Author Topic: Finish for black walnut stock (Read 10528 times)

Bruce · « **on:** September 11, 2012, 09:27:20 PM »

I am in the completion stage of finishing a long rifle having black walnut as it's stock.
What is a good and simple finish for it?

T. Buttonook Pippleburst, Vinegarette of the Ohmijgosh.

sydney · « **Reply #1 on:** September 11, 2012, 11:19:46 PM »

I have been using semi gloss spar varnish with alkanet root
It s easy to use and and gives a nice red/gold glow
to the finish--
Sydney

Dennis Glazener · « **Reply #2 on:** September 12, 2012, 02:28:38 AM »

Use a grain filler then apply Chambers Oil Finish.
Dennis

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #3 on:** September 12, 2012, 02:33:13 AM »

Definitely fill the grain with something black and don't use a glossy finish. Just my opinion....but that's the way I like walnut.

Bruce · « **Reply #4 on:** September 12, 2012, 02:51:41 AM »

You say "something black." Please elaborate. Lamp black?

SuperCracker · « **Reply #5 on:** September 12, 2012, 03:21:17 AM »

I believe Chambers sells a Black Filler that's used just like the French red.

Robert Wolfe · « **Reply #6 on:** September 12, 2012, 03:09:33 PM »

Like Dennis said, fill the grain (I use the filler that Chamber's sells) followed by Chamber's oil.

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #7 on:** September 12, 2012, 03:58:49 PM »

I filled the grain on one piece of western BW that had pretty tight grain with dewaxed garnet shellac, and then finished with Chambers finish. worked very well.

Cory Joe Stewart · « **Reply #8 on:** September 12, 2012, 09:56:55 PM »

I spoke with Jim Chambers today and the filler that you fellas are talking about is not available at the moment. He thinks it might be available after the first of the year.

Coryjoe

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #9 on:** September 12, 2012, 10:02:26 PM »

I have some..taking bids..........

Elnathan · « **Reply #10 on:** September 12, 2012, 10:03:06 PM »

What would they have used back in the 18th century for filler? Shellac?

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #11 on:** September 12, 2012, 10:04:38 PM »

shellac or varnish..it just takes more coats & time

Ed Wenger · « **Reply #12 on:** September 13, 2012, 04:28:47 AM »

Bruce,

Brownell's sells a really nice walnut filler from Herter's (sp?). I use it on all my walnut stocked pieces and it's worked very nicely.

Ed

rick landes · « **Reply #13 on:** September 13, 2012, 03:36:24 PM »

Quote from: Dennis Glazener on September 12, 2012, 02:28:38 AM

Use a grain filler then apply Chambers Oil Finish.
Dennis

Ditto on the COF!

billd · « **Reply #14 on:** September 13, 2012, 04:27:59 PM »

http://www.constantines.com/pastewoodfiller.aspx

I think this is the same as Chambers sells.

Bill

Dennis Glazener · « **Reply #15 on:** September 13, 2012, 05:04:58 PM »

The problem is that they have stopped selling it right now. Later on it should be available. Also the smallest qty you can get is a pint and for me it will harden and be worthless before I build enough walnut rifles to use it up.
Dennis

billd · « **Reply #16 on:** September 13, 2012, 05:19:24 PM »

It doesn't dry out. Mine is about 3 years old.

Bill

Dennis Glazener · « **Reply #17 on:** September 13, 2012, 05:39:59 PM »

That's good, the quart that I got from Woodcraft which I used about 1/2 on a large display cabinet and even tightly closed up it was dried up less than a year later.
Dennis

rich pierce · « **Reply #18 on:** September 13, 2012, 05:45:19 PM »

Transferring some of these finishing products to a smaller bottle or can to get rid of the dead space helps. Or put clean pebbles in the can till it's full. I think Jim Chambers recommends putting marbles in to fill the dead space for one of his finishes, but I've lost.....

wet willy · « **Reply #19 on:** September 13, 2012, 05:59:33 PM »

Another method is to apply a coat of finish on an unstained stock, allow it to dry, then wet sand it with 400 /600 grit wet-or-dry paper with a coating of thinned finish, wipe off excess, dry, and repeat. The slurry formed wet sanding helps fill the grain. Don't worry about cutting through the previous layer of finish as the next coat will fill in.

I personally like the look this gives to walnut as it allows the grain pattern to emerge. Be warned if you use stain, you will surely sand through the stain some place, leaving a patch of bare wood.

Quit when you are satisfied the grain is filled, which may take 4 to 8 applications. Finish by hand-rubbing the final coat.

Kermit · « **Reply #20 on:** September 13, 2012, 07:44:55 PM »

Once there's airspace in a can, things start to go. If you've got a "paint can" with the press-on lid, take a piece of plastic wrap and float it right on the surface of the liquid. Not perfect, and not forever, but it helps.

A problem comes with flat cans like BP cans with the little screw on lids. That's where folks use clean pebbles or marbles. A pain. I go here:

http://www.tcpglobal.com/autobodydepot/botscans.aspx?gclid=CIvAyMf4srICFeeDQgodLncAQg

...and buy smaller round paint cans--pints and quarts in my case--and dump the products into them. Mark with a Sharpie. Not as convenient for pouring small amounts, but easier to cover with a film of plastic.

I find it interesting that the producers market so many finish products in quarts and pints that result in the happy homeowner wasting money and dumping toxic waste, often inappropriately.

kutter · « **Reply #21 on:** September 14, 2012, 03:51:42 AM »

I've got a fossilized jar of some type of finish on the shelf over the bench.
Kinda looks nice, color,, and all those nice old marbles stuck inside it.
A conversation piece I think they call it.

No matter what I've done, even decanting into much smaller containers,, once the original container is opened, the clock is ticking towards it drying up/going bad in the container it seems.

The only off the shelf weekend DYI finish that I've found never to go bad once the container is opened is
Formbys Tung Oil Finish (Varnish?). Not that I experiment w/ a lot of different ones.

Decent stuff, drys over night on light coats and that plastic bottle with Homer's face on it still has good stuff inside even after a few years on the bench.

Permalyn Sealer started to hit the wall within a few weeks after opening. I liked that stuff too, I don't like throwing away 1/2 of it or more no matter what it is though.

billd · « **Reply #22 on:** September 14, 2012, 05:02:18 AM »

The Constantine I have came from Jim Chambers. It's a real thick paste, like peanut butter. Comes in a paint can. I open it and remove a small amount with a popsicle stick. Add some mineral spirits to thin it in a separate container. I don't return the thinned stuff to the original can if I have some left over. The remaining stuff in the original can has not dried out after three years.

When is Mike going to join in and tell us how to use Rustoleum? It works for him.

Bill

Captchee · « **Reply #23 on:** September 16, 2012, 07:03:34 PM »

IM no need for black filler or stains . also a quality oil finish will pop the grain just fine .
i do alot of English and black walnut gun stocks for modern rifles .
what i use is just plain old C/B filler / sealer followed bu BL and a couple coats of Tung .
here is a Black walnut stock im finishing up
at this point she has 2 coats of sealer/filler . 2 coats of BL and one coat of Tung .
the fore arm only has sealer on it
checkering will follow once the oil dries
original Remington stock on the left . new stock on the right
sorry the photos are alittle fuzzy . i didnt realize that tell i uploaded them from my camera

here is the same treatment on Claro

wet willy · « **Reply #24 on:** September 16, 2012, 08:56:08 PM »

NIce!

What is C/B and what is BL?

How did you apply them ... brush, swab, cloth, hand, etc?

Did you do anything between coats?

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Author Topic: Finish for black walnut stock (Read 10528 times)

Bruce

Bruce

SuperCracker

billd

billd

wet willy

billd

wet willy