HuntingNut » News » In The Wood Stock Finish

Home • Community Forums • Photo Albums • Register

Modules

• Home - Top 30
• Treasury
• Tell a Friend

Articles: Submit New
• Articles: Topics
• Contact Us
• Community Forums

Members List
• Photo Albums
• PointBlank Ballistics
• PointBlank Online
• Privacy Policy
• Private Messages

Reloading Database
• State F&G Agencies
• Statistics
• Your Account

User Info

Welcome Anonymous

(Register)

Membership:

Latest: IPutMoInYoA

New Today: 0

New Yesterday: 0

Overall: 13131

People Online:

Members: 0

Visitors: 267

BOT: 2

Total: 269

Who Is Where:

Visitors:
01: Forums
02: Forums
03: Forums
04: Home
05: Photo Albums
06: Forums
07: Forums
08: Forums
09: Forums
10: Forums
11: Photo Albums
12: Forums
13: Photo Albums
14: Home
15: Photo Albums
16: Forums
17: Forums
18: Forums
19: Forums
20: Forums
21: Forums
22: Photo Albums
23: Forums
24: Forums
25: Forums
26: Home
27: Forums
28: Photo Albums
29: Forums
30: Forums
31: Photo Albums
32: Forums
33: Photo Albums
34: Your Account
35: Forums
36: Photo Albums
37: Home
38: Photo Albums
39: Forums
40: Photo Albums
41: Forums
42: Forums
43: Forums
44: Forums
45: Home
46: Forums
47: Forums
48: Home
49: Forums
50: Home
51: Forums
52: Forums
53: Forums
54: Forums
55: Photo Albums
56: Forums
57: Forums
58: Forums
59: Photo Albums
60: Photo Albums
61: Forums
62: Forums
63: Forums
64: Forums
65: Home
66: Forums
67: Forums
68: Forums
69: Forums
70: Forums
71: Forums
72: Home
73: Forums
74: Forums
75: Photo Albums
76: Forums
77: Home
78: Forums
79: Home
80: Forums
81: Home
82: Forums
83: Forums
84: Forums
85: Forums
86: Your Account
87: Forums
88: Forums
89: Photo Albums
90: Forums
91: Forums
92: Forums
93: Forums
94: Forums
95: Forums
96: Forums
97: Forums
98: Forums
99: Photo Albums
100: Forums
101: Forums
102: Forums
103: Forums
104: Forums
105: Home
106: Forums
107: Your Account
108: Forums
109: Photo Albums
110: Forums
111: Forums
112: Home
113: Forums
114: Forums
115: Home
116: Your Account
117: Members List
118: Forums
119: Statistics
120: Photo Albums
121: Photo Albums
122: Home
123: Photo Albums
124: Forums
125: Forums
126: Home
127: Forums
128: Forums
129: Photo Albums
130: Forums
131: Forums
132: Forums
133: Home
134: Forums
135: Forums
136: Forums
137: Your Account
138: Photo Albums
139: Forums
140: Forums
141: Forums
142: Forums
143: Forums
144: Forums
145: Forums
146: Photo Albums
147: Home
148: Your Account
149: Forums
150: Home
151: Forums
152: Home
153: Forums
154: Forums
155: Forums
156: Forums
157: Photo Albums
158: Forums
159: Photo Albums
160: Your Account
161: Forums
162: Your Account
163: Forums
164: Forums
165: Forums
166: Forums
167: Home
168: Statistics
169: Forums
170: Forums
171: Forums
172: Forums
173: Forums
174: Home
175: Photo Albums
176: Forums
177: Forums
178: Forums
179: Photo Albums
180: Forums
181: Home
182: Home
183: Photo Albums
184: Home
185: Forums
186: Your Account
187: Photo Albums
188: Forums
189: Photo Albums
190: Home
191: Your Account
192: Photo Albums
193: Forums
194: Forums
195: Forums
196: Forums
197: Photo Albums
198: News
199: Photo Albums
200: Forums
201: Forums
202: Your Account
203: Forums
204: Forums
205: Forums
206: Forums
207: Forums
208: Forums
209: Home
210: Forums
211: Home
212: Forums
213: Forums
214: Forums
215: Forums
216: Forums
217: Your Account
218: Forums
219: Forums
220: Forums
221: Photo Albums
222: Photo Albums
223: Home
224: Forums
225: Forums
226: Forums
227: Forums
228: Forums
229: Forums
230: Forums
231: Forums
232: Forums
233: Forums
234: Photo Albums
235: Forums
236: Forums
237: Forums
238: Forums
239: Forums
240: Statistics
241: Forums
242: Forums
243: Forums
244: Forums
245: Photo Albums
246: Forums
247: Forums
248: Forums
249: Forums
250: Forums
251: Home
252: Forums
253: Forums
254: Forums
255: Forums
256: Forums
257: Forums
258: Forums
259: Home
260: Forums
261: Forums
262: Photo Albums
263: Forums
264: News
265: Your Account
266: Forums
267: Home

BOT:
01: Forums
02: Home

Staff Online:

No staff members are online!

Coppermine Stats

Photo Albums

• Albums: 308
• Pictures: 2452
  · Views: 824590
  · Votes: 1316
  · Comments: 86

In The Wood Stock Finish

IN THE WOOD FINISH
Ed Harmon
The polished stone looking finish found on high end professionally finished stocks is the result of a process known as an “in the wood finish.”

Before you start: Make very sure that your hands are clean, anytime you handle a stock while it is being finished. Never handle raw wood with oil, grease or water on your hands. In the summer, be careful while leaning over a piece of raw wood and watch for beads of sweat. These things stain wood and the stain must be sanded out.

After you are done with the 220-grit paper on the last dry sanding of your stock, wet down the stock with a clean, moist piece of non-linting cloth. Using a hair dryer or heat gun, quickly and carefully dry the wet stock. Don't scorch the wood. This damp mop and dryer process "whiskers" the wood, leaving filaments of wood fiber sticking up from the surface. These fibers are important and are the material that will form the base of the wood filler that is so important in the method of the stock finish known as “in the wood” finishing. Set the stock aside to dry for 24 hours before applying any oil.

There are a number of good liquid stock finishes on the market. Each seems to produce an excellent and durable “in the wood” finish. I prefer Pro Custom Oil from Brownell's. Pro Custom Oil is a combination of Tung Oil and Polyurethane. I have used other stock finishes with this process, including True Oil, with excellent results.

IMPORTANT! Dilute the finish as it comes from the container. THE RATIO OF ONE PART FINISH TO TWO PARTS MINERAL SPIRITS is required. An empty pill bottle works well for the small amount of liquid needed.

The 1x2 solution is flooded over the stock surface with a small natural bristle brush until the wood will not accept anymore of the solution. The entire surface should be shiny wet. Be sure there are no dull patches, especially at end-grain areas. This first step ensures deep penetration of the liquid into the wood. Hang the stock and let it dry for two days. When dried, the “whiskered” wood fibers are hardened and standing on the surface. Now the “in the wood” finish process can begin.

Using 320 grit wet-or-dry paper backed by a squared rubber eraser (cut paper with scissors into 1 1/2" squares), the stock is wet sanded with the same 1 to 2 solution of the finish liquid. The wet sanding produces a paste filler of fine wood powder and finish oil combined into a slurry. The filler paste is the secret of this process. Fine details like stock fluting, shadow lines, rollovers, etc. are sanded utilizing backing devices such as dowels, pieces of rubber tubing with a dowel inserted, wedge shaped wood blocks, etc.

The very first (and each subsequent) sanding takes a time period of about 30 minutes. Wet sand the stock over every section with scrupulous attention to detail, using plenty of solution. Sand with the grain or in a circular motion, do not sand across the grain.

Now go back over the entire stock, using the two first fingers of your hand, to re-wet the entire surface with solution. Set the stock aside for five to eight minutes, allowing the surface to get a little tacky.

Next, rub the filler material into the pores of the wood. A brown paper towel (the same towel usually found in men's room rollers) is excellent for this. Crumple up 2 or 3 lengths about a foot long and, using a circular motion, rub the surface until the filler material has been rubbed into the pores or off of the stock. Do not polish the surface of the wood.

After the first application, the surface will appear dull. However, after two or three more applications, you should start to see dramatic results, as the wood pores fill in more and more.

After each application, the stock is hung to dry for 24 hours. The surface will not be sticky enough to attract airborne dust.

The third wet sanding with the 320 grit paper may fill the pores. However, each piece of wood has its own characteristics, so if after careful examination under a bright light, there are still unfilled pores, additional sanding with the 320 grit will be required. The sanding process should be continued until all pores are filled, each sanding coat separated by 24 hours' drying time. I have had some stocks require as many as 12 coats to fill properly.

Repeat the process with 400 grit wet and dry paper, allowing 24 hours' drying time. Once the 400 grit process results in a smooth surface, repeat the process using 600 grit paper. When you go to 600 grit paper use a soft cotton cloth instead of paper toweling and instead of rubbing in a circular motion, rub with the grain, until all trace of the filler mix is removed. The stock will now have a fine, hand rubbed sheen.

Subsequent rubs with rottenstone and oil may be required if you prefer a high gloss finish. If you go past the 600-grit finish, apply two coats of oil with your fingers, allow the oil to dry for a week then use rottenstone and paraffin oil on a medium weight felt pad (about 1-½ inches wide x 2 inches long). Smooth the finish with the rottenstone, being very careful not to cut through the finish to the wood. If you do go through to the wood, clean the surface with mineral spirits and start again with the 400 grit wet sanding.

Once the oil finish is done, apply three coats of Deluxing Compound. Deluxing Compound is a combination of fine paste waxes and 800 grit rubbing compound. It gives a durable wax coat to your stock and can be used to increase the sheen if desired.

This sounds like a lot of time and work, which it is. The finish is not meant to be a production finish. However, for custom pieces, the finish is spectacular.

Posted by SwampFox on Friday, January 12, 2007 (16:19:48) (17365 reads) [ Administration ]