Mark, Here's my finish process. I wash the stock with lye water, let it dry, spray a little vinegar on it, let it dry, then I stain it with LMF maple and walnut. I start with the walnut to get it into the curl. I thin the stains way down with denatured alcohol. 3 parts alcohol to 1 part stain. That way I can sneak up on the color I'm looking for. I just slightly dampen a paper towel with the stain and apply it that way. Let it dry overnight and then rub any excess stain off with a rag slightly dampened with denatured alcohol.
Then I use one really heavy coat of Formbeys satin tung oil. I use it to seal up all the inlets, barrel channel, butt, etc. and it soaks in better than anything else I've tried and it doesn't build up. I just keep putting it on till it won't take any more.
I leave it a couple of days and then whisker it lightly. At this point is when I rub off any edges or areas that I want to look worn.
The finish I use is Chambers oil finish. I put it on with small pieces of paper towel. 4 to 5 thin coats. I wait a couple of days between coats. I will rub it down with some steel wool dampened in finish if it needs it. I think I did this gun one time on the third coat. That's pretty much how I do it.
