How to do the World's best oil finish

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I couldn't find any at the big box or hardware stores either.

Finally got it at a local lumber yard that specializes in furniture
grade and specialty woods.
 
I've read that minute steel wool particles may rust so I use bronze wool (Marine Supply Store), 3M pads or 600, 1200 grit wet/dry paper - wet.
Click to expand...

They may, that's why it's a good idea to wipe the stock off carefully using a tack cloth after using steel wool. :)

Many ways to skin a cat.
 
"When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane you always have
enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash.

"Twice as safe, twice the headaches." :)
 
Well, I lucked out. The Ace Hardware that I called told me that they didn't carry it, but I went by anyway and there it sat on the shelf. The guy said they sell lots of it - probably because they're the only place that has it.
 
I've read that minute steel wool particles may rust so I use bronze wool (Marine Supply Store), 3M pads or 600, 1200 grit wet/dry paper - wet

When I went to LCC the guy who taught stock making detested steel wool . He wanted you to use wet/dry garnet paper to mud with . And never any that was black because the color might bleed into the wood .
 
I understand all your objections to the steel wool and a
bronze wool would be better if easily available, but if you
follow the directions you shouldn't have a problem.

1. No water or alcohol stain is applied after the
steel wool is used.
2. Two coats of finish are in the wood before the
steel wool is used.
3. Clean Thoroughly after using the steel wool,
I used brushes and my air compressor at 100
PSI (probably overkill).
4. The resulting finish seems impervious to water,
bore solvents don't appear to bother it.
5. Steel wool goes after the excess finish well
with little damage to edges, corners and proof
marks.
6. I've used it on two stocks, both of which have
seen a lot of sweat (salt water) with no discoloration.
 
To answer the question,we,they don't advertise recipes.It shows best on French Walnut which is always on top end guns.
 
Additional question on checkering

I am finally ready to start the refinishing process that was described by dfariswheel on 12-14-2006. I'll be refinishing a Rem 700 ADL with decent looking walnut. My question is how to deal with checkering. Several follow-up posts describe in some detail on how to cover or mask the checkered areas as if they just get ignored and are not part of the refinishing process. I have obviously missed something. I want the checkered areas to be part of the refinishing process, too.

Any help will be appreciated!
 
To deal with checkering, use a solvent like Lacquer thinner and a solvent-proof toothbrush to scrub all dirt and old finish out of the checkering.
Note that many Remington's have their famous "bowling pin" finish, and you may need a special stripper to remove it.
Brownell's sell one.

After the checkering is clean and dry, use a small brush to brush a thin coat of the Minwax into the checkering.

Allow to stand for a few minutes, then use clean toothbrushes to brush the finish out.
Allow the checkering to dry COMPLETELY, then if needed, apply and remove another coat.
Usually two is enough. You want the checkering protected, but not filled with finish.

After the checkering is totally dry, mask it off with tape and proceed with finishing the rest of the stock.

It might be easier to wait for the checkering until the rest of the stock is almost done. Clean the checkering and tape over, but hold applying the checkering finish until you're within a couple of coats of being finished.
 
dfariswheel:
Very timely thread. I've got an old Brno I am currently stripping (a few pics)

DSC00950.jpg

DSC00951.jpg

DSC00952.jpg

DSC00953.jpg

DSC00955.jpg


DSC00956.jpg

DSC00958.jpg

Having a bit of trouble getting all the old oil and grime out, especially in the checkering. I may try Whiting from Brownells http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1133&title=OLD FASHIONED WHITING Any other suggestions? I've been using Formby's Antique Furniture Refinisher. After (if) I get it clean, I plan on using the Minwax Antique Oil Finish. This thing sure is ugly right now.
 
Hang in there, I refinished my BRNO #1 using dfariswheel's method, and couldn't be happier.

Sorry no advice on getting the stain out of the checkering, mine is un- checkered.

By the way BMC, welcome to the high road.
 
To get the old finish out of the checkering, I ended up using Zip Strip Premium, one of the few products that still contains methylene chloride. That along with a magnifying glass, a dental pick, and plenty of time.

Somewhere on this forum I read too, that dents in a wooden stock could be steamed out as long as the cellulose fibers have not been cut. I was rather dubious, but ended up being very pleasantly surprised with the results. It really did work. Tonight I'm starting dfariswheel's method of using Minwax Antique Oil finish.
 
Thanks CZguy.
Mackinac76, post some pics (if you can) so we (I) can see the process.

Notice in my pics how the stock looks bleached out or chalky white in places.

DSC00953.jpg

By this morning more oil has leached back to the surface and all whitish coloring is gone. Got to get more oil out of this thing. Can't post a good picture, bad weather, inside pics just don't show enough detail.
 
Whiting is probably the best of all methods for cleaning and degreasing wood.

It isn't as easy as it used to be because way back when, we used Trichloroethane.
"Chloroethane" is a super-solvent that is nominally non-inflammable.

I'd mix up a pancake batter consistency mix of Trichloroethane and whiting.
Paint it on and apply heat from a heat gun or lamp, and the grease would "boil" to the surface where the whiting would wick it up out of the wood and hold it.
The whiting would turn brown and orange from the grease. Brush it off and repeat.
Usually two to three treatments would turn a black grease soaked stock back to it natural color.

These days, Trichloroethane is banned due to heath issues, and most other solvents are inflammable.
Today, I recommend mixing the whiting with whatever solvent you can get, Acetone or Lacquer thinner works.
Apply a fast coat of the mix and quickly wrap the stock tightly in a black garbage bag.
Put the bag somewhere OUTSIDE, preferably on a hot summer day on the roof or driveway.
Later when you open the bag, the whiting can be allowed to finish drying then just brushed off.
Repeat as needed, and BE CAREFUL of flames or sparks around flammable solvents.

Unlike most other methods like using oven cleaner or running in the dishwasher, whiting doesn't harm the wood, and there's no chemicals to leach out of the wood later and cause the metal to corrode.

Also unlike other methods, since the whiting actually wicks up the gunk, most of it isn't instantly reabsorbed back into the wood like with most strippers.
 
CZguy:
I've searched all over this forum and it seems like the only way to post photos is to identify a URL where they are stored. Do I have that right?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I'm the last guy to ask how to post a photo, I don't know how to do it myself. Maybe someone more knowledgeable will chime in.
 
My method of posting pics (using a PC):

Upload your digital photos to an image hosting web site such as PHOTOBUCKET http://photobucket.com/ , it's free and painless. Once your photo is on the web site, right click on the image, at the bottom of the pop up menu you will see PROPERTIES, left click on PROPERTIES and another menu appears. In the middle of this menu, you will see ADDRESS (URL) Highlight the address "http://....." highlight everything including ".jpg" there may be something after the ".jpg" but you don't need it. Once you have it highlighted right click on the highlight and choose "Copy" from yet another pop up. Click OK and go back to the THR web site. In the "Reply to Thread" box there is an icon that is square, yellow with mountains. Left click and and a pop up appears with a space for your URL address. Click this area, backspace to remove the "htp://", you only need one of these, right click and choose "Paste". Your previously copied URL will appear. Click OK and a string will appear in your text. That's it. You can preview your post to make sure everything is correct.
 
There's an even easier method.

Go to Photobucket and sight up.
Follow their directions on how to upload a picture off your computer.
Basically you just click on one of the three gray "Browse" boxes at the top of your personal page.
Find the picture on your computer and select it, then the "UPLOAD" box just below the gray "Browse" boxes.
The pictures will be uploaded and stored on Photobucket.

Once the picture is loaded, look directly below it, and there'll be 4 yellow boxes.
The last box is marked "IMG Code".

Left click on that box and the message "Copied" will appear.

Come back to the forum and start a new post.
Wherever you want the picture to appear, simply Right click and select "Paste".
When the post is entered, the picture will appear.
 
Thanks dfariswheel for the instructions on uploading photos. I've attached two photos taken a few minutes apart. This is what the stock looks like after 3 coats of Minwax Antique Finish, applied according to your instructions. I did stain the stock prior to the first coat with ZAR #115 Modern Walnut to darken it just a bit. I'll let the 4th coat dry completely before steel "wooling" the finish off.

Your instructions said to use linen to wipe of the filler coats. Like an idiot, I used an old T-shirt. I learned that regardless of how clean a T-shirt is, it's still cotton and therefore leaves little cotton "fuzzies" everywhere. Next time!


Rem308a.jpg

Rem308b.jpg
 
This is a $50 gun show Rem 510 single shot 22 that someone cut down for a kid years ago.

I helped build it back up for an adult and grain filler and True Oil finished it.
We did not have any of the original Walnut, so we just used some scrap lying around.

attachment.php
 
I once got a finish of this quality on a Win. using Tru-oil. It only took 6 months and 100 coats--I am not exagerating! NEVER again!!! I scratched it pretty good 2 days later!
 
Many thanks to dfariswheel

Not only for this thread, but for the directions on posting photos.

Here is a photo of my BRNO #1 Sporter with Beechwood stock and a Remington model 34, that were both refinished using dfariswheels method. I'm very pleased with the way they turned out. It was time well spent.

Rifles.jpg
 
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