doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Help filling the grain....

As long as everyone is on the subject... Doesn't the fine steel wool break off and get into the pores before they are filled?? This has been my experience, the silver glitter gunstock.

The old methods work good but,

Method most of the turning & furniture guys are using is dry sand with very fine grits. You can buy papers up to 2000. Key is going though the grits never skipping one. Finer you go less filling required. 220 to 2000 10 papers, line them up on the bench and go though each one. Only takes a light sand before moving to the next paper.

If the wood has open pores will add a little filler at 400 first coat of oil finish at about 600 grit. Often skip the filler depending on the grain. With dry paper the filler or oil has to be dry before moving on.

On gunstocks have gone to 2000 then back down to 1200 or so when I thought it was a little too shiny. Pores were nice and filled just knocked off some of the gloss. Lot of vendors for the fine papers, I get mine from Klingspor's

Boats

Prairie ghost, that can happen if not careful, wet and dry is generally preferred. Trade secrets ol id good but I generally boil up my own. And don't forget the alkanet root oil to get the colour right before you start!

Prairie ghost,
Yes steel wool residue has to be cleaned off, but so does abrasive which can come off also.Always clean well before applying new finish.

Small Bore, Boiled linseed Oil is not "boiled", it is refined and has driers added.
Mike

Mike;

I believe Diggory refers to the formulating of his gun stock oil and not to boiled linseed oil. However, Boiled linseed oil made commercially today is a product that I stay away from as you noted it is processed not boiled and also has Chlorine included. So called Boiled linseed oil if left on gunbarrels and actions will remove blacking and CCH color.

Be careful of using steel wool, then water to raise the grain. The steel wool residue in the wood rusts, and you are left with a million black freckles on the stock. (Don't ask me how I know. )

Has anyone used this thing they call penetrating epoxy to fill pores and seal wood?

Personally I avoid two part mix procedures, somehow manage to get them wrong, but boat people praise this stuff for sealing and filling. I wonder how it does on dense walnut grain.

The biggest mistake I've seen over the years with stock finishing and wood finishing in general(I'm a lifelong amateur cabinet maker) is RUSHING the process. Proper drying and curing takes time and trying to hurry the process is usually a recipe for a disaster and a redo.
Jim

Guilty.

I've never had linseed oil damage or remove any bluing or c/color.
I've use the junk in the jumbo can from the DIY stores and in the more recent years linseed sold for Artists Oil Painting.
The latter really does dry, something the former didn't like to do w/o some very lengthy waits dispite the 'boiled' on the lable.

I use it sparingly and don't consider it a stock finish in itself anyway. A micro-thin top coat over the filled wood is about it.
It does make it's way onto the metal when applied to an assembled gun and I make no attempt to avoid it.
I also have used it as a first oil coating on newly rust blued or browned bbls and parts. Never a problem damaging the metal finish.