Improving stock?

Rasputin

Well-Known Member
Iv got some nice wood on my silver pigeon but would really love to get a deep gloss finish to it. Iv been piling it with boiled linseed oil every other day for two weeks and it seems to have reached a limit. Do you think if I sanded it down and started again I could improve it ?

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When end I first got it was very light but more gloss

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looks good as is now, i wouldn,t sand it ,its useually laquer/varnish they put on ,look up old threads in search box,atb ;)
 
Iv had a quick Google and understand the concept but have no idea if it's reached the limit. Maybe someone can shed light on it from that perspective. Realise it's never going to be a "best" gun but be interested to know if I can improve it. Ta

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I wouldn't advise boiled linseed for finishing any stock. It isn't particularly moisture resistant and the finish will be removed in wet weather. Part of my job involves finishing timber to fine furniture standards, and I'd advise one of the blended oil/resin finishing kits such as the CCL oil finishing kit which is one of the better ones available. Trade Secret is also quite popular but I prefer the CCL.

Start by removing the timber from the action and rubbing the stock down with some wire wool and meths or white spirits to remove the old finish, then sand to a fine finish (I use a maximum of 420 grit). Seal the timber then build up the oil finish (most use a mix of red root oil/tung oil/walnut oils with hardening resins added). The final finishes are usually sealed with supplied resins which are mixed with the oil blends, sort of Danish oil style. It takes patience and many months to achieve a decent finish that will last. I did my Silver pigeon last year and initially, it had around 30 coats of oil rubbed in with a day between coats. Since then, after every outing it has had a little finishing oil rubbed in after each use and only now is it starting to achieve a deep lustre which is lasting. You can then nourish the finish every now and then with a little finishing oil or lemon oil. Just apply a small amouny of oil with the heel of your palm to keep the finish/improve it after the initial finishing. Don't expect to get a decent rush job in a week or two...it won't work.

Once you achieve your final finish, an alternative to the ocassional rub with conditioning oil is to use Renaissance Wax. Expensive (about £17 for a small tin) but brilliant stuff. Wipe your barrels with it two and it will prevent fingerprints damaging the steel and will give an excellent and durable sealing wax finish to the timber. It was developed for the British Museum and is a synthetic blend of waxes and will resist moisture well. I finish most of my custom loudspeaker cabinets with it once they're oiled.
 
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I wouldn't advise boiled linseed for finishing any stock. It isn't particularly moisture resistant and the finish will be removed in wet weather. Part of my job involves finishing timber to fine furniture standards, and I'd advise one of the blended oil/resin finishing kits such as the CCL oil finishing kit which is one of the better ones available. Trade Secret is also quite popular but I prefer the CCL.

Start by removing the timber from the action and rubbing the stock down with some wire wool and meths or white spirits to remove the old finish, then sand to a fine finish (I use a maximum of 420 grit). Seal the timber then build up the oil finish (most use a mix of red root oil/tung oil/walnut oils with hardening resins added). The final finishes are usually sealed with supplied resins which are mixed with the oil blends, sort of Danish oil style. It takes patience and many months to achieve a decent finish that will last. I did my Silver pigeon last year and initially, it had around 30 coats of oil rubbed in with a day between coats. Since then, after every outing it has had a little finishing oil rubbed in after each use and only now is it starting to achieve a deep lustre which is lasting. You can then nourish the finish every now and then with a little finishing oil or lemon oil. Just apply a small amouny of oil with the heel of your palm to keep the finish/improve it after the initial finishing. Don't expect to get a decent rush job in a week or two...it won't work.

Once you achieve your final finish, an alternative to the ocassional rub with conditioning oil is to use Renaissance Wax. Expensive (about £17 for a small tin) but brilliant stuff. Wipe your barrels with it two and it will prevent fingerprints damaging the steel and will give an excellent and durable sealing wax finish to the timber. It was developed for the British Museum and is a synthetic blend of waxes and will resist moisture well. I finish most of my custom loudspeaker cabinets with it once they're oiled.


In your professional opinion looking at the wood do you think it could be improved or is it a lot of effort for nothing? I thought CCL darkened it and made it matt? Does it not need to be able to breath or do you think CCL will seal it up and then all it needs is just a wax? I used a carnumba wax and that made it look great but didn't really seep in so well, will take a gander at Renaissance wax.

Do you have any before and after pictures of your SP? I am having shoulder surgery in a week so ill have plenty of time to oil the damn thing :)

Thanks

Tim
 
Blo is a no no no for gunstocks, it never dries properly and will always re wet. Do yourself a really big favour and ask someone like welshwarrior to refinish it, it will thank you, and it's worth the little time and money it costs.
 
In your professional opinion looking at the wood do you think it could be improved or is it a lot of effort for nothing? I thought CCL darkened it and made it matt? Does it not need to be able to breath or do you think CCL will seal it up and then all it needs is just a wax? I used a carnumba wax and that made it look great but didn't really seep in so well, will take a gander at Renaissance wax.

Do you have any before and after pictures of your SP? I am having shoulder surgery in a week so ill have plenty of time to oil the damn thing :)

Thanks

Tim

As Welshwarrior and I have both already said, you really need to start with a stripped stock, which means that the existing finish must be completely removed. I don't have any photos but can take some and post them if it's useful for you.

ALL oils will darken the timber to greater or lesser extent, some more than others. CCL, like all oil finishes, builds up to a more lustrous finish with every coat applied. The more oil applied over a longer period of time, the better the finish. It's important to get the timber finished to a high standard before you start. I sometimes dampen the surface very lightly after working to a fine abrasive paper finish and use a sharp scraper together with the finishing grade of paper very lightly over the surface followed by a fine wool finish before oiling. The timber usually starts to take a lustre after about the first 10 coats or so and builds up after that. Very fine coats rubbed well in are the key, along with patience. As Welshwarrior will tell you, a good finish takes time and effort.

Improve is a relative term, but you have a nicely figured stock and I'd suggest it's worth doing well. Hard to tell from just a photo what the final finish is like so I can't comment without seeing it in the flesh.

Carnauba (or Brazil wax) is a good finishing wax often combined with beeswax for furniture but is not suitable for exterior protection of gun stocks. No wax finish really cuts the mustard as an exterior weather protective finish. Whilst you can use it on a previously oiled stock as a means of bringing up a tired finish or maintaining a finish, it doesn't last. You cannot apply oil finishes over previous waxed finishes though.

As stated, the advice would be to strip back to bare timber, seal and finish the timber to a high standard then oil it with an appropriate oil. DIY is easily achievable if you have the time and patience. A really good professional finish isn't cheap due to the time it takes to achieve but it is worth it if you don't want the hassle yourself.

Wood doesn't need to breathe as such. In fact the opposite is beneficial for gun stocks. Timber needs to be sealed to protect it and to prevent undue movement with humidity/moisture changes. Oil seals well, as do PU finishes (most are spray applied at the factory because it is quick, cheap and durable).
 
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Leave the oil to fully harden for a few weeks and then get some fine pumice powder mix with linseed oil to a slurry and polish it using a polishing cloth - mutton cloth is ideal. Don't be frightened of polishing it too hard. Wipe off the slurry and then once a week for month, once a month for a year and then once a year for ever after rub in a finger tip of oil and rub it in hard. Leave for a few days and then buff with a duster.
 
As the others have said any oil darkens the wood it just a question of how much.
A few of the basic skills need to achieve a good finish have been covered here but it's not a do it once after watching a you tube video and you've mastered it.

I start 15 years ago and I'm still learn thing and trying new things but would happily say I now have a couple of really solid methods for get a few different finishes.
 
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