Author Topic: gun finish? (Read 17193 times)

dave m.1 · « **on:** December 19, 2009, 07:46:55 PM »

I'm getting close to finishing my first rifle.While at dixon's gun makers fair this year I was talking to bill slusser about the finish he uses on his gun's.He said he use's birchwood casey's true oil which I thought put a nice finish on.I tried a test piece and I'm happy with the result's.He said he put's one or two coat's on to seal under the inlaid part's.My question is would it be allright to assemble the gun after those one or two coat's and apply the rest of the coat's with the gun assembled?Would the true oil do anything the brass,lock,or barrel after it's browned?Also while drilling the hole's for the pin's my dril press which is quite old (I need a new one) made a couple of my hole's a little sloppy would bees wax be the thing to use for that?Like i said this is my first rifle and although i made my fair share of mistake's I'm @!*% proud of it.Iv'e been working on it for over a year.I allready bought another beautiful piece of maple for my next one and can't wait to get started on it.Thank you for any advice.

B.Habermehl · « **Reply #1 on:** December 19, 2009, 08:05:47 PM »

When I finish a gun. I will usually do most all the sanding/scrapeing with the metal parts in place. Then stain. Any burnishing of the stained wood is done with all nearby metal in place so no damage will happen to the inlets.
Your finish will more than likely tighten up your pin holes enough that you will need to redrill them by hand with a drill bit held in a pin vise.
I like a coay of finish under metal patch boxes and but plates. You can wax the patch box metal and reinstall while the finish is wet. This saves hasseles with finish in the corners of finely inleted areas. I also reinstall the butt plate immediately as the finish is applied to prevent any damage th the edges of the inlets. True oil will not harm any of your metal pieces. If the finish is put on properly and rubbed back all the oil finish will come off the metal as you go.

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #2 on:** December 19, 2009, 08:47:12 PM »

I'm probably not applying the oil properly, because if I leave metal parts on the rifle, and some stay naturally like nose cap, inlays, etc., I get a build u-p of the finish on the metal. I have to steel wool those parts after I'm finished to get the hardened varnish off the metal. The varnish kills the polish and has to be removed IMHO.
I'm unhappy with Truoil. I find that it does not wear worth a bean. And the stains then leach out of the wood creating a mess - light areas of muddy colour.
I have to find a more durable finish, and go to AF for stain. I used to use Fiebing's Leather Dyes to stain my maple stocks, and I always got super definition of curl and a great colour. The dyes seemed to remain in the wood better than Laurel Mountain Forges Stains too. The only drawback is that they are U*V sensitive, and bleach out over a period of several years. I would love to hear from others who use their rifles a lot under all weather conditions,and who don't have this problem.

B.Habermehl · « **Reply #3 on:** December 19, 2009, 09:32:07 PM »

Taylor, I probably don't polish my brass as bright as you do.

So a bit of dressing with OOOO steel wool is my final polish. Having seen your fine work the finishing technique that follows is not probably of much use to you, but some of the other forum members might find a usefull detail or two.
I usually do not use True Oil my self. I have mostly used Formby's Tung Oil. I rarely do a relief carved gun so my application process goes as follows. Stain using aniline dyes. Then a slop coat of Formby's, I put as much on as the wood will soak up and keep it wet for 20 to 40 min. Then I allow it to get good and sticky. Then rub all of it off back to the wood with a sock. The finish will be semi dry and will actually get quite hot from the friction of the rub out. Any spots that need more rubbing will have a cloudy appearance. I repeat this process not as aggressively, twice a day as needed until I get the finish I want.

Majorjoel · « **Reply #4 on:** December 20, 2009, 01:03:05 AM »

I've tried true oil and tung oil but when I discovered TEAK oil I never turned back! The stuff made to endure sun, salt, cold and all of the elements aboard a boat where teak wood is used. It has a very fast drying time and can be handled within an hour of application.

davec2 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 20, 2009, 01:23:49 AM »

Captjoel,

Teak oil.....what brand? Where is it available? Some additional info would be helpful.

wvmtnman · « **Reply #6 on:** December 20, 2009, 01:24:08 AM »

For the past few rifles, I have used Keith Casteel's gun stock finish. It holds up well and gives a pretty durable finish. I leave all metal parts in place, except for barrel and lock. I am just careful about where I put the finish. If I do get any on the metal, I try to wipe it off with a dry cloth, or use 0000 steel wool once it has dried. As for the pin holes, you might put a drop of oil finish down the hole, if they are not too bad.
Brian

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #7 on:** December 20, 2009, 01:27:45 AM »

Of all the guns and rifles I've made, I have only finished one with tung oil - my Brown Bess. it looks as good today as it did when I finished it. So you are obviously onto something. Teak Oil - brand? Where available?

smshea · « **Reply #8 on:** December 20, 2009, 02:35:11 AM »

I just started playing around with Teak oil.... not on guns yet .... but I'm liking the results so far.

dave m.1 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 20, 2009, 02:57:51 AM »

captjoel,i will try a test piece with teak oil.Is there any particular brand you use?

Dave C · « **Reply #10 on:** December 20, 2009, 11:56:04 AM »

I rarely use Tru Oil myself. I find it to be rather thick and as someone else pointed out the stain can leach out of it.
I do still use it on certain projects though.
I live in Pacific rain forest and I have actually noticed areas where the stain washed out through the Tru Oil(mostly where my hands hold the gun) probably from getting wet a lot.
Oddly the finish does stay shiny. I haven't quite figured out how it can allow the stain to wash out but still leave a glossy varnish type shine but that is the main reason I don't use it.
I am doing a Hawken rifle right now and I had Tru oil and didn't want to use it.
I also had BLO handy.
I made a batch of home cooked BLO using straight oil with some birdshot dumped in it to add a lead "dryer".
On this batch I got distracted while it was boiling and when I got back to it it was absolutely smoking and the lead had actually melted.
The BLO was also a a dark brown color.
I thought it was a ruined batch due to over boiling.
I rubbed it on a piece of wood though and it is still clear when applied and dried FAST.
I soaked the Hawken stock with it and the curly maple just drank that stuff up. I had to keep applying it as it was soaking into the wood almost as fast as i could apply it for about half an hour.
After about 40 minutes I rubbed it out and it is SUPER beautiful.
I plan on putting more coats on it but it looks so nice with just that first heavy coat rubbed out I'm not sure I need it.
It was accidental that I let the BLO get that hot but it really worked well for a finish and it has been 4 or 5 days now and seems completely dry without any fishy odor I sometimes get with BLO.
I'm pretty happy with it for an accident.

Majorjoel · « **Reply #11 on:** December 20, 2009, 01:49:02 PM »

Star brite Premium Golden Teak Oil, Sealer\Preserver\Finish for Marine Teak. I buy it at Walmart in the hardware section.

dave m.1 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 20, 2009, 05:01:09 PM »

thank you, everyone for the help and advice.A couple of my pin holes are pretty bad i'll try some beeswax and see what happens.

bob in the woods · « **Reply #13 on:** December 20, 2009, 05:45:01 PM »

I'm still partial to bees wax after iron/vinegar . Sometimes I mix the beeswax with walnut oil.
Applied with heat, it soaks right into the wood, and is about as protective as most anything. I've hunted in rain, camped out in waterlogged settings,[ moose hunting ] and so far, so good. I buff on a bit of wax/oil mix at the end of the year.

T*O*F · « **Reply #14 on:** December 20, 2009, 06:21:35 PM »

Evidently, Teak oil is actually Tung oil boiled with additives. This is their description:

"Premium Teak Oil formula combines virgin Tung Oil with special polymers that bond with Teak and create an extra long-lasting finish. Ideal for all fine woods." Apparently they also add UV protection for marine use.

Dphariss · « **Reply #15 on:** December 20, 2009, 07:07:03 PM »

Tung oil is a very durable oil. The Chinese, I have read, used it to seal gravel B-29 runways in WW-II.I Think the J*ps used it on military guns as well prior and during WW-II.

Dan

Pete G. · « **Reply #16 on:** December 21, 2009, 07:28:02 PM »

If you need to fill pin holes (and small gaps on an inlet) try the wax crayon sticks used on furniture. They are usually available at Home Depot in the stain area. Available in several colors so you can match most any finish.

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #17 on:** December 21, 2009, 07:32:12 PM »

Quote from: bob miller on December 20, 2009, 05:45:01 PM

I'm still partial to bees wax after iron/vinegar . Sometimes I mix the beeswax with walnut oil.
Applied with heat, it soaks right into the wood, and is about as protective as most anything. I've hunted in rain, camped out in waterlogged settings,[ moose hunting ] and so far, so good. I buff on a bit of wax/oil mix at the end of the year.

Bob, Why not just the walnut oil??

Greg Field · « **Reply #18 on:** December 21, 2009, 08:48:11 PM »

Quote from: D. Taylor Sapergia on December 20, 2009, 01:27:45 AM

Of all the guns and rifles I've made, I have only finished one with tung oil - my Brown Bess. it looks as good today as it did when I finished it. So you are obviously onto something. Teak Oil - brand? Where available?

I can vouch for this stuff:

http://www.dalyspaint.com/catalog_seafin.html

Made right here in Seattle. We also use it to touch up the finish on work hardwood floors that had been years ago give Swedish oil finish. Worked great.

stoneke · « **Reply #19 on:** December 22, 2009, 02:31:24 AM »

I have had great success with a product from Chem-pak called Pro Custom Oil, product #642-9. It is a tung oil/urethane finish that dries quickly and produces either a satin finish or gloss, depending on how much rubbing you do. It blends very well and is very durable to use and moisture. I have used many products and this is my favorite.

Artificer · « **Reply #20 on:** December 22, 2009, 08:18:22 AM »

Another way to get dried oil off inlays or spots you don't want is to use a Q tip dipped in acetone and then squeezed out. A little rubbing and it will take most dried finishes off any area you want. It could also be used to take most of the oil off and then rub with OOOO steel wool afterwards.

Long John · « **Reply #21 on:** December 22, 2009, 05:02:46 PM »

I used the Formby Tung oil finish on my brother's rifle at his request. After 2 years the finish is looking a little worn on the lower fore-arm at the "carry place". I bought a can of Jim Chambers' stock finish last summer for my current build. Do any of you have experience with it?

Thanks.

Best Regards,

JMC

bob in the woods · « **Reply #22 on:** December 22, 2009, 05:16:45 PM »

With regard to the bees wax/ oil mix; It is a softer mix to apply than straight beeswax , and the oil seems to add to the surface finish, about the consistancy of shoe polish, which makes it nice for yearly touch ups.
For the original finish on the gun, I'm just as happy with straight bees wax. It will actually bleed right through into the barrel channel when applied with heat. Can't get much more " waterproof" than that.
Buffs to a nice soft sheen.

Roger Fisher · « **Reply #23 on:** December 22, 2009, 06:07:06 PM »

Quite a mix of 'mixtures' to schmutz on a rifle

Proves again there is more than one way to skin a cat (or finish/finish a rifle stock!

Daryl · « **Reply #24 on:** December 22, 2009, 07:07:27 PM »

I once 'finished' a Cheroke "D" section bow with bacon grease - worked well and sealed the wood from moisture, but I didn't allow the dog close to it.

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Author Topic: gun finish? (Read 17193 times)

dave m.1

dave m.1

Dave C

dave m.1

Greg Field

Daryl