Tru-oil with a rag or your finger? Heck no! YOU GOT TO SPRAY GUN IT ON.

V

VaniB

New member
Don’t even think of trying to follow the instructions on the bottle and applying tru-oil with your finger or a “clean rag” unless it's going on your ole huntin rifle or a Garand. If it is a “new rifle” look that you're wanting, nothing short of a pro spray gun will deliver the effect. I went through a lot of grief discovering this the hard way.

I bought a used 3” wide Richard’s Micro thumbhole stock on eBay about 3 months ago. I opened the barrel channel, rounded off the old fashioned sharp triangular forend, and stripped off all of the old finish, sanded and restained it.

But by far the most frustrating and time consuming process over the last 3 months of this on-and-off work was trying to properly apply the tru-oil into a smooth clear-as- glass gloss finish. Each time the tru oil went on improperly, some damage to the stained finish was inevitable as I had to sand the tru-oil back down into the stain. I literally had applied about 10 tru oil finishes before I finally figured out how to get it on right with a spray gun and finally finished the thing today. Hellalujah. I might actually get to fire this 22x47L rifle after waiting over a year. Sheeesh.....

I finally reverted back to my better instincts from when I use to build and spray paint my R/C airplanes. I don’t know why I thought it would be any different with tru oil, being it mixes and sprays not much differently then traditional enamel oil paints like Rustoleum.

Yes....I know its sold in an earosol can too. But I'd rely on that to deliver professional results the same way that a custom bike or auto shop would use Krylon. (...not)

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If you have an air compressor, then you’re more then halfway there. Buy a Harbor Freight detail spray gun, model # 9216-2VGA. It’s an unbelievable buy at $10 on the internet (it cost me $15 in the store) It does NOT come with the gage.
 
VaniB

You certainly ended up with a nice looking stock finish.

But, in my experience, Tru Oil is best applied, allowed to dry, and then completely rubbed off down to the bare wood. Another coat, and repeat, and repeat until the pores are completely filled. Then a very light coat rubbed in with the hand, allowed to dry and then rubbed out with rubbing compound and finally a Turtle Wax polish.

All of this is done with the fingers, exactly as the old instructions said.

Of course, if you want a gloss finish such as your stock then a spray gun is probably the only way to achieve it if you use Tru Oil.

I've finished a lot of stocks with Tru Oil over the years and have always used the method in the instructions. It's one of the finishes that looks best "in the wood" rather than "on the wood".

JMHO

Ray
 
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I have some custom hunting rifles with some very nice walnut stocks. They have hand rubbed Tru Oil. Gloss is really not in vogue for custom wood stocks, so I guess if spray on gave you the look that you wanted, go for it.
Butch
 
Ray,

You could probably imagine that if the tru-oil instructions on the bottle said "For best results thin and spray", they would lose a lot of sales.

I surely ended up with the same desirable "completely filled" wood pores as you are referring to by applying the stuff manually. I got into that desired condition after the first 3 applications of tru-oil with a rag and finger. By the 4th application, the pores were pretty much gone.

Where I start to disagaree with you, is after we have already accomplished filling the pores in the wood after the first 3 applications. At that point you want to start trying for a smooth and pretty finish. A rag leaves track marks and plenty of lint. And the finger applies it unevenly and leaves lines, just like a paint brush. It shouldn't come as a surprise that this is what I was experiencing.

Tru-oil out of the bottle is a good protective coat to put on your already seasoned rifle. And it's great too if you want a traditional hand rubbed oil finish. But, for a glass smooth and shiny mirror finish with the least imperfections, spraying was the only way to go.

I used a 50/50% mixture of tru-oil and mineral spirits with a low 11lbs of air pressure. You can apply it very slowly and carefully this way so it dries wet and glossy, yet with care it will not sag. IT APPLIES MUCH THICKER THIS WAY, then if you are to wipe 75%-90% off of it with a rag or your finger. So the initial job of filling the pores will be done in the first 2 or 3 coats, and the finish coat by the 4th spray.

There is no need for folks to go 15 to 20 or more coats (as I have read some say they did) or the 10 coats like I did. Enter "tru oil" in google and read about the 15-20 coats put on plenty of rifles and guitars out there.

I am now sure after discovering the ease and efficiency of applying it with a spray gun, that it would take a total of perhaps 4 or 5 sprays the most. Less fussy guys who don't mind seeing some remaining pores in the wood may get the job done in only 2 or 3 coats total. But, I also realize that just because I have the experience with building, doping, and spraying 7' wingspan toy R/C planes for many years, and have all the painting equipment, doesn't mean others may care to try this.
 
Hello Butch,

You know I would normally agree with you. In particular, I don't like the looks of a glossy BDL. I feel it's day is gone, and I understand what you are sayng. But, it seems a lot of laminated stocks now are so cookie-cut, and mass-produced. I purposely wanted this NOT to be confused at a glance with the Boyd's Remington Thumbhole stock.

One glance at this mirror-finished thumbhole 16 lb rifle with a big ole 29" barrel...... and the gloss will only help say "custom".

Yep....to each his own.:)
 
never had a problem rubbing in tru oil, and doing so i can get anywhere from a nice satin finish, to a finish that looks like glass was poured on the stock.
 
have to agree with Butch

if one wanted a gloss finish and was to spray it, i would use urethane or laquer sprayed on. most use an automotive clearcoat as this will cure hard and ride the bags. tru oil has a tendancy to be gummy in the bags when the temp nears 90-100 degrees.

back to the tru oil finish the way i apply it to get a glossy finish is put the oil on the stock by hand striking it smooth with the heel of my palm. just before it gets to the point of being tacky i slick off the excess with brown paper. the kind restrooms use for drying hands( no lint). let each application dry for at least a week. this has the effect like wax buildup on furniture. in several months one has a hard glossy finish if that is what is desired.
personally i feel a gloss finish is for factory built rack guns.

Fred
 
"It's not what we want." Who's we? I guess every so often I need a good swift kick and a reminder who I'm conversing with and that I'm the outsider here.

It seems I did a really weird thing on putting on a gloss and slick coat. I guess Ray's opening; "You certainly ended up with a nice looking stock finish."was as good as it gets in the compliments department. I'll take it.

I've gone ahead and posted a couple of pics off of Mike Ricklefs websight of the finishes that he is currently offering. No, it doesn't have to change your opinion on a gloss paint finish or whether you would ever choose it. But think back.... is it possible that you may have seen a custom benchrest rifle or two like these at the firing line?
I guess my rifle will have to look just as awkward and undesirable. (And gosh...custom too.)

Like I said in my other post "To each his own", and I will not bother any longer trying to defend my latest creation.

You guys have made a good point about using auto paint clear-coat, or Urethane as probably a better route for me to go next time.

Yes, I am capable of conceding that I do not know it all, as well as providing praise or compliment to others when due. I don't know who owns that rifle, but it's a beaut!



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VaniB, I guess my terminology turned you off. I was just trying to say that an individuals taste in rifles or any other thing does not have to agree with what I or anybody else likes. I certainly did not mean,we, as saying that myself and the rest of the folks have a different opinion than you on the finish. Sorry if you think I was picking on you as I certainly wasn't.
Butch
 
Say, VaniB, that finish may last 2-3 seasons.........

less with a beard or stubble. Maybe my body chemistry is more acidic, but I was only able to get about 3yrs from the Remington finishes on 700s and 40XBs. When you do it over, if you want a satin finish, use Spar Poly satin, if not, gloss. I feel you did an outstanding job. The greatest life I got from a finish was about 15yrs. It was from an aerosol can spray; And, since I was going to use that gun in two days, I didn't do any real prep to it. That stock looked like what they call, "Orange-Peel" finish because it resembles a close look at the surface of, well, orange-peel. I finally felt guilty about it and refinished it. Now, I'm going to have to refinish it again, as I DEFINITELY didn't get what I wanted. Say, now that I think of it, do you need a stock to experiment on?? I'm pretty easy to please on a varmint rifle, I just want a satin finish. Let me know, I can have it to you before y'got time t'change your mind.......;):D:D
 
It's Been A While.........

since I finished a stock with True Oil. But here is what I did.

When starting with a clean fresh wood,the first two or three coats do nothing but "raise the grain".You apply it, let it dry, then sand back down to wood again. After about the third time of doing this, the oil will actually start getting deep into the wood. I would then just lightly sand, aply another coat, steel wool, another coat, and keep this untill the final results were achieved.

This produced a nice semi-gloss finish that has that "three inches into the wood" look........jackie

Labor intensive, and time consuming, but about the best finish you could ask for........jackie
 
I never was successful in spraying a stock until the grain was filled first.

I did what Jackie did until the grain was full, then finished with a thin smooth spray...
 
When I finish a walnut stock with Tru-oil*(can't do this on multi ply laminates of different colors, cause it clouds up the light colors). I put on oil with my fingers and then take a piece of 320 sandpaper wet until it makes a paste on a section about 3"X2", sand it with the grain. Once the paste/filler is made, take the heal of your hand and smear it into the pores crossgrain, push it in. (This saves a lot of pore filling)Then leave that spot alone and move forward to another spot, and so on. Once the whole stock has the filler on it, set it up and let it set up/dry for few days. Once dry sand or steel wool the excess filler off and begin applying coats of oil. I rub it out between coats with 1000 grit paper. The final 2 coats I don't rub out. If I want gloss, I take Meguirs car cleaner wax/purple bottle and polish it to a high gloss with a cotton rag. Careful, or you'll rub through the topcoat and cause a dull spot. If you do, just put a little oil on that spot and let it dry and polish that spot again.
For a satin finish, I rub out the final top coats with 0000 steel wool and then 1000 grit water paper, then burnish it with a white paper bag like your wife gets at a fancy clothing store. It works.
 
Gun Finish

Folks:

I have been using African Express old english stock finishing kit for about the last year. Over the last 30 years I used Tru Oil and have built finishes into the wood with as many as 25 coats. Each coat was taken down with 0000 steel wool and polishing compound then re applied.
Check out the Brownells web site as this is the best oil finish that I have come across. I have done a lot of stocks with tru oil, poly and everything else but this is the best satin finish that I have found.

Crosshair
 
I don't trust Harbor Freight tools to give professional results.
 
Jackie,

You and I essentially did the same process. I filled the pores by hand with the first 3 coats of tru-oil, sanding/steel wooling each coat down until the surface was smooth. The final finish top coat was then applied by spray. I have NO wood grain recesses showing anywhere on my finished stock.

My intent of this thread was to say that it is of my opinion that ALL coats will go on much thicker instead if sprayed on, and require maybe only 4 coats total, (not 15-25 coats that others do) with the final 4th coat giving the nice smooth gloss finish you see in my photo. This will save me a lot of needless extra unecessary work next time.

But, as others here have informed me (and I now concede)....I'd be better using a more durable top-coat product next time anyway. So, there will not be a "next time" for me with tru-oil.

Thanks to all for your input. :)
 
Definitely go with auto urethane for gloss and durability. Both pics below are stocks that I did with urethane. Each one has about 10-12 coats. It took a few weeks for them to fully cure with that many coats. It takes a few sand spray sessions, but its worth it in the end. After the final coats...they came out so well...I didn't see a need to sand with 2000 and buff.

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Choose your poison. I did get a kick out of one of the sales ladies at Brownells questioning me the last time I ordered Tru-oil. She did seem in shock when I ordered the old stuff and not the spray. I asked and she told me, she had never had and order for anything but the spray.:D

Another sign of age, I guess.
 
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