Sealing a Wood Stock

[Skofnung]

Hey folks.

I've got a brand new Ruger M77 Compact with a walnut stock. I plan on bedding the action and floating the barrel in the near future, and being that I don't care for the "semi-glossy" finish that is on the thing, I've toyed with the idea of refinishing it.

Now I'm no noobie when it comes to woodwork, and I've refinished half a dozen rifle stocks over the years, and they have all come out very well if I do say so myself. I always use BLO, a mix of BLO, Beeswax, and Turpentine or a combination thereof. Oh yhea, and LOTS of patience. There is just one question I have;

What would happen if I used Thompson's Water Seal or some other waterproofer on the stock first to seal out the moisture?

This will be my first bolt gun refinish job, and I plan on using this gun with a Ching-Sling or other tension type sling. I don't want the stock warping too much while I'm hunting in the river-swamp.

Thoughts?

 

[Jayb]

I've used the beeswax, BLO, and turp for many years with no moisture problems at all. (equal parts of each)

On the other hand I've used a couple of different "water seal" products on my deck over the years, and haven't been overly impressed with any of them. I'll stay with the mix. I'm not saying there's not anything better out there, but I'm very pleased with the results I'm getting now. Thompsons specifically warns about indoor use, and/or the use of anything that will be indoors. I called to ask. I was thinking about sealing my grandsons' chair for protection against spills, and Thompson said don't even apply outdoors, let it dry, and then bring it inside. So I didn't....... I used the "mix". That was last year, and spills still "bead and run" on his little chair.

Just my two cents worth........

 

[Guntoter]

I found this info on the CMP site and have pretty mutch adopted it for my milsurp clean-ups. The Minwax 209 Sealer seems to do a great job of keeping moisture out of the wood but still allowing the application of a final finish. The 209 is a clear or "natural" stain that does a great job of enhancing grain. I've also used the Dark Walnut on Elm and Beech stocks that need color. I finish with two coats of Formbys Tung Oil Finish.
http://www.odcmp.com/Services/Rifles/wood_cleaning_article.htm

Here's an idea of what they look like:
The K98k has the 209 Natural and the Yugo SKS had the Dark Walnut.

 

[mrmeval]

I'd keep the original stock tucked away and get one I could destroy. I striped my SKS stock and then wiped it down with boiled linseed oil then hand rubbed it. The warmth of your had will cause the oil to soak in and polymerize. Looks damn fine. It would have looked a bit better if I'd lightly sanded it prior to this but it still looks good.

This can help to
http://www.woodzone.com/articles/wood_finishes.htm

Spar varnish might be more what you want YMMV.

Hey folks.

I've got a brand new Ruger M77 Compact with a walnut stock. I plan on bedding the action and floating the barrel in the near future, and being that I don't care for the "semi-glossy" finish that is on the thing, I've toyed with the idea of refinishing it.

Now I'm no noobie when it comes to woodwork, and I've refinished half a dozen rifle stocks over the years, and they have all come out very well if I do say so myself. I always use BLO, a mix of BLO, Beeswax, and Turpentine or a combination thereof. Oh yhea, and LOTS of patience. There is just one question I have;