Walnut Rifle Stock Surface Preparation & Finish

Hi All,

I have done a fair bit of searching on the forum but I haven't an answer, so excuse the noob question....!

I am getting close to completing a rifle stock in "X Grade" Walnut (I have no clue what that is...) I have inlet, shaped, done the action bedding etc. All good so far.

What I need clarification on is preparing the walnut for waxing. I finished shaping & smoothing with 80 grit paper, then worked through 120, 180, 320, 400 ,800 and I am about to do 1200.

Should I do the final sanding wet?

I am happy to have "open pores" as long as they are sealed (slight weather proofing) and want a satin type finish. So I was planning to apply the wax with a rag and cut it back with steel wool for 2 or 3 coats then a final 2 or 3 coats rubbed back with a cloth.

Does this sound about right?

Many Thanks

Colin

The best commercial finish I have found for gun stocks is Birchwood Casey's Truoil.
Should be able to get it at the better gunshops.
They also have a grain sealer if my memory serves me correctly .

Have use both in the past ,got a very nice finish .
I still use the Truoil for tool handles ,just bought some recently so its available.

Kev

Some ideas....for what it is worth....

I have never done a gun stock but I was told by someone that the best way finish gun stocks is to burnish it with oil through the grits (up to 1200) and after a week or so when it is throughly dry, give it a couple of coats of polyurethane if you want a truly weather proof finish (I imagine satin wipe on poly would be good)

I have used this finish on some of my stuff and it looks good.


Cheers,

Chipman:)

Woodlee,

I considered Truoil but I have seen a couple of wax finished walnut stocks recently and I really liked the results.

Chipman,

This is actually going to be a target rifle, so the waterproofing is more for airborne moisture rather than rain etc. I may put some "other" sealant on the front of the forestock and under the buttplate as it is endgrain and I imagine it would be a little more absorbent in those areas.

Thanks for the ideas, tonight I might sit down, have a beer and a good think about it!!

Colin

One of the good feature about "wax finishes" is that they are very easy to restore, a good rubbing, or another coat of wax that you buff up, and your good to go.

Waxes, work better when applied in thin applications, its easier to work.

Another thought you might consider, place the paste wax inside a piece cloth, then press the cloth down on the wood to force out the wax, work small areas and then you can easily buff it up.

Good Luck

Stick with the oiled or waxed finishes, they are well and truely water proof enough for the odd walk in the rain. If you bump your stock against a rock or a tree with hard bark polys/estapols etc scatch and look crapy very quickly especialy if you go spotlighting you get bumps and scratches. A good oiled finish doesn't scratch, you get the ocasional bruse but they seem to go after a while. Close grain is good, I have a 222 Tika with an open grain stock and it often tends to grab your whiskers or beard, hurts like hell. Shouldn't have to have a shave before you go shooting.

A funny thing happened while having a beer and a think last night. I was sitting in the shed trying to workout what finish to use when I remembered that I had bought some wax from a chap from Geelong at the Sydney Royal Show. He made butchers blocks and similar types of furniture. I used it on some small "nest of tables" I was fixing up for a relo.

So I dug out the tin, it turns out to be U Beaut Traditional Wax... Well if that isn't an omen.

So a wax finish it is.

From my original post I still have some unanswered questions, should the final sand be with 1200 grit wet? Or should I do it dry? Will this make a difference on the timber?

I will also follow the directions on the U Beaut site regarding using the Trad Wax on raw timber.

Thanks Again for the help.

I will let you know how it goes...(it'll take a couple of weeks to get time to do it right)

Colin

You can still wax over the Truoil .
The beauty with Truoil is that you can restore it easily by a light rub back with a fine wet and dry recoat with Truoil rub with fine steel wool and then re-wax.
Truoil is a mix of linseed and other stuff anyway.

Kev.

Ditto to what Woodlee posted.:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

I would have to agree too...burnish with oil first and then the wax. (the poly was only for a truly waterproof finish but as others have said, harder to repair if bumped or scratched).


Chipman:)

Your best bet is a poly finish, if the stock absorbs moisture from either the air or rain it will put your sights out, enough movement will affect even a fully floating barrel.

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Originally Posted by Rabbitz

Hi All,

I have done a fair bit of searching on the forum but I haven't an answer, so excuse the noob question....!

I am getting close to completing a rifle stock in "X Grade" Walnut (I have no clue what that is...) I have inlet, shaped, done the action bedding etc. All good so far.

What I need clarification on is preparing the walnut for waxing. I finished shaping & smoothing with 80 grit paper, then worked through 120, 180, 320, 400 ,800 and I am about to do 1200.

Should I do the final sanding wet?

I am happy to have "open pores" as long as they are sealed (slight weather proofing) and want a satin type finish. So I was planning to apply the wax with a rag and cut it back with steel wool for 2 or 3 coats then a final 2 or 3 coats rubbed back with a cloth.

Does this sound about right?

Many Thanks

Colin

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Mt Colah - I'm at Berowra Heights - small world ! - I think you're going overboard to get up into 1200 grit on a rifle stock - I've done a few in my time but probably finished with no more than 400 and then finished off with shoe polish (appropriate to the colour of the stock) - beautiful finish, waterproof and easy to maintain - only my opinion of course....:cool:

Done a few of these over the years. Me - I'm a burnished oil fan. But I do this all over the stock, including the inner bits which you don't see. I think a lot of peole forget the hidden parts, and if left untreated they are hydroscopic and will take in moisture. Even furniture etc I make I always coat the inside for this reason. It gets rid of the possibility of timber movement.

I reckon wax would be OK also. I'd probably stay away from polyurethane, as over the years I have had rifles with polyurethane stocks, one that comes to mind was a Browning 308. the poly did get damaged, and it was basically irrepairable. All the poly came off, and oil went on. Easy to fix dings & stratches, you can steam out a lot of bumps and re oil and they look like new.

Our kitchen bench had a poly finish on it, and after 12 years or so looked rotten. Two days to sand off the poly and now its oiled also, the mix for the benchtop is 1part pale boiled linseed oil, 3 parts pure turps, dash terebine.

Wipe the bench over once a week always looks new. And you can steel wool out scratches etc

There you go my 2 bob's worth

Regards

Personaly I would dry sand and would go to 1200, then you will produce a realy nice deep luster if using wax, I have made and finished about ten rifle stocks over the years

Bob McCarthy of Hornsby RSL Rifle Club? Whatever happened to that blonde .303 No.4 that you had?

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Originally Posted by bsrlee

Bob McCarthy of Hornsby RSL Rifle Club? Whatever happened to that blonde .303 No.4 that you had?

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Hi bsrlee - if that question is directed at me I'm afraid you've got the wrong McCarthy... :no:

Yep, wrong McCarthy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bsrlee

Yep, wrong McCarthy.

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As a matter of interest, I do belong to the Hornsby RSL but have no association with the rifle club and have never come across Bob McCarthy ...:roll:

Quite a while ago, i bought a walnut blank or two from a local who sourced, milled, dried and sold timber to gunsmiths and manufacturers.

Some may remember a rifle was made by a group of craftsmen for Australia's Bi-centenial. Beautiful piece it was too. I can remember having a brochure with some photo's of this rifle and being amazed at it's beautiful walnut stock and engraving. This local bloke supplied the walnut for this rifle. It was also the inspiration to replace the quite ordinary stock on a little Brno .22 with a nice new piece of walnut. I used Tru-Oil on the Brno and was happy with the results. Rubbed it with Birchwood Casey Rubbing Compound after so it had a nice satin finish and didn't look to 'plasticky' (if that makes sense).

Anyway, one of the things he told me to do when i was sanding my stock was to sand to 400, grab a sponge (squeeze it out) then wipe the timber with it. Wait for the 'whiskers' to pop up then sand again. Repeat this process with the damp sponge until the whiskers stop emerging. Then sand to 800 and finish with what ever takes your fancy.

You may have already done this (it's common practice for most) but i thought i might throw this in the mix anyway.

Some pics of your new stock would be nice, too.

Steven.

All my stocks bar one I have stripped of their finishes and refinished with a 1 part Boiled Linseed 1 part Pure Tung Oil and one part Poly Urethane and every year or two I give them a rub with a fine nylon pad soaked in the oil and then polish with a soft cloth.

Ross

I have always heard good things about Truoil, I haven't made a stock in some time and all the ones I did I french polished or used poly. But as I said, I've heard and read Turoil being recommended over and over, it's supposed to be quite good.

As has been noted already, a great concern with rifle stocks is the need to be waterproof not necessarily because of getting wet in the rain and all, but rather to prevent the absorbing of moisture from the air due to the changing humidities we all experiance, which in turn swells or shrinks the wood leading to a constantly changing pattern. Synthetic stocks, are not only water proof, but they also eliminate this problem. Lining your channel, and applying a good finish will make your average wood stock almost as good, and will be a whole lot prettier. :;

An oil finish will be not only longer lasting, but easier to fix, dents with a touch of sanding, let some water soak in, then apply heat with a match or the like to pop the dent out, then reoil and go on down the road non the worse for wear, and if it wears you can just reoil the stock.

I've never heard of waxing a stock, I would think that would be most unpleasant and would quickly wear off and dull.

Just my 2c.

There is a stock maker in Victoria , IIRC his name is Geoff Slee .
Apparently he bought a number walnut trees that were being removed for a development project some where in Victoria.
A very good friend of mine had a Thomas Perks 12 gauge SxS shotgun restocked by him , the work is faultless ,the fit between wood and steel is perfect .
The piece of walnut he used for the stock and fore end was the most gorgeous piece of timber I have ever seen and the satin finish is a smooth as a babies backside.
The price for the timber and the work was very reasonable as well.

I have a Charles Boswell side by side double rifle in 500 NE that I plan to have restored some time in the future .The above mentioned stock maker will be doing the woodwork.
Then my Cogswell and Harrison 12 gauge SxS will be next for a new stock.

Due to "life's little interruptions" I haven't made any progress in the stock in the last week or so.

It is in fact one of Geoff Slee's "semi-finished" stocks. He basically roughs out the shape and does the majority of the action in-letting.

Hopefully this week, I will pick up some TruOil and try it and some of the trad wax on some spare timber to check the finish (I don't have any of the walnut as off cuts).

The idea of sponging down between sanding seems like a good idea, which might come in handy.

I will post some before and after images (when I get some!!!!)

It's funny, over the years I've never had the patience to do this type of work, but I am enjoying this. Which means I've been look through the gunsafe and there is an old .22 "ute gun" (i.e had bounced around behind the seat of the ute on the farm for a long time) which may just get a new Slee stock...

This habit could get expensive!

Colin

As promised some before images:

After the 400 grit paper
Attachment 79057
Attachment 79058

I then damped the wood :
Attachment 79059
Attachment 79060

And my favourite bit:
Attachment 79061

This the first time I have seen the grain 'damp' and it is better than I hoped. I will post some after images, when it is an the after state!!

Colin

That's a seriously nice looking lump of wood ,grain direction is well executed through the grip .Probably the ,most important part of design for a gunstock as its the weakest point.
Did you get any pointers from Geoff as to what finish to use?
I have seen his completed work first hand and his finishing is absolutely first rate.

Btw forgot to ask , what calibre is the rifle you are building ? One of the new high steppers or a tradition calibre.

Kev.

I haven't spoken to Geoff about it, probably an obvious thing to do but it never occurred to me.

:doh:

Might give him a ring tomorrow.



Colin

I must admit, since doing my gunstocks way back, i've always had a soft spot for walnut, it's a sensational looking timber. Unfortunately the photo's i have (somewhere buried in my wardrobe) of mine were taken on film (well before digital) so cant show you them. Dont own the guns these days, they have been replaced by fly fishing rods.

But i can still remember seeing the grain and color popping when i sponged it down. Pity its such expensive timber these days.

I seem to remember the Tru-oil bringing the grain out a bit more too. But i hadn't tried other finishes at the time so speak from limited experiences.

You've got a nice piece of wood there Colin and it looks nicely shaped. Looking forward to seeing more pics as you progress.

Steven.

By way of an update....

I have reached a bit of a conundrum!! I have so far applied four coats of TruOil onto the stock, rubbing down with steel wool in-between.

It is starting to look the goods, so much so that I don't know whether to apply the UBeaut Traditional wax finish or to just add a couple more coats of TruOil.

Anyhoo I just couldn't wait so I slipped the action into the stock and it looks pretty shcmick, even if I do say so myself. (It is a Eddystone M-17 in .308 with a reasonably heavy barrel)

Oh well I'll do a couple more coats and then decide whether to wax or not.

Colin

Thanks to all who had info and suggestions. I ended up sanding to 1200 grit. I then applied 7 coats of Birchwood Casey TruOil. I rubbed with fine steel between coats.

I have to say it is better that I had hoped.

Attachment 79992

Attachment 79990

Attachment 79991

Once again thanks for everyones help.

Regards
Colin

Nice work .Not my style for a rifle stock but you have done a very good job of it.
For the work that this rifle is going to perform the stock is the best design.

One thing I do with my tool handles after sanding is to wet rub the wood with a mixture of boiled linseed and turps starting at 400 and working up through the grits up to 1200 .I find this really pops the grain out and gives a truly superb smooth finish .
You might try this with the Truoil .Sorry for not mentioning before but I wasn't thinking "tool handle ".
A gun stock is a tool handle right?


Kev.

After I dampened the stock for the earlier images this lifted a lot of whiskers, which really helped speed the sanding, so I can see how using the oil and wet & dry would work. I quite enjoyed doing the work so I don't think this will be the last rifle I restock, so I guess I'll find out how well it works then.

Colin

Top job Colin. It's come up beautifully.:2tsup::2tsup:

I found it difficult to stop myself after doing my first stock. I was only going to do the one and finished up doing 3 or 4.

Keep us informed when you start you next one.

Steven.

As an old target rifle shooter an hunter i think tru oil or some thing to seal the wood is a must to keep the stock stable. wood stocks tend to change point of impact in dry or humid conditions.
i used to love walnut stocks, but synthetic & glass carbon fiber mixes are much better they do not look as
good but are much stronger & stable. you will to need to seal it up to use it on the rifle range. stocks finished with wax or linseed oil are only good to look at and be left in the rifle rack.
.

Something you might try on your next walnut project is tung oil. I don't know that it would be protective enough for a rifle finish, but it penetrates the wood and turns it into a beautiful dark brown.

Several years ago my dad built me a table with a walnut top and legs with maple rails and accents. The tung oil didn't hardly change the maple at all but made the walnut an extremely rich color. For extra protection he topped it with a clear poly. The results have been fantastic I think.

This is the only picture I have handy. Ignore the fingerprints and the guns :)

http://www.wku.edu/~nathan.plemons/Dsc00959.jpg

ive been a member of the victorian rifle association for many years now and have found alot of people using bee's wax 3-4 coats after each coat leve in a warm spot so the wax melts into the timber but not direct sunlight after each coat rub with very fine steel wool and repeat hope this helps