How to do the World's best oil finish

[DM~]

I've always bought the Minwax by the galllon, it's a lot cheaper that way.

I used it in my cabinet shop, and still use it for my wood working projects...

DM

 

[<SLV>]

DM, I don't think you can get the Minwax Antique Oil Finish in a gallon container.

 

[DM~]

DM, I don't think you can get the Minwax Antique Oil Finish in a gallon container.

I bought it by the gallon for many years for my cabinet shop, perhaps they no longer sell it that way? I closed my shop quite a few years ago...

DM

 

[jl1288]

Dfaris, thanks for the tutorial. It was a great help to me when I picked up this old High Standard pump gun. It only had around 10% of its original blue left and the varnish on the wood was peeling in spots, but it had a smooth action and the pawn shop was only asking $90.00 bucks for it. I got it home and stipped it down to bare metal polished it with 320 grit emory cloth and spent the next 6 days giving it a slooooowww rust blue on the steel. While the steel rusted I set to work on the wood, using the tutorial you posted. The only thing I did diffferent was to leave on the last color coat instead of wiping it off and buffing. I like the high gloss better. Oh one side note, the manufacture code on the barrel if I'm decoding it correctly makes it a Sept of 1965 build, when I removed the butt plate I found the name A.E. Reid carved into the butt and a one dollar bill stuffed in the bolt hole for the stock retaining bolt. The bills date is 1969, when I finished assembling the gun the dollar went back into its home for the last 42 years. Once again, Thanks and God Bless and have a Merry Christmas.

 

[VenisonGitr]

Great looking wood on that shotgun. I wouldn't guess it is the same piece, as so much curl came through in your refinishing. Very nice looking finished product.

 

[VenisonGitr]

BTW does anybody have photos of that oil applied on a birch stock? How messy will things get if I fill the grain and dye the wood before oiling? I really do not want a blonde finish on my birch stock.

 

[CZguy]

BTW does anybody have photos of that oil applied on a birch stock? How messy will things get if I fill the grain and dye the wood before oiling? I really do not want a blonde finish on my birch stock.

Sure, here is a picture of a Remington 34, and a BRNO #1 (Birch Stock)

 

[VenisonGitr]

The gun on top(Rem?) is more what I am thinking. What technique did you use on that stock?

 

[rcmodel]

I really do not want a blonde finish on my birch stock.

Try doing some expermenting with a propane torch on the stock.

You can add interesting tiger strip or other by scorching patterns in the stock with a torch.

That is how a lot of old Kentucky rifles & ram rods got that look.

Only they did it with tar soaked twine or cannon fuse wrapped around a plain maple stock & lit on fire.

See this thread for some photo's:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=580695&highlight=propane+torch

rc

 

[CZguy]

The gun on top(Rem?) is more what I am thinking. What technique did you use on that stock?

I used the "world's best oil finish" that this thread is about on both of them. That's why I posted that picture, so that you could see the difference between Walnut and Birch.

rcmodel,

Thank you for that link. With winter coming on I want to try something like that.

 

[VenisonGitr]

I thought that looked like walnut...

 

[VenisonGitr]

This torch idea is very intriguing. I could see how wrapping it or laying a stripe grid down would create quite an effect. I am compelled to research this more. Thank you for the input.

 

[VenisonGitr]

Wow, surprisingly could not find anything to help on Google. I can imagine how to do it, but I am positive freehanding this will result in a shotty finished product. So- i suppose the rope laid areas are where the stock wouldnt be burnt, but what about the residue left behind from the tar? wouldnt you have to wipe or sand this out-thus ruining your burning effect?

 

[rcmodel]

Finish sand, burn, and finish sand lightly again.

The remaining scorch marks will still be there ready for finish.

If you want to see what it will look like, apply water to wet the stock.
That brings out the color just like the oil finish will.

Only thing is, after the water dries, all the little "whiskers" will pop up out of the grain and you will need another going over with 0000 steel wool to knock them off.
But that's a good thing.

You don't want whiskers popping up later in your oil finish anyway.

rc

 

[VenisonGitr]

thankyou for your help so far- I will report back with my findings-but this may take several days(weeks) to get around to.

 

[rcmodel]

Hey, no hurry.

I have a 1911 National Match build I started in 2002 that I still havent got a Round Tuit to polish & blue yet.

Stuff Happens!

rc

 

[Sarge756]

An alternative to the torching technique is a stain that works well on light wood like birch and maple. It is "Aquafortis" stain available at Cain`s Outdoors and other sites that deal with blackpowder rifle building.

 

[VenisonGitr]

Thanks for the input Sarge. I am rather undecided still. As of today i am thinking less is more. Maybe put an ebony fore end cap on, stain it dark and call it what it is....BUt check back in 10 minutes, I will have probably changed my mind.

 

[VenisonGitr]

OK CZGuy, I am getting real close to applying finish on my project, but I have one more question. Did you stain the birch stock or is that a natural color with the worlds greatest finish? IF I stain the wood, when i steel wool the sealer coats down wont i wear some of the stain off as i repeat to fill the grain? Please let me know the proper chronology of these steps.

 

[CZguy]

VenisonGitr,

My Birch stock has no stain at all, that's just the way it came out using this technique. To me it's alway been a little light. If I were doing it again I would stain it darker. It's all personal choice.

 

[JoNate]

Have any of you done this to a Mosin?

 

[dfariswheel]

There's no reason you can't.

Much depends on how oil soaked and dark the wood is, but the finish will work.

 

[zenbane]

First time refinishing a stock and have been using this method. I am on "Stage 2" which is apply, wait 24 hrs and steel wool off. I am hoping someone can clarify how "bare" the wood should be, do I want to steel wool off until I am literally sanding the wood, or just enough to remove the top shiny layer? It seems like an awful lot of steel wool would be needed to completely remove the previous finish.

This is underway with a Mosin, which has had cosmoline cleaned from.

 

[dfariswheel]

When you start steel wooling the dried coat it'll turn "muddy" looking and you can easily see when you are down to bare wood.
You don't want to actually "sand" the wood with the steel wool, you just want to remove the coating from the wood's surface.

This allows the next coat to fill the grain more. Continuing to apply coats, let dry and steel wool it off the surface allows the Minwax to completely fill the grain until it's totally full and level with the surface.
When it is, you can hold the wood up to the light at an angle and you won't see any open grain.

This gives you an old type oil finish that's IN the wood, not ON the wood like the old custom British and American guns.
Of course, if you want you can simply smooth a final coat over the wood and allow it to dry for a surface finish.

 

[zenbane]

Thank you for the clarification. I have applied 23 coats at this point and it looks about halfway done. Will post pics when I finish, good on you for the suggestion!