Tru-Oil final touch?

[ArmedBear]

I've used Tru-Oil before, and finished it off with fine steel wool, etc.

But this time, I'm using it on a pair of really old walnut grips from a Star pistol (Spanish military design, knockoff of 1911; grips are very similar to old 1911 grips.)

Here's a picture:

The grips were soaked in gun oil. I managed to remove most of it with chemicals, kitty litter, the oven, and the barbecue.

The wood was pretty soft, but B/C Tru-Oil really improved it. I put on 3 good coats, and the checkering is still distinct, but a lot more structurally sound than the oil-soaked wood originally was. The walnut doesn't look bad, either.

So, now I am trying to figure out what to do with it. Right now, it's marine varnish shiny, but with a little bit of a sticky feel to it. I'm not sure how it would respond to steel wool, though, since I've never done that over checkering. I have, in the past, used rough towels as a final satin rub, I think.

Any thoughts or experiences? A fine satin finish would be ideal, but I'll even leave it shiny if that would be better.

Thanks!

 

[lycanthrope]

Applying Tru oil too thick in one coat makes it sticky.

For a gloss shine, apply Tru oil in a light coat with your finger and rub it in until it gets very tacky. Then, buff it off with a flat coffee filter.

For a satin finish without possible damage to the checkering you can do the same thing but buff it off with soft cloth.

I usually buff mine down between coats with 0000 steel wool, but it will over time, wear the wood a bit.

 

[ArmedBear]

Yeah, it's not too thick. My technique is to put it on with a finger (at least on a grip as opposed to a rifle stock), cover well, then wash my hands and use the finger to remove any excess. Then 00 between coats.

I haven't tried the coffee filter. Thanks! I'll do that on the next ones, already waiting in a box next to these.

I had to get a good amount of soaked-in oil into these grips since the wood was weakened.

What kind of soft cloth do you use? I tried an old sock but with limited success.

Thanks again.

 

[Wannagohunting]

I have not tried it but rubbing compuond has been suggested to take some of the sheen off. I have used light buff with extra fine steel wool.

 

[lycanthrope]

I bought some synthetic backing material from the Wal Mart craft center. Felt and anything with loose fibers will shed into the finish. The softer the material the duller the final finish because it will smear.

Here's a link for a stock I did that talks about the entire process.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=166960&highlight=tru+oil+glossy

 

[ulflyer]

I wonder if a stiff toothbrush might dull it a bit? At least it wouldn't hare the checkering.

 

[Ian Sean]

ulflyer, you read my mind, I was thinking buffing with some kind of brush myself..shoe polish brush bristles are probably to soft...maybe a hand brush with fine nylon bristles of some kind?

 

[edwardyoung]

I used Tru-Oil and a toothbrush on these. I just drizzled a couple drops on the grips and used the toothbrush to work it in. I only applied 3 coats.

 

[ArmedBear]

Thanks, all.

Here are the results for these grips. The gun above is not mine; my grips were FAR worse, completely soaked in preservative gun oil, dark red-brown and mushy-soft.

I removed it using Hotsenbocker's Liftoff 2 from Home Depot, and some time in the oven then the barbecue in aluminum foil and kitty litter.

Here it is now. 3 coats Tru-Oil, put on and wiped off with my fingers. I left it glossy because I want a hard-shell finish to protect the weakened wood.

 

[ulflyer]

Armedbear: did the stickiness dry up? If not, give it a week, maybe a little help with a hair dryer on warm not hot.