Stock refinishing tips/advice

[Ozarkwoodswalker]

I asked this on another forum, but always wanting several opinions from people that have done it. I'm refinishing a stock as a project to make a deer rifle for some friends young son. It's just going to be a single shot handi rifle in 243. So this is a birch stock. Got it stripped and sanded smooth to 320 grit. Planning to give it a sanding with 400 grit and then start the staining and finishing. Going to finish with tru-oil but the stain will be something darker, walnut... ive been advised to use water based stains ( after a pre stain conditioner) so that the tru oil will penatrate better. There is an opinion that if u use a oil based stain it will seal the wood and inhibit the tru-oul from pentrating. Also I have gotten varying opinions on if I should lightly wet the wood to raise the grain before the final sanding. Some say yes, some say no. Any thoughts from you folks here,( some of you may be on the other forum as well...its all good.... appreciate all the input....

[bandit1250]

On a birch or beech stock the grain of the wood is usually very dense and stain is hard to get it to penetrate the wood. Some guys I know go to a saddle shop and get leather dye in a brown color they like and die the wood. The results are much better than stain. You can probably find something on the internet about dying the wood with saddle dye. The tru oil penetrates very little as it is unless you thin it with mineral spirits. Tru oil is not really a penetrating oil finish as oil like linseed and tung oil. Look up the make up of tru oil. One thing about tru oil is after the curing time of your final coat it cures to a very durable finish that is not to hard to touch up and doesn't water spot like a real oil finish. I leave the last coat alone for about three months to really harden before rubbing it down to get any dust or surface imperfections out. I hate the real oil finish on my CZ Grand Finale rifles as it will leave white spots if a rain drop hits it and is a bear to get it off. Cooper rifles warns the owners not to get water on their wood with the oil finish. A friend of mine hunted in turkey season in the rain and just about ruined his very expensive 221 Fireball rifle stock. Good luck with your stock project. Hope to see the finished stock.

[Ozarkwoodswalker]

Thanks for the input!!!

[cooperhawk]

I love Birchwood Casey's Tru Oil. I've used it on several stocks that I have built and also used it to seal stocks
on factory finished rifles. For instance I use it on Ruger's oil finished stocks. I have not used it on beech stocks
however. The recommendation that you use leather dye is interesting. I have used it and is very thin and should
penetrate quite well. The kicker is I don't believe there will be a stain that looks like walnut.

[GunnyGene]

I've used TransTint wood dye on a variety of woods with excellent results over the past 15 years or so. Dye, unlike stain, will not hide the wood grain, is easy to apply and if mixed with de-natured alcohol will not raise the grain. As with any dye, stain, or finish, it should be tested first on a scrap piece of the same species as the stock, and which has been sanded down to the same level.

Here's where you can buy it:

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/tran ... 1ffa000fa9

[clovishound]

I generally don't use stains. I normally just use a clear finish. Some will darken the wood more than others. I'm definitely a big fan of Tru Oil for stocks. Multiple coats and wet sanding a stock to get a really flat lacquer finish, just too much of a pain for me. Tru Oil is easy to apply, looks great and easy to repair. Tru Oil is a mixture of thinners, varnish and curing oil. It's similar to a danish oil, but, I believe, heavier on the varnish. The oil in Tru Oil will give more darkening than most film finishes.

Having said all that a birch stock is going to be pretty blonde without a stain. That look may not suit some folks. I would see if you can find some birch scraps to practice on. I would also lean towards water or alcohol based stains. You may need a sanding sealer to even out the stain, unless you spray it.

[Nam Vet]

Have used Tru Oil for for a good hand rubbed finish for over 30 years. I also wet the stock then run it over a flame to raise the grain then sand it.I would do it till no little hairs from the wood would stand up.Then finish sanding with #600. Never needed to use a filler with Tru Oil.I like a deep finish not shiny more like a old English shotgun.

[Shakey Jake]

I asked this on another forum, but always wanting several opinions from people that have done it. I'm refinishing a stock as a project to make a deer rifle for some friends young son. It's just going to be a single shot handi rifle in 243. So this is a birch stock. Got it stripped and sanded smooth to 320 grit. Planning to give it a sanding with 400 grit and then start the staining and finishing. Going to finish with tru-oil but the stain will be something darker, walnut... ive been advised to use water based stains ( after a pre stain conditioner) so that the tru oil will penatrate better. There is an opinion that if u use a oil based stain it will seal the wood and inhibit the tru-oul from pentrating. Also I have gotten varying opinions on if I should lightly wet the wood to raise the grain before the final sanding. Some say yes, some say no. Any thoughts from you folks here,( some of you may be on the other forum as well...its all good.... appreciate all the input....

I got a sample size of Rubio Monocoat at Amazon. It's more than enough for one stock. I sealed the wood with Stock Doc Top Coat. It looks really nice. There's a pic of it in a thread I posted last summer about the Remington 788 I purchased.
http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.p ... 8&start=10
Jake

[bandit1250]

I located a picture of a stock a deceased friend of mine that he used dye and gave it to me. He had it dyed darker than I wanted it. If I remember right I washed it down lightly with lacquer thinner. Then I lightened it some more with 0000 steel wool until it looked the color I wanted. I then used Tru-oil on it. It was for my wife's 700 Varmint model and she wanted it a little shiny for the final finish. I had to open the barrel channel from sporter to the varmint heavy contour. She no longer has the rifle but we still have the stock. This stock is birch from an older Remington Sportsman 78 223. I like how it turned out but I don't recall the dye he used. [url=https://imgur.com/7WIroe1][img]http:

[cooperhawk]

Nice looking stock.

[Nam Vet]

That is one good looking stock.

[Guide]

On a birch or beech stock the grain of the wood is usually very dense and stain is hard to get it to penetrate the wood. Some guys I know go to a saddle shop and get leather dye in a brown color they like and die the wood. The results are much better than stain. You can probably find something on the internet about dying the wood with saddle dye. The tru oil penetrates very little as it is unless you thin it with mineral spirits. Tru oil is not really a penetrating oil finish as oil like linseed and tung oil. Look up the make up of tru oil. One thing about tru oil is after the curing time of your final coat it cures to a very durable finish that is not to hard to touch up and doesn't water spot like a real oil finish. I leave the last coat alone for about three months to really harden before rubbing it down to get any dust or surface imperfections out. I hate the real oil finish on my CZ Grand Finale rifles as it will leave white spots if a rain drop hits it and is a bear to get it off. Cooper rifles warns the owners not to get water on their wood with the oil finish. A friend of mine hunted in turkey season in the rain and just about ruined his very expensive 221 Fireball rifle stock. Good luck with your stock project. Hope to see the finished stock.

Have you tried any of the Odies oil on the stocks? If not try some on wooden projects. I like their wood butter little oil mostly wax. Stepson had few light scratches on his 308 M1 put some on let it set for half hour or so buffed it off. Looks good he had rubbed on the entire stock works nice in repelling water. Just a thought.

[Guide]

Have you tried any of the Odies oil on the stocks? If not try some on wooden projects. I like their wood butter little oil mostly wax. Stepson had few light scratches on his 308 M1 put some on let it set for half hour or so buffed it off. Looks good he had rubbed on the entire stock works nice in repelling water. Just a thought.