Westward Posted November 28, 2022 Report Share Posted November 28, 2022 Colron do 00000 (5 zeros) grade ultrafine steel wool. I got mine in Homebase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westley Posted November 28, 2022 Report Share Posted November 28, 2022 (edited) 3 hours 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. That is because you are looking in hardware stores and NOT furniture renovation supplies. My Old man was a French polisher so I knew where to obtain all of the stuff for doing gunstocks. The last lot of 0000 grade steel wool I bought in an antique shop ! (They used it for furniture renovation.) I use it a Christmas as a beard instead of cotton wool, the colour matches my hair. It amuses the Grandkids, especially the eldest Grandson.............at 36, I thought he would have grown out of it by know ! Edited November 28, 2022 by Westley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westley Posted November 28, 2022 Report Share Posted November 28, 2022 3 hours 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. That is because you are looking in hardware stores and NOT furniture renovation supplies. My Old man was a French polisher so I knew where to obtain all of the stuff for doing gunstocks. The last lot of 0000 grade steel wool I bought in an antique shop ! (They used it for furniture renovation.) Great stuff for removing light rust from barrels etc, used with some 3 in 1 oil. I have wrapped it around an old bronze brush and used it with an electric drill to remove stubborn barrel fouling too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pops_Hants Posted December 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2022 It’s been a while since my last update, mainly because oiling is a relatively boring process whereby it’s daily rubbing down and re-oiling with Birchwood Casey stuff. So I’ve skipped all that nonsense for you lot and endured the waiting game myself. I’m now in my final wait, where the oiling has finished and I am letting it fully cure before I use sheen and conditioner to hopefully remove the bright shine and leave behind a lustful sheen on the stock. This was the final oil before including the checkering also, masking removed, and stock rubbed down to its final finish before the final oil, already it’s looking so much better than when I started, I actually really like this finish without the shine so I am hoping the conditioner brings it down a bit and the final dry oiled product, as you can see, it’s like looking into varnish, a bit too shiny for me, but with buffing and waxing I should get a lovely sheen on it rather than reflection. It just needs a full 7 days dry time before I can do that. Should be able to do it this week and have it back on the action before the weekend! Looking forward to shooting it again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted December 6, 2022 Report Share Posted December 6, 2022 Careful, you'll find a reason to leave it in the cabinet and not spoil the finish! Time to buy another gun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pops_Hants Posted December 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2022 51 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: Careful, you'll find a reason to leave it in the cabinet and not spoil the finish! Time to buy another gun! haha, well, as luck would have it, I've bought 2 in the last two weeks now haha! I also have a neoprene stock protector to go on it so I don't bash it around on the cabinet as I am clumsy like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 (edited) True oil contains a load of spar varnish or similar. It’s why the finish looks like it does. Knocked back to a Sheen they look better. I like a traditional oil finish hand rubbed back with rotten stone. Tightchoke is correct after spending all the hours hand oiling, rubbing the living daylights out of it with your palm. Last thing you want to do is damage the fine finish. Straight away I scratched mine on a brass fitting on my gun slip while carrying gun in crook of arm with slip over my shoulder. After that you just get on and use it 😂 Edited December 7, 2022 by figgy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pops_Hants Posted December 8, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2022 On 07/12/2022 at 12:09, figgy said: True oil contains a load of spar varnish or similar. It’s why the finish looks like it does. Knocked back to a Sheen they look better. I like a traditional oil finish hand rubbed back with rotten stone. Tightchoke is correct after spending all the hours hand oiling, rubbing the living daylights out of it with your palm. Last thing you want to do is damage the fine finish. Straight away I scratched mine on a brass fitting on my gun slip while carrying gun in crook of arm with slip over my shoulder. After that you just get on and use it 😂 That makes sense! And yeah, agreed, the sheen is much nicer, I’ve been knocking it back this week, update to follow in a moment. how annoying, but as you say; once you’ve dinged it, you then don’t mind as much eh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pops_Hants Posted December 8, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2022 So, the final parts are here! the stock has been oiled, some almost 10 coats or so! my original plan was to always knock it back with sheen and conditioner, but wow, with how shiny it is, it REALLY needs to be taken back, it’s like a mirror. I guess through some learnings whilst doing this, I’ve realised that tru oil is more of an American market thing, and really, as suggest prior in this post, CCL or slippery Richard’s might be better for our heritage looks on the right side of the pond. so, anyone, this is how looks whilst conditioning it, the adjustable comb has been flattened, whilst the main stock remains just oiled. You can see the reflection difference and without knocking it back, I think it would have great protection, but perhaps not so great in terms of what I was trying to achieve. Personally, once it was all knocked back I much preferred it, I can see a little nubbin at the top of grip, just in front of the comb it’s not got as many coats of oil, I must’ve ‘missed a bit’ but I’m actually leaving it there because A - I don’t want to oil it all over again and wait a further week for it to cure B - It is truly ‘my stock’, warts and all! I also think after a wax you won’t notice it anyway 😁 so this is the current product, I’m doing a little more conditioning tonight as the stock is still a little too shiny. Then I’ll wax and refit to the fun, ready to scratch it… I mean shoot it on Saturday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adzyvilla Posted December 8, 2022 Report Share Posted December 8, 2022 I kinda like the glossy finish. It reminds me of my dads old miroku ore that I think had a varnished stock that was mirror like, and I have many fond memories of my early shooting days using that now long gone gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old farrier Posted December 8, 2022 Report Share Posted December 8, 2022 Very nice work and a very good thread enjoyed the journey many thanks for posting 😊🤔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HantsRob Posted December 8, 2022 Report Share Posted December 8, 2022 It would be good to get a photo in natural daylight..... We've talked a lot about it personally, but I think you've done a wonderful job and it is truly your stock. From a stock with potential but ugly to a hero stock, I hope you're proud as punch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted December 8, 2022 Report Share Posted December 8, 2022 Looking nice and you’ve done it yourself. Nothing like using it when your all done. been a good read 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pops_Hants Posted December 8, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2022 23 minutes ago, adzyvilla said: I kinda like the glossy finish. It reminds me of my dads old miroku ore that I think had a varnished stock that was mirror like, and I have many fond memories of my early shooting days using that now long gone gun. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say. I don’t really have anything against a glossy stock, far from it actually, it’s nice to be unique in a sense, but I wanted a bit of luster in the old girl (I say old, she’s 2015 I think 🤣). I could well be tempted to have a glossy stock on something else (I also think gloss on a black action might be a bit off). 24 minutes ago, Old farrier said: Very nice work and a very good thread enjoyed the journey many thanks for posting 😊🤔 Thank you! I’m hoping that it helps someone down along the line, whilst there is a wealth of information on the tinterweb I found that a lot of it is aimed at American audiences, which is fine but as I’ve learnt, we find beauty in different ways. Secondly, there is less information about when to mask off bits, or when to oil the checkering, or even how to strip the old finish, so yeah, I’m hoping that someone will find this useful, but if not, just an entertaining read, I’m glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for letting me know, at first I wondered if anyone was reading it haha 😆 17 minutes ago, HantsRob said: It would be good to get a photo in natural daylight..... We've talked a lot about it personally, but I think you've done a wonderful job and it is truly your stock. From a stock with potential but ugly to a hero stock, I hope you're proud as punch! yes mate, natural light will make or break it haha! I might see all the flaws then, when you look in the forend you can see the old sun bleached wood 😳 very proud mate, thank you! Appreciate you giving me the nudge (and idea) to do it! Seems a big leap at first, but once you get to ‘no going back’ it then gets easier 2 minutes ago, figgy said: Looking nice and you’ve done it yourself. Nothing like using it when your all done. been a good read 👍 Thanks mate, This is it, it’s ‘my’ gun and stock now, I’ve not just put money into it but effort as well, and that’s super rewarding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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