Staining and finish questions.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Hello all,

I have noticed in what few imaegs I have seen of folks staining rifles that the barrel channel and lock mortise etc. are kept clean.  Back when I had a long gun the barrel channel etc. were stained the same as the stock.  Is there a reason to keep stain out of those areas? 

Also, I have noticed a lot of you mentioning applying the coats of oil with steel wool.  Does the wool add anything to the application?  Or is it just handy to use?

Take Care

Coryjoe

[Dphariss]

I never sand or steel wool stained maple. Good way to have washed out places in the stain. Especially any corners or raised areas.
Steel wool is used to remove excess finish. OK for walnut. Stained maple should not have that much finish on it.
I use store bought  boiled linseed oil that is then heated with a little extra dryer and some limestone to kill the acids. This produces a gunstock grade linseed oil suitable for many 18th and 19th century projects.

If you stain with ferric nitrate made from crystals or by reacting steel  in nitric acid, neutralize if acid is present then apply the above oil cut about 30% with aged turpentine, all the wood will accept then wiped dry in about an hour you will have a very good start. Set it in the sun and allow to dry. With sun will me ready to recoat in a few hours. In winter at room temperature it will take a day or so.
Another coat or two of straight oil mixed with Grumbachers Oil Painters Medium III abut 30-50%.
This will make a good finish that is both durable and very much HC.
The second coat can be put on pretty heavy by hand and then wiped back in a 1/2 hour to just leave a shine with no build up. DO NOT PUT IN THE SUN. Keep it inside to allow the oil to penetrate if it wants. An hour in the sun will set this oil. Wipe till just a little shine is left then set in the sun.
The next coat, later in the day if in direct sub or the next day in winter can be rubbed on with the hands to just make a shine again then allow to dry.
This will appear somewhat dull but rubbing with a soft cloth after a couple of days will start to show the shine that will appear with simple handling in time.
Always be sure to get the oil out of the carving to prevent build up where its not wanted.
There are other good options as well. But this works well for me. I try to avoid clear finishes and do not use synthetics at all. No need or desire.
If you get too much buildup with Maple you can cut ti back with coarse cloth such as burlap.
I seal walnut the same way. But use heavy oil that I have allowed to thicken to fill the grain. In summer 2 coats a day with the build up, ugly wrinkled stuff, rubbed back with steel wool or burlap on carved guns. This should fill American walnut in 3-5 coats. In summer I have filled American Walnut in 2-2 1/2 days and far less labor than many would believe.
Top coat as for maple. Though I often put a thin coat on walnut, let it set then rub back with rottenstone and oil for a better shine this is very effective on high grade wood with lots of color/figure. Wipe off all the oil and rottenstone then apply a very thin rubbed on shine coat and its done when this is uniform. Might take a day or two to finalize this. Depends. It is wood after all and it can be "stubborn"  in some cases.

Dan

[hanshi]

Dphariss, Just curious but what do you use as your drying agent in the boiled linseed oil?

[Dphariss]

Dphariss, Just curious but what do you use as your drying agent in the boiled linseed oil?

Store bought oil generally has a pretty good drier package but it is pretty acid and this inhibits the drying or so I have been told by "Ogre". This makes it a very poor stock finish as it comes from the store.
This lack of proper processing of modern "boiled" linseed oil, I believe it is cold processed now, is why it developed such a bad rep as a stock finish.
I add just about a tablespoon to the gallon of  Japan drier. I sometimes add some oxidized roundballs but cannot see this does anything. Too little lead I suspect.
Killing the organic acids in the oil and heating it to thicken and darken it makes a true stock finish and makes it safe to use for oil cloth and other projects as well. Linseed with high acid levels will rot cloth when making oil cloth.
Problems such as these stemming from improperly prepared oil for our purpose is, I believe, why some are so quick to dismiss linseed oil as a stock finish.
All linseed oil is not created equal.

Dan

[Blacksmoke]

Coryjoe,  I always stain and seal my lock mortises as well as the barrel channel and any other inlet that has a removable part in it. Basically I want the intire stock to be sealed inside and out. This will keep moisture, both, in and out.  In the lock mortise esp. where there will be a continual bombardment of cleaning fluids and lubricants-- mineral oils will deteriorate wood over time and so will a continual application of moisture.  Just the way I do it,    Hugh Toenjes

[Roger Fisher]

I'm not usually in a rush (usually), so I take the time to do many apps of woodlife in butt end, lock mortise, barrel channel etc.  Must be carefull at the thin wood edges since it really soaks into the wood.  Since I use a darker stain this hides any areas of woodlife that comes thru i.e thin edge of channel!

[brokenflint]

Roger  what is woodlife?  This available in homestores?