rich pierce]

Sometimes if you burnish it closes the pores and then won't take stain properly.  Scraped stocks whisker less than sanded stocks cause scraping shaves whiskers off and sanding flattens them down, only to rise again.

[Leon]

Thank you all for the responses. I should let you all know that this is not only my first build but its also my maiden voyage working with wood. I was just a little frustrated and just came up from my shop just now. I managed to achieve success and have the stock stained. Tomorrow I'm going to seal the stock " inside and out" and the next day I'll start with the finish. Again thank you all for the advice. Leon

[northmn]

It may be a softer maple which will raise more.  As to sandpaper size, I used 0000 steel wood and went down to 400 or 600 once.  The wood did not want to stain evenly as the stain seemed to flow off of it.  Depending upon the final look you want 220 will work 320 is a fine as I would go.  Good luck.

DP

[Greg S Day]

I wisker twice and then burnish with a piece of cut-off hickory rod.

Lays it all down nice and smooth.  I've never had a problem with the stain after burnishing.

Try a small area on the belly of the stock ahead of the toe plate.  The wood just lays down and shines after the burnishing.

If you're worried you can burnish after the stain.

The burnishing just flat lays it all down.

very satisfying!

[keweenaw]

On walnut I typically whisker twice sanding with 320.  Only if the grain is really weird have I found it necessary to whisker 3 times.  I don't sand my maple stocks so the surface is all tool cut or scraped.  There is only slight whiskering after staining with iron/nitrate. The worst of this is easily removed by going over the stock lightly with a green scotch brite pad.  Now these are genuine 18th century scotch brites so as to be period correct.  As the first coat of finish is starting to set, I burnish with a tapered and polished piece of hickory ramrod which will push any remaining whiskers down where they are trapped by the finish never to raise again.

Tom

[Dphariss]

I tend to wet and dry the wood several times in the process. Once the final shaping and smoothing starts I raise the grain several times. This helps show flaws in the surface and will raise places where too much pressure on a file or rasp has pressed the grain down. Easier to fix early in the process. These are a real irritant when you find them at the 320 grit stage.
I like steel wool 0000 for whiskering. Fine paper is OK but it tends to iron the grain back down in some cases.
Once the grain is stable wet the stock and dry one more time before staining this might help it take stain a little better.
Dan

[tg]

I used a scraper last time I did any whickering, it was on the walnut fusil stock, I ytink I did it three times useing a hair dryer to raise the grain after wetting, on this type of gun I was not lookimngfor a baby bottom smooth end product anyway,  just felt that it would be a bit more like the originals if not quite so smooth and purdy.

[B Shipman]

Trust me, this is the answer in general. Whiskering is done to 400 paper, not more or less. The first can be 320 then 400. But only 400 after that. Anything heavier than that cuts too much wood and does nothing.  3 times.  Wet stock, let dry or better, heat with a torch or other heat source. Then 400 paper. Obviously your stock has to be finished to 400 in the first place. Keep the paper fresh. You're cuting off the raised grain, not depressing it. This is the method Bivins used to get those great finishes.

Burnishing is a whole different cat. No one had 400 paper back then. Likely Am. rifles were finished this way in general.

BUT. They did have methods to create a similar finish to the 400 paper Bivins thing.
I think, abrasives and oil worked into thin and tightly stretched felt are very effective.
I've had English work of the late 1700's where scraping and burnishing could not possibly have produced the finish.  It's simply glass smooth perfect.