Filling the grain in Walnut

[chapmans]

 Can anyone tell me the procedure for filling the grain on walnut with Rustoleum black spray paint.
  When do you apply it? after final sand, after whiskering? I'm  thinking of trying it on the flint bench gun. Does it have to be Rustoleum?
  Thanks in advance.
   Steve C.

[Dphariss]

Too much work.

Dan

[Dphariss]

Sorry about the short answer.
You need to to search the archives for information on filling walnut. There is some info on converting store bought oil into actual stock finish.
If you paint it black you will have to sand till the black is gone everywhere but the pores of the wood.
You will likely change the dimension of the stock in the process.
There are less labor intensive ways that are not as likely to change the size for the stock.
I use home cooked linseed oil, others use other stuff. There are various kits for finishing walnut.
If you use a finish that is mostly linseed oil, not tru-oil though, that dries fairly soft you can use the sun to apply 2 heavy coats a day. It only need dry until it can be cut back to the wood surface with 0000 steel wool.
Softer oils cut back rapidly even in heavy coats.
But home boiled oil,  applied heavy, will not dry hard. It will dry to a rubbery consistency that is really ugly in a couple of hours of direct sun. It can then be cut back and reapplied.
I gave some oil to a customer and he called in a year and said it was not hard yet. It never gets "hard" its not supposed to. He cut it back and reapplied as I had originally instructed and in a couple of days had a filled finish.
Once filled hand rub thin coats of finish until you have the shine you want.
You can *probably* do this with tru-oil mixed 50-50 with hardware store boiled linseed oil.  DO NOT use straight store bought oil as stock finish. As purchased boiled linseed oil is basically a paint thinner.
For a harder top coat use about 30% linseed.
You might also try Jim Chambers finish. I think it will work the same way without being diluted but I have never tried it.
Any stock finish is simply water resistant. It is impossible to make wood waterproof. If hard enough to be waterproof the finish will check when the wood expands and contracts and then it really leaks.

Dan

[Roger Fisher]

Thanks Dan!

I am finsihed work in 'progress' as we type!    I'm using the home cooked lins oil (not cooked in my home Thank you very much...

I'm not counting but have approx. 10 hand rubbed applications of said oil and expect to apply another half dozen or so.  I'm in no rush and enjoying the trip. I did not use a filler since her butt has nice flame  grain to it!

Busy week past.  Cold browned her accessories - main tube - and rubbed her sweetly all week.   

[Scott Semmel]

I have tried the "black paint fill" a few times. You might want to test it on a scrap to make sure it is the look your looking for. I painted after final dewiskering, some folks paint after first coat of oil drys, then sanded back with 320 or finer till paint was gone except for pores. I have used whatever paint I had available including rustoleum can't say I noticed a difference in the results with different brands of paint. my experience is I still need several coats of finish after to completely fill pores but then I seldom completely fill em, don't like the smooth as glass look on the kind of work I do.

[George F.]

Birchwood Casey sells stock filler colored for walnut. It can be stained to match the wood also. Brownells probably has a stock filler for walnut also. Sherwin Williams also sells a filler in their furniture finishing line. It comes in qt. cans and has the consistency of putty, and the color is light tan. The liquid floats to the top after sitting for awhile, just stir it up before removing the amount you need. Add the stain to match. The filler has to be thinned down with paint thinner to the consistency of a thick paint. Apply with a brush. After it glazes over, which takes about 20 min.  Wipe off excess with a rag ACROSS the grain, this leaves the filler in the pores. Make sure you remove all rag marks. Let it dry over night. Proceed with stock finishing. Now I want to add, that I have used this on a oak china cabinet I made 30 yrs ago, And I made last year a mahogany picture frame (7"x3") with 5" crown moulding from the same can. But haven't built a gun in walnut or ash yet.   ...Geo.

[Ken G]

Chapmans, I did the black paint one time.  Chamber's black grain filler is the way to go.  WAY, less work and a lot less chance of messing something up while you sanding the black paint off. 
Ken

[Randy Hedden]

Steve,

When it comes to filling walnut you don't need anything but a tube of black oil paint.  For many years myself and a lot of other gunmakers have used nothing but black oil paint to fill walnut. The best oil paint has an olive oil base and the cheaper oil paint has a linseed oil base.  Either one works so you might as well buy the cheapest.  You wipe the black oil paint over the whole stock and then wipe it off.  The paint will stay down in the grain and pores.  Let it dry a bit and then apply your finish.

Randy Hedden

 

[davec2]

Many years ago, I used a product from Herter's (now long out of business) called "French Red Stock Filler" and it worked beautifully and quickly for filling walnut.  A few years ago, I found that someone had started making it again and Brownell's carried it.  My 8 oz. can says the stock number is 464-101-008.  It is made by Art's Gun and Sport Shop, Inc., Hillsboro, Missouri.  It darkens the wood slightly, and depending on what color you are looking for, may be all the staining you want to do.  If I want to go darker, I stain first, fill, and then put on the finish.  It seems to take any finish I have ever tried on top of it well.  For a few bucks, you may want to try it.  No sanding - just mix the can well, paint it on, let it partially dry about 15 to 30 min, wipe it off cross grain and buff with a soft cloth.  I use it on the lathe when I turn walnut base plugs for powder horns and it does a magnificent job.

[Feltwad]

All my new and restocking jobs are with walnut for a filler which I make myself are Fullers earth powder mixed with Boiled Linseed oil to form a paste a few drops of hardener can be added.This is rubbed into the grain in a circle movement with ball of your hand,when hardened off, sand off with a fine grade paper,do not use steel wool this will pull out the filler.I have used this type of filler for the past 50+ years.
Feltwad

[Dphariss]

I have never used Herters but I have never used a filler I did not think was more work than it was worth.
The oil paint filler and stuff added to linseed oil is exactly the same technology as filling with thickened linseed with out any fillers.
It is also possible to use walnut dust as a filler in linseed oil.
But its not really needed.


This is American grown English filled with home cooked linseed oil that is allowed to thicken even more after being heated 2-3 times (or for a longer period) to thicken it to something that is near molasses or even so thick it will hardly pour. It will go on thick and not run. Drys enough to cut back, but horribly wrinkled ugly, in a few hours in the sun.
I can use 0000 steel wool since it does not pull out easily if at all.  IIRC I filled this in 2-3 coats.
You do not need deep black colored pore fill to look right.

Dan

[chapmans]

Thanks for all of the replys guys, it looks like I have a lot of options, I have finished many walnut stocks in the past but always used Tru Oil and sanded between coats with 400 wet/dry paper but it takes 10 to 15 coats to fill the grain, I would much rather finish maple but I didn't have a say in this one. I will give one of them a try and let you know how it turns out. Thanks again for the help.
   Regards, Steve Chapman

[Ed Wenger]

Steve...

I've tried all of the above and had good results with fillers.  If you choose to do the paint, I've found it good to put on a couple coats of finish first (I use Permalyn).  I take the paint off with good quality steel wool (very fine from Woodcrafters).  Then a couple/few more coats of Permalyn, then rottenstone to take the sheen off.

The last walnut stock I finished, I wet sanded (600) with Permalyn then wiped across the grain, filling all the pores.  That worked very well...

       Ed

[chapmans]

Ed,
  Thanks for the reply, that sounds like something I may want to try.
   Steve