Stock refinishing help

[dsmerrills]

View attachment 192247 I'm really pleased with the results so far. Here it is after 15 coats wet sanded using different experimental (to me) techniques.
View attachment 192292

Looks magic, can I send a couple stocks up to Zambia

 

[PeteG]

Looks magic, can I send a couple stocks up to Zambia

Ha ha ha, get in line...

 

[cagkt3]

Awesome looking stock

 

[BenH2016]

I moved on to hand rubbed coats a week ago. I've put 7 of the thinnest coats I could on and rubbed the surface till it was warm each time.

The last three wet sanded coats I didn't wipe the slurry off at all. First I did one wet sanding with p1200 and left the slurry 3 days to cure in the surface, after light sanding with 1200 the pores were still visible. I wet sanded again and this time rubbed the slurry hard all over till it was really warm, after a few days curing I wet sanded again and this time left the slurry a full week to cure. I sanded very lightly after this with 1200 and a very small amount of turps. At this point open pores were still visible but the sheen was still really nice looking, so I called off wet sanding and started hand rubbing coats.

I'll do a few more of these hand rubbed coats. I pour a tiny amount of schaftol into a bowl, dip my finger to get no more than a drop on and work this as far as it will go over the surface. Then I rub with my hand until the surface is dry, it gets pretty warm. 8 to 10 dips into the oil does the whole stock, to these are very sparing applications.

Here is how it looks after "a coat a day for a week"

 

[spike.t]

Ha ha ha, get in line...

damn pete you beat me to it...

 

[spike.t]

looks nice @BenH2016 from the small part of photo thats loaded after 5 mins or so.....will wait till back in lusaka where the internet is better.....

 

[BenH2016]

Haha. Internet may have come a long way, but there's always something to slow it down around here.

And for sure I'd be glad to do a stock for someone else. I can't guarantee results as I haven't even finished my first attempt yet. But I d love to have another go, would tweak a few things in my technique.

 

[nztimb]

Looking good @BenH2016 The next one you do will reinforce the fact that every piece of wood is different in what it needs to bring out its best.

 

[cagkt3]

Haha. Internet may have come a long way, but there's always something to slow it down around here.

And for sure I'd be glad to do a stock for someone else. I can't guarantee results as I haven't even finished my first attempt yet. But I d love to have another go, would tweak a few things in my technique.

@BenH2016 it's a good thing you don't live in the US - if you did, you have a waiting list a mile long!! Stock looks great!

 

[BenH2016]

Looking good @BenH2016 The next one you do will reinforce the fact that every piece of wood is different in what it needs to bring out its best.

In fact I already have the next one lined up. I was lucky enough to find a used .243 zkk601, that is of a very similar year and identical stock shape to my 30 06. So after this hunting season I will have a go at that stock. On that one it appears someone has already refinished since it left the factory. It's finish is not the ssame as the 30 06s original finish and sanding marks can clearly be seen on the butt plate.

 

[fiocchi]

Trick to a good finish is properly filled pores of a good dense wood for starters. Filling the pores is done, not with a filler, but with continuous cutting back double oil coats with wet/dry in the 240-400 grit class, with a diluted cutting agent, and not moving to the higher finishing grits until the grain is well and truly filled with its own natural wood. Only then will it be able to take a real hand rubbed finish and polish up as it should.

 

[BenH2016]

Trick to a good finish is properly filled pores of a good dense wood for starters. Filling the pores is done, not with a filler, but with continuous cutting back double oil coats with wet/dry in the 240-400 grit class, with a diluted cutting agent, and not moving to the higher finishing grits until the grain is well and truly filled with its own natural wood. Only then will it be able to take a real hand rubbed finish and polish up as it should.

Thanks for sharing your experience here.

Unfortunately I never did get all the pores filled. I may have moved too soon to finer grits on the wet sanding, I may have wiped the slurry off the surface too soon or too hard after wet sanding, I may have been wet sanding too hard. I'm not sure.

Anyhow I really like the results so far. I have now hand rubbed 11 thin coats into the stock, and while there are open pores on the surface the wood has a lovely deep sheen to it. I'm leaving longer and longer between coats now too, and it really does just keep getting better and better.

 

[Rob404]

Beautiful work, I recently Bought a Zastava M70 and the stock was very rough I took the finish down added a sealer and applied about a 1/2 dozen coats of Tru-oil , not as nice as yours but it still looks beautiful

 

[BenH2016]

I am now in about 15 hand rubbed coats. I'll still do a few more.

I'm wanting to get a bit more glow to the finish, currently it's very dull. For this I have ordered some Renaissance wax. What are all your thoughts on applying the wax and then maybe further coats of oil after the wax.

The reason I ask is that I'd like to wax the stock before I reassemble the rifle, but may still want to put on more coats of oil after reassembling.

 

[Rob404]

I don't think waxing and then adding more True Oil is a good idea, after I finished my stock I waited a week before I added any wax

 

[Shootist43]

Never having done it myself, I'd be concerned that additional oilings would not be able to penetrate the wax. I think I save the wax for my absolute last step prior to reassembly.

 

[Clayton]

You have a really nice looking stock there with a good job finishing it. Now's NOT the time to cause problems. I really cant guarantee this from personal experience, but it's said no finish will react or set up properly when applied over wax. Like you, I've used Tru-Oil numerous times over the years with good results. Periodic waxing works well for me.

 

[Rob404]

I don't want to compare because my stock is not nearly as nice as yours but this is what mine looks like with 6 coats, I went 24hrs between coats and used some super fine steel wool between applications then a week after I added some wax

 

[Clayton]

You did a good job. But then you don't need me to tell you that, it's evident all by itself.

 

[BenH2016]

@Rob404 that's a nice looking rifle.

Thanks everyone for your further inputs. I'll avoid the wax for now then. The schaftol gives a glow already, and it gets more sheen to it with each application, so for now I'll just carry on with an application every 2 days or so.

I think I will wax it once I'm done with the oiling, both for more shine and for extra protection against water, my rifle does get used in the rain occasionally.

On the same topic what would you guys think about putting oil on the stock say 6 months or more after I've waxed it. The instructions on the schaftol say that one should rub the stock with schaftol periodically to refresh the finish and maintain the protection. If I start to use wax can I then not go back to shaftol ever again?