A Journey - refinishing my stock

[Westley]

These are 2 of my guns with an 'oiled' finish and you will see it is a 'sheen'  more than a 'shine' .

[Old farrier]

1 hour ago, Westley said:

These are 2 of my guns with an 'oiled' finish and you will see it is a 'sheen'  more than a 'shine' .

Very nice 👍😊

here’s two of mine oil finish both done by the same gentleman for me 

[Diver One]

This is the Royal Merlin I did with the Slippery ***** to give a satin finish. The first pic is off the original finish which was like a toffee apple . Progressing through stripped, alkoil, Slippery finish, final assembly 

 

 

[Westley]

9 hours ago, Diver One said:

This is the Royal Merlin I did with the Slippery ***** to give a satin finish. The first pic is off the original finish which was like a toffee apple . Progressing through stripped, alkoil, Slippery finish, final assembly 

 

 

Have you totally stopped applying oil  ?

I tend to keep applying oil, once a week for the following 6 months, which does build up a durable finish. It also takes care of any minor scratches. Then once every 6 months after that.

[Bobba]

1 hour ago, Westley said:

Have you totally stopped applying oil  ?

I tend to keep applying oil, once a week for the following 6 months, which does build up a durable finish. It also takes care of any minor scratches. Then once every 6 months after that.

Interesting routine. When I did one of my guns years back I was advised once a day for a week, once a week for a month and once a month for a year. It seemed to work. Gun gone now. Big mistake.😢

[Diver One]

1 hour ago, Westley said:

Have you totally stopped applying oil  ?

I tend to keep applying oil, once a week for the following 6 months, which does build up a durable finish. It also takes care of any minor scratches. Then once every 6 months after that.

I only did the Royal Merlin 2 years ago. Then after its 3rd outing at Dib Lane it stopped ejecting on right barrel, so it got mothballed, 

i bit the bullet a few months ago and took it to bits, found the problem. My mate welded it , shooting better with it than my 725!

its due a coat of Slippery ***** shortly, so I'm going to do it when I start on the Bayard 16g SxS

[Westley]

11 hours ago, Bobba said:

Interesting routine. When I did one of my guns years back I was advised once a day for a week, once a week for a month and once a month for a year. It seemed to work. Gun gone now. Big mistake.😢

THIS exactly  !   But after that first year I give them a light coat of stock oil every 6 months  as I did it helps get rid of the light scratch marks picked up during a days shooting. 

[Pops_Hants]

21 minutes ago, Westley said:

THIS exactly  !   But after that first year I give them a light coat of stock oil every 6 months  as I did it helps get rid of the light scratch marks picked up during a days shooting. 

Would you use general stock oil, like walnut, or a specific finishing oil etc?

[Westley]

1 hour ago, Pops_Hants said:

Would you use general stock oil, like walnut, or a specific finishing oil etc?

I have always used CCL or Trade Secret stock oil, but I am hearing good news about Slippery 'Richards' stock oils. I have always made my own alkanet root oil.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

9 hours ago, Westley said:

I have always used CCL or Trade Secret stock oil, but I am hearing good news about Slippery 'Richards' stock oils. I have always made my own alkanet root oil.

Me too to both of the above.

[Westley]

32 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Me too to both of the above.

👍

[London Best]

Isn’t Tru-oil just for floorboards and garden decking?

[Pops_Hants]

17 minutes ago, London Best said:

Isn’t Tru-oil just for floorboards and garden decking?

Unsure if you’re being funny with how glossy a finish it is, but…

 

[London Best]

No, it was a genuine observation. The bottle I once had did not say gun stock finish on it. I did an old air gun stock with it and it looked a right porker.

[Pops_Hants]

11 hours ago, Westley said:

I have always used CCL or Trade Secret stock oil, but I am hearing good news about Slippery 'Richards' stock oils. I have always made my own alkanet root oil.

Thanks, 

I did a fair bit of online reading and lots of places recommended CCL or Birchwood Casey. I think in hindsight a lot of the BC recommendations were American which makes sense with how glossy it is currently.

 

I spoke to two gun shops, one didn’t speak too highly of Richard’s oil, but some made it work, and the other shop sold BC and recommended that.

This is my first year shooting, and first stock refinish, it’s all a lesson. Even if it doesn’t come out perfect, I’ll learn a lot more for either next time, or that it’s best to leave it to the professionals 🤣

 

either way, I can call it ‘my’ gun when finished 😁

1 minute ago, London Best said:

No, it was a genuine observation. The bottle I once had did not say gun stock finish on it. I did an old air gun stock with it and it looked a right porker.

All good, with the shine it has, it could well be used for floorboards 🤣

 

I wouldn’t be surprised if Birchwood Casey use lots of the same, or similar oil formulas for various products and market them slightly differently 

[Westley]

I used a BC stock oil ONCE and then gave it away to a guy I couldn't stand  !

I have always used the traditional stock oil that is Linseed oil based. It has served me well for over 60 years and countless gun stocks. I congratulate you on having a go and remember IF you should cock it up, you can always strip it back using 0000 grade steel wool and meths, then start again. I usually have a swig of the meths, prior to starting again  !   🤪

I always found it a bit alien to apply an oil and then take steel wool to it after it had dried,  as with the Tru oil  ? Try as I might, I could never get a finish that I was happy with. My stock oil kit. The alkanet root bottle has my home brew in it. The kit was a present from a friend whose stock I had done.

[old'un]

a question on the use of wire wool, some years back I wanted to do a quick oil job on an old AYA yeoman I had as a knockabout gun, I knew a few people in the then Birmingham gun trade, one was an old boy who had been stocking guns all his life, I mentioned using wire wool and he nearly had a fit, I asked him why not and he said it can rip the softer parts of the grain out and also leave very fine particles of steel in the wood, so I never used steel wool, how true this is I have no idea but he said all you need is sandpaper, oil, rag and your hands.

[Diver One]

This is the current project The Bayard

 

ive tried to put pics in order from original nasty finish, removal of said finish with a toothbrush/wirewool  and meths, steaming the dents ( quite a lot with some visible in the pics), cleaning up the chequering and recutting in places, next step is raising the grain a few times until it won't rise to the occasion. Then onto alkanet and oiling it

( do you use the sealer before or after the alkanet?, not used sealer before )

 

[Pops_Hants]

4 hours ago, old'un said:

a question on the use of wire wool, some years back I wanted to do a quick oil job on an old AYA yeoman I had as a knockabout gun, I knew a few people in the then Birmingham gun trade, one was an old boy who had been stocking guns all his life, I mentioned using wire wool and he nearly had a fit, I asked him why not and he said it can rip the softer parts of the grain out and also leave very fine particles of steel in the wood, so I never used steel wool, how true this is I have no idea but he said all you need is sandpaper, oil, rag and your hands.

Yes, you can leave small particles of steel wool behind, but this is why you also wipe it down and use a tack cloth, this should remove all remains of steel wool before oiling. Tack cloth is widely used in various industry to wipe surfaces down ahead of paint / finishing

 

As for ripping the grain, well as I learnt through this process and another forum member, you'll want t go through the process of raising or submerging the grain ahead of finishing it. Not sure wire wool is any worse than sandpaper in this instance, but I am only a novice, I'm sure some of our other members would have a better idea

2 minutes ago, Diver One said:

This is the current project The Bayard

 

ive tried to put pics in order from original nasty finish, removal of said finish with a toothbrush/wirewool  and meths, steaming the dents ( quite a lot with some visible in the pics), cleaning up the chequering and recutting in places, next step is raising the grain a few times until it won't rise to the occasion. Then onto alkanet and oiling it

( do you use the sealer before or after the alkanet?, not used sealer before )

 

 

Looks great, really like how clean the checking is after you recut it, I'd love to do that but way beyond my skillset right now.

I personally used sealer after the dye (alkanet) as per this guide, https://www.birchwoodcasey.com/gun-refinishing-guide/

 

[Old farrier]

1 hour ago, Pops_Hants said:

Yes, you can leave small particles of steel wool behind, but this is why you also wipe it down and use a tack cloth, this should remove all remains of steel wool before oiling. Tack cloth is widely used in various industry to wipe surfaces down ahead of paint / finishing

 

As for ripping the grain, well as I learnt through this process and another forum member, you'll want t go through the process of raising or submerging the grain ahead of finishing it. Not sure wire wool is any worse than sandpaper in this instance, but I am only a novice, I'm sure some of our other members would have a better idea

Looks great, really like how clean the checking is after you recut it, I'd love to do that but way beyond my skillset right now.

I personally used sealer after the dye (alkanet) as per this guide, https://www.birchwoodcasey.com/gun-refinishing-guide/

 

Looks really good and equally compatible to my professionaly done stocks 

really good attempt and thanks for sharing the process 

haven’t got the patience myself 😉

All the best 

mod 

[Westley]

7 hours ago, old'un said:

a question on the use of wire wool, some years back I wanted to do a quick oil job on an old AYA yeoman I had as a knockabout gun, I knew a few people in the then Birmingham gun trade, one was an old boy who had been stocking guns all his life, I mentioned using wire wool and he nearly had a fit, I asked him why not and he said it can rip the softer parts of the grain out and also leave very fine particles of steel in the wood, so I never used steel wool, how true this is I have no idea but he said all you need is sandpaper, oil, rag and your hands.

With regards to the use of wire wool, I have never found that 0000 grade wire wool leaves any bits behind, especially if it is dabbed in a drop of linseed oil before use. The coarser grades of steel wool will leave splinters, I am a gas fitter by trade and I was for ever digging steel splinters out of my hands after cleaning copper pipe and fittings with steel wool.  😄

[Pops_Hants]

15 hours ago, Old farrier said:

Looks really good and equally compatible to my professionaly done stocks 

really good attempt and thanks for sharing the process 

haven’t got the patience myself 😉

All the best 

mod 

Thank you, 

Yes, the patience side of it has taken it's toll, this is for my main gun, so it's even harder to wait it out, although the waiting process was helped by buying a new semi auto to play with! 😁

I've learnt a lot, and some of which I would take on board if ever I attempted it again, 

 

Final results are due soon!

14 hours ago, Westley said:

With regards to the use of wire wool, I have never found that 0000 grade wire wool leaves any bits behind, especially if it is dabbed in a drop of linseed oil before use. The coarser grades of steel wool will leave splinters, I am a gas fitter by trade and I was for ever digging steel splinters out of my hands after cleaning copper pipe and fittings with steel wool.  😄

I'm using 0000 grade and it seems to shed itself everywhere, maybe I'm a little heavy handed, or it's cheap stuff, although I've not had splinters as you say. I do find a wipe down with a lint free cloth and then a tack cloth seems to remove it all (as far as my poor eyes will see)

[London Best]

Whenever I buy wire wool I can only ever find a choice of coarse or fine.
I have never managed to find any graded 0000 or any other grade. 
I have no idea how the fine grade compares.

[Yellow Bear]

55 minutes ago, London Best said:

Whenever I buy wire wool I can only ever find a choice of coarse or fine.
I have never managed to find any graded 0000 or any other grade. 
I have no idea how the fine grade compares.

Amazon and Screwfix have it 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/liberon-grade-0000-ultra-fine-steel-wool-250g/944HT?kpid=944HT&ds_kid=92700072652577527&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1243321&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1ZGcBhCoARIsAGQ0kkqE2X9NNzKGlXVkk7QaDPwRGqXhagzfEgsas_-hnE11vpw2v-ZcIlgaAqakEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[London Best]

27 minutes ago, Yellow Bear said:

Amazon and Screwfix have it 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/liberon-grade-0000-ultra-fine-steel-wool-250g/944HT?kpid=944HT&ds_kid=92700072652577527&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1243321&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1ZGcBhCoARIsAGQ0kkqE2X9NNzKGlXVkk7QaDPwRGqXhagzfEgsas_-hnE11vpw2v-ZcIlgaAqakEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thank you, Sir.