The top piece of the handguard appears to have some kind of varnish applied. The stock itself looks and stinks of 1940’s surplus. Mmmmmm.
It fuggin works! Draws out the oil a LOT. Must use hot hot water to rinse the liquidy oils out, other wise I found they solidify slighty and stick more. Not a problem, I let it dry in the Darwin sun and hit it with another coat of oven cleaner. BAM! or maybe it said “SELLEYS!” and the stuff starts dripping off the stock onto the carboard I laid out beneath it. Ive given it another rinse, letting it dry and will inspect.
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This timber is just BEGGING for some tinted grain filler.
These dark areas, I dont know if they need more product or sanding…feel like they need product.
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Sweet, I’m glad you liked the technique. Works better than people think. Should come up very nicely. Another trick I learned if you do sand it. Do it with very light grain sand paper, once done, leave a bit of sandpaper dust on the stock, apply the first coat of oil with wet / dry paper or scotchbrite. Will help seal up the grain and pores. Or you can use a proper filler of course. Looks really good.
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That’s looking pretty bloody good @JizzFlinger, i reckon it’s come up a treat. Looks like the proof’s in the pudding with the Supatrick from @Supaduke. 
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Brings out the grain very nicely. Should look good once you have re-oiled it.
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Nice tips in here. I haven’t had to oil/wax any guns but I’ve used gun oil and wax on guitar necks with nice results.
Anyone got tips for achieving that sweet spot ‘satin’ finish? I’ve just used Tru-Oil on this stock because I had some on hand and wanted to use the last of it up…but when I try to wet it down and gently buff with 0000 steel wool, it doesn’t look good at all. More hazy than satin.
Im thinking that maybe it needs a coat of Tru oil, and then a full week of drying time in the now low humidity weather before hitting it with a spray of water and some 1500? what do you guys think?
The good thing is if you screw up you can just reapply another layer of TruOil and you are back to where you were.
TruOil has polyure-whatever in it, which would give you maybe semi-gloss finish with some buffing and fluffing, but I think you will always have that shiny aspect to it. I know people say buff it out with steel wool and I tried, i.e. I use TruOil sometimes. But I never managed to get to what I would consider satin finish with it. Always on the side of semi-gloss.
Maybe, nuke with acetone, and start again with tung oil? Or maybe I am just wrong. But I don’t feel wrong.
Sounds like me after arguing with my wife…
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Or my favourite.
“I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong”
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Tru oil, with wet sanding and five finishing coats applied with cotton patches. Timber on the M95 Steyr could be described as ‘petrified grain’ where the dark stuff had become hard and low. I took it back as far as I could before things wouldn’t fit properly back together.
The top piece Of the handguard was obviously mismatched and in better condition. Three coats of Tru Oil
Much nicer, but obviously too glossy and impractical. Ill shoot it until it looks shitty again
336 Marlin sanded back to 400. Napier stock oil (some kind of boiled linseed with additives?)
Applied by hand, five coats sparingly like three drops of oil per side. Hamd warmed and dried for 24 hours each time.
I think Tru Oil is great for knock about stuff. Easily added and applied.
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If anyone wants some natural bees wax . Im happy to send it their way if they pay postage . Have a bit there but happy to share some with others . As long as their not trying to take the piss and want kilos haha
I’m always on the lookout for natural beeswax, let me know what you have and postage cost.
Here’s what 6 coats of Tru-oil looks like on presentation grade walnut, I like the way it brings out the grain. It is glossier the more coats you use, this is starting to dull after 5 years use, not that it shows in this picture.
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Ill have a look later this afternoon to see what I have sitting there . But next time I see my father I could grab some more .he has about 9 hives in geelong. So usually he heats and strains it all while he is extracting the honey
That’s purdy…
Thanks @Gwion. It’s my CPA single shot " Silhouette Rifle" in .45-90. ( https://www.cparifles.com/ )
When I ordered it I specced it with unfinished stocks, it’s a saving of $600 US . While I was waiting to have it built, I found the listings for up-graded timbers on their website. I spent $450 of the discount upgrading to this blank. They contacted me and said that they didn’t supply their higher grades unfinished as too many folks were fucking it up and it reflected badly on the company . Knowing Paul Shuttleworth and his daughter Gail personally, ( the owners ), I convinced them that I could do a good job and they reluctantly agreed to supply it.
I took it to the U.S in 2019 and shot it at the NRA Silhouette Nationals that year and showed it to Gail. She was pretty impressed, ( relieved perhaps ) with how I’d finished the stocks.
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