I need some advice. I have a walnut stocked fowler that I finished with nothing but Chambers stock oil finish and R Wax. Overall the finish looks great but in a slanting light there are "dry" streaks on the buttstock. It has been about eight months since I finished it, and its really not too bad, but I am bothered by it. It is not noticeable to others but it is all I see if you know what I mean.
If I had to bet it cannot be fixed with successive coats.
Any advice? Thanks
You need to put on more oil as a sealer. It is best if the first coat is thinned perhaps 1:4 with real turpentine that has been aged for 2-3 days in a shallow pan. This will add O2 to the turp and will cause oil the is IN the wood to set. When the first coat is applied it needs to be applied until the stock will accept no more. Spots that suck up more oil will turn "dry" looking so add more oil to these places. When they stop looking dry after a few minutes soak then wipe it dry and put it in the sun if possible and turn it every 1/2 hour or less and WIPE it as necessary.
The oil will set rapidly in the sun and if a build is left of the surface its not going to be pretty,
So rub it with a piece of burlap if little beads show that have dried in the sun.
Let it set overnight. NOW add some oil in a THIN COAT on undiluted oil to see if it soaks in anywhere. If so put more on. Once a thin coat can be put on and it stays shiny then its time to carefully top coat to get a shine VERY thin top coats if the wood is smooth the wood will finish up very quickley now.
In winter it may take longer since warm UV is not an option in many places.
If the finish is done right and the oil properly formulated and from reports Chambers is then top coating with wax is just window dressing. Its something manufacturers do to put a shine on something that is nto quite shiny enough. They also use other over the counter bandaids.
One more thing if you have the time leave the stock for a week after the final seal. Rub it with a soft cloth or your hand and see if it takes a shine. Soft oil varnishes tend to dull with lack of handling and shine with handling. Excessively built up finishes are much harder to repair than a finish that is mostly in the wood.
The initial seal coat(s) are critial and many do not take the care needed to make SURE these are right.
Dan
