I've finally gotten around to stripping the finish off my CZ Full Stock stock.

The question is ..... is there a benefit to staining the stock to enhance the grain in the wood. Is there a way to bring out the grain? I wiped it down with denatured alcohol after the first sanding and it didn't look bad but I thought it could be made better. I plan to refinish it with boiled linseed oil.

I used Zipstrip, 2 coats, to peel off the factory finish before I did any sanding. I don't know what kind of finish material the good folks at CZ use but it's tougher than my wife's meat loaf. I've finished the "coarse" sanding and will go over it again tomorrow with some very fine emory paper before putting any kind of finish on it. One thing that worked really well was using a small brass bristle brush to remove the zip-stripped finish from the checkering. No damage to the checkering at all.

Opinions?

Hi Flashhole,

Stain is used to color the wood and it won't do much if anything to enhance the grain. If you want to darken the wood you could use some stain but you might end up with a mess. Enhancing the grain is accomplished with the finish. BLO is a poor choice for a stock finish considering the good commercial finishes available.

Frank

Hi Frank,

Here are my on-hand choices.

Minwax Polyurethane - satin finish clear
Minwax Wood Sheen - Rubbing oil stain & Finish (walnut color)
Zip Guard - Satin varnish
ValOil Tung Oil Varnish
and... Boiled Linseed Oil

I used Boiled Linseed Oil on a Ithaca Model 37 shotgun stock and it looks like a million dollars. The gun came new with the stock unfinished and the finish(es) I applied were all hand rubbed. It took about 20 coats to get it to the point it is now but like I said, it looks great. My thinking was maybe lightning would strike twice in the same place.

Hi Frank,

Here are my on-hand choices.

Minwax Polyurethane - satin finish clear
Minwax Wood Sheen - Rubbing oil stain & Finish (walnut color)
Zip Guard - Satin varnish
ValOil Tung Oil Varnish
and... Boiled Linseed Oil

I used Boiled Linseed Oil on a Ithaca Model 37 shotgun stock and it looks like a million dollars. The gun came new with the stock unfinished and the finish(es) I applied were all hand rubbed. It took about 20 coats to get it to the point it is now but like I said, it looks great. My thinking was maybe lightning would strike twice in the same place.

Might want to consider Birchwood Casey Tru Oil. I've tried numerous finishes on a number of stocks and it's the best I've ever come across. Four coats will give you a beautiful finish for less then 10 bucks

I have used boiled linseed oil on military and muzzleloader stocks and it works just fine. Tru-Oil is the best stuff I have used for hunting guns. I never, never sand a finished stock. Take care...
Oberndorf

You might look this over, I kinda like this system and you can get Pilkingtons finish at Brownell's. If you like the looks of the older Winchesters they make a dandy stain that will match those also.

Stock finishing made easier.

A GOOD CRAFTSMAN has a vested interest in keeping tension and frustration to a minimum. He is always on the lookout for ways to make life easier, like a drowning ship's rat paddling after a chunk of floating bulkhead. That's not laziness — just self-defense.

With that in mind, let me describe a method of stock finishing, using commonly available materials, that saves about half the effort expended in the usual process; that is, building up layers of finish and cutting them back to the wood with sandpaper to fill the pores. The method I use is based on the discoveries of two gun makers, Phil Pilkington and John Smyrl, who seem to have arrived at the process independently.

It's odd that no one stumbled on this technique before. Bob Brownell did say something about "sanding-in" in his book Gunsmith Kinks, but only used it , on the first coat or two of finish. What Pilkington and Smyrl do is wet-sand a stock to fill, finish and polish all at the same time, never letting a coat of finish dry on the surface.

That last is critical, because modern finishes dry to extremely tough films which are designed to resist the sort of abrasion we apply with sandpaper. Letting a spar varnish polymerize, then trying to cut it back to the wood is not only frustrating, but just plain dumb. We have done it that way because tradition said that to fill wood pores in gunstocks, one must build up a layer of oil, then sand back. Well, that works great with boiled linseed oil but hardly at all with contemporary tough oil-modified varnishes.

We also want to keep sanding to a minimum because we want all those carefully wrought details in the stock to stay that way. We just work to higher standards of detail than stock makers did even 20 years ago.

Don Allen, a stock maker of some repute, has often said that more stocks are ruined during the finishing process than at any other time. I must admit that all this sanding does sound like a paradox: How can what seems like more abrasion help preserve details? The difference lies in creating a sludge that fills pores instead of trying to cut through a layer of polymerized ****! The secret of the sanded-in finish is that you never have to sand through a tough coat of finish designed to resist that very thing.

In choosing a finish, it helps to remember why stock makers have used self-filling varnishes and why they even bother to fill all pores level with the wood surface, anyway.

The first reason is that the silicas commonly found in furniture finishes will dull checkering tools. Stearate-type fillers, on the other hand, will not bond well with the oil-based varnishes we prefer for looks and ease of repair. The main reason we fill pores level with the surface is for moisture resistance, but this also gives a more elegant look and feel.

It is safe to say that the best oil-based varnish finishes created now are better than the greatest efforts of the golden age of gun making, say, from Boutet through the beginning of World War II. If you take a close look at some older examples, particularly German and English, you will notice that many of the old geezers depended upon partially filled finishes to protect the wood. There are exceptions, of course, and it is also possible that many applications of renewing and preserving oil applied after manufacture could fill pores completely.

The old linseed oil finish, raw or boiled, is a goner. What are commonly called oils, like Linspeed and Tru-Oil, are simply oil-modified varnishes. What we use today to produce an oil finish is one of the many varnishes, interior or exterior.

One of the best things about the sanding-in technique is that it can be used with almost any varnish thinned to the correct consistency. For maximum moisture resistance, it would be pretty hard to beat a tung/phenolic/linseed spar varnish. It could well be that Monty Kennedy was right, 30 years ago, when he said that a spar or bar-top varnish was the best finish to use on stocks.

I also recommend John Bivins' Express Oil Sealer for this technique. If you favor the characteristics of a polyurethane in your work, this is probably the best available. It can be ordered from Lowell Manley Shooting Supplies, 3684 Pine St., Deckerville MI 48427.

While the Bivins finish is carefully made in small batches, making it of very high quality, you could probably get by with one of the other common urethanes, such as that manufactured by Flecto, sold under the familiar Varathane label.

My own favorites for the best combination of looks and protection are the thinner tung/phenolic/linseed varnishes such as Dupont’s 704c or Carver Tripp's Tung Oil Base-Danish Oil Finish.

I get Tripp's at a local home center but you may have to call the factory in San Diego to get the name of your nearest retailer. What I like most about Tripp's Danish oil is that it is exactly the right percentage of solids for the sanded-in method (about 25 percent). Unlike other Danish oils on the market, it also dries quickly.

Gun maker Phil Pilkington is also marketing a finishing system especially formulated for use with the sanded-in technique; He calls it Classic Gunstock Finish and sells it with a polishing and renewing formula he calls Classic Linseed Stock Rubbing Oil and a very detailed set of instructions.

Pilkington, who was trained as a chemist, has included something in his finish which delays drying and allows excess sludge to be removed easily, yet leaves the pores packed with finish and sanding particles. His basic formulation is very much like a spar varnish, but whatever the mixture, it is excellent. It can be ordered directly from the Pilkington Gun Co., PO Box 1296, Muskogee OK 74401.

While on the subject of materials, I must caution about two other familiar finishes that cause some problems when used with the sanded-in technique. They are Flecto's Natural Oil Finish No. 66, and Watco Danish Oil. While each is a penetrating finish with the right amount of solids for sanding-in, both dry too slowly.

All the finishes I have mentioned dry by oxidation from the outside in. Once the outer surfaces are dry, the underlying finish still has a way to go. If the sandings are applied before the finish is completely dry, the pores will fill very slowly or not at all.

The sanded-in finishing technique works well with most oil-modified varnishes. Express Oil Sealer is a polyurethane. The other three products are tung/phenolic/linseed oil mixtures. Watco Danish Oil Finish can be mixed with tung oil or linseed-based finishes and employed as a darkener.
The Pilkington Gun Company is marketing a pair of finishing products especially designed for the sanded-in technique. One bottle contains the finish itself; the other is a final rubbing oil.

All detailing should be wet-sanded before any of the large, flat or round areas of the stock are tackled. That helps preserve sharp edges which might be inadvertently rounded off. Rottenstone is a polishing agent used in the final stage of the sanding-in process. It buffs an extra-fine finish on a stock.

Watco, which comes in several colors, can be used as an oil stain and warming toner when mixed with a hot finish like Dupont 704c, which dries quickly. This gives a stock maker the option of adding a bit of color to his finish, as in the old alkenet or bloodroot formulas.

Watco's ability to penetrate is amazing and I use it to feed an existing finish. It will actually penetrate a fully oxidized coat of varnish. For sanding-in, mix your choice of Watco colors with 704c in a two parts to three parts ratio. Then thin that with enough mineral spirits to give a water-thin penetrating consistency.

Adding Watco to the 704c gives a finish that dries much faster than plain Watco. Use the same mixture all the way through the sanding-in process. Adding Watco to something like spar varnish will cause it to be less water resistant due to the higher percentage of linseed oil.

If moisture is liable to be a problem, better stick to a pure spar or polyurethane.
The sanded-in finish is fairly easy to apply, and what sounds like a bunch of work goes rather quickly. Do your final sanding with No. 220 grit wet-and-dry paper (used dry) and inspect carefully to make sure you have removed all sanding marks. Dampen the stock once to raise the grain, drying over a stove burner or with a hair dryer.

To prepare the finish for application, it must be thinned to about 25 percent solids. Mineral spirits are appropriate for thinning most varnishes but- check the instructions on the can to be sure. Mix only as much thinned finish as you need for a day's work. Most of these finishes are made to be used un-thinned. The addition of mineral spirits will unbalance them and cause them to set up in the container.

Do not cut off the raised grain whiskers with steel wool or the like — you will just be making extra work. Instead, the first application of finish will freeze them in place and the first wet sanding will cut them off. Using a brush, soak the diluted finish into the stock, applying repeatedly until the stock will soak up no more. Don't build up a coat on the surface of the wood, but make sure that the wood will not take any more varnish. Wipe out any finish remaining on the surface of inletted areas. Allow the finish to dry for two days. That is-longer than necessary in most climates, but make absolutely sure the i finish is dry all the way through.

Now you are ready for pore filling. Cut a sheet of No. 320 grit wet-or-dry paper into 2-inch squares. Tearing only wastes paper and causes poor results with the finer papers which you will use later. Use rubber erasers of appropriate shapes to back the paper. The softer the backing the faster the paper will cut. Remember, on some details you don't want anything so soft that the sharp edges may be rounded off.

Dilute enough finish for the day's work and begin by wet sanding, with the grain, all the detailing: under the comb flutes, around moldings, cheek pieces and the like. I find this much less frustrating than doing each detail as I come to it. While I am still fresh, I'm more likely to take the care needed not to round anything off. Use very light pressure and let the paper do the work.

You may have to abandon the eraser and use paper folded into various shapes to fit whatever contour you are attacking. You will notice you can feel the cutting action of the paper and you'll see a sludge of sanding dust and finish accumulating. Stop sanding an area when you can see the sludge is covering the pores and when you can no longer feel the paper cutting the frozen whiskers.

Proceed to the other details and complete all of them before sanding any of the large areas of the stock.

Now, go on to those areas, working a small portion at a time, cutting the whiskers and building sludge. Do not spare the sandpaper. When the paper no longer cuts with light pressure, change to a fresh piece. Add finish to the work area whenever the sludge becomes too dry to work easily. The sludge has to be fairly thick to fill the pores, though. After doing a couple of areas, you will get the hang of it. Continue until the entire stock is sanded out and covered with sludge.

Now you have a stock covered entirely with a layer of crud that is saving you a lot of labor. The next step is to re-wet the entire stock with fresh finish, moving your fingers in a circular motion to work this new finish into the existing sludge, mixing well. Continue until the entire stock is wet and gleaming. At this point rub another coat into the inletting, but be sure to wipe it out completely before putting the stock up to dry.

Set the stock aside until the finish becomes syrupy and resists being pushed with a finger, about 5 to 10 minutes. Now remove the mix from the surface, leaving as much finish in the pores as possible. That is done with non-absorbent paper napkins, the kind found at fast food restaurants. Don't use household paper towels. Because of their high absorbency, they tend to suck finish out of the pores. Wipe the sludge off the stock in a circular motion, working gently, just hard enough to remove most of the sanding debris. You may have to work a bit harder at the end when the finish has stiffened.

If you don't move fast enough and an area becomes too tacky to wipe off, re-wet it, wait a bit, then hit it again. Don't wipe too vigorously. If you leave a bit of the sludge on the surface, it will be easy to remove during the next sanding.

Set the stock aside and allow it to dry another two days. Repeat the above wet sanding step with No. 320 grit wet-or-dry. On French or English walnut you will probably begin to notice the pores filling nicely.

Allow the stock to dry two more days then repeat the No. 320 grit sanding for the third time, proceeding exactly as before. That should fill the pores completely on all but the coarsest walnuts, which may need a fourth wet sanding. What you should have at that point, is a stock with all the pores completely filled, with a dull finish and maybe a bit of sludge remaining on the surface.

After another two days drying time, wet sand as before but this time, use No. 400 grit wet-or-dry paper. As before, let the paper do the work, changing it often, floating it over the surface of the wood, working all the details first, then proceeding to the large areas. Again, wipe off the residue with paper napkins just hard enough to remove about 99 percent of the mixture.

Allow another two days' drying time. You will now have a quality finish that has all the pores filled and that is completely within the wood. You are now ready for the two polishing steps that will add a soft luster to your handiwork. The first is to repeat, as before, your wet sanding but this time you will use No, 600 wet-or-dry, a polishing paper.
Let the paper do the work and change it as often as it dulls. I even like to add a couple of layers of soft cloth between paper and eraser to give a better -polishing and floating effect. When you finish, wipe all the sanding sludge off of the stock with either cotton flannel or T-shirt material. Make sure that whatever you use is 100 percent cotton, because common synthetic blends are not absorbent enough for the purpose.

Instead of using a circular motion for your wiping, work with the grain of the wood, cleaning just hard enough to remove all the sanding residue. Do not polish the stock by rubbing hard with the cotton. The finishes still too wet and delicate to stand IBs.
After a couple of days more drying time, you will have a very high quality, though quite dull finish. You may stop here and checker if you wish. I like a bit more warm sheen on my own stocks and carry the polishing one step further.

For this step, make up a rubbing pad of several layers of flannel covering a rubber eraser. Dip it into a shallow bowl containing diluted finish. Watco is also an excellent compound for this purpose. Then apply rottenstone to the pad, either by dipping the wet flannel into a container of the polishing agent or sprinkling it on from a salt shaker.

Rub this mixture over the stock, polishing the finish, working with the grain of the wood, never in a circular motion. Use very little pressure. Add more finish and rottenstone to the pad as necessary. The entire step should take from 10 to 15 minutes. When you have finished polishing, put the stock aside for about 30 minutes, then come back and gently remove all the sludge from the surface of the wood, using a fresh piece of flannel.

Add fresh finish to the pad, if necessary to remove any partially dried residue. Now rub on a thin coat of straight finish with your fingers. Next, wipe off just hard enough to leave a very


thin coat of finish, a molecule thick, on the wood. Put the stock aside a couple more days before checkering or handling. Repeat the rottenstone polish after checkering. By that time the finish has fully polymerized and seems to take on a bit more sheen when rubbed out.

After the last rubbing, the sanded-in finish is complete. What you have is an elegant, smooth surface that shows wood color and figure to its best advantage. All pores are completely filled, yet all the finish is in the wood. It is what is now known as a classic finish and is suitable for guns to be used as well as those destined for exhibition only.

I find very little reason for a built-up finish in my own work, but some people prefer it. They are a bit more water resistant, but are also harder to repair. It is easy to go on to a built-up finish from the sanding-in technique, but a switch in materials is necessary for the built-up stages. The only finish I have had any real luck in using for this is Dem-Bart's Checkering Oil. It is just the right consistency for wiping on very thin coats and seems to dry quickly enough to be practical.

You can wipe on coats by hand after you have reached the No. 400 grit stage in your sanding-in, letting each coat dry a couple of days. I cut back the gloss slightly after every third coat with 4-ought steel wool. You may also apply this oil with a poupee like that used in French polishing. I make mine with a ball of flannel wrapped in a section of sheer nylon hose. Support Hose material doesn't work as well.

Rub on a pretty generous coat of Dem-Bart oil (which can be ordered from Brownell's), let it set up about 30 minutes, then wipe off all but the thinnest possible coat of finish. If you are using the stocking method, it helps to wet the flannel with oil, wring it out, wrap it with a single layer of stocking and wipe. About four coats, two days apart, should do it and you may not need the steel wool step. Just don't use Dem-Bart oil over any of the polyurethanes because all those formulae crosslink so tightly while drying that later coats of other materials will not form a chemical bond with them.

If you find your built-up surface is too shiny, you may cut back a bit with the rottenstone rub described above, but be sure not to cut through the built-up layers. Wait several weeks before that step to ensure the built-up layers are fully oxidized.

Good post Bob, I hope it is OK for a guy to print that one.


Here is one I have bought the products but not got around to yet, you might be interested in.

How to do the World's best oil finish
I do hope I have not broken some copyright law or what not as this is from another forum.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hate doing wood work and especially stock refinishing, but over a 30 year career and for person use I was forced to do so enough to finally find a GOOD oil finish that looks like a real custom oil finish should look like.

Here's my directions to get a true custom gun oil finish with the "egg shell satin finish" that everyone talks about, but which you almost never actually see:

Do all sanding, staining, and whiskering.

Buy a pint can of Minwax Antique Oil Finish:
http://www.minwax.com/products/speci...ntique-oil.cfm

I have no idea what's in this stuff, but it drys to the absolute HARDEST, waterproof and solvent-proof finish I've ever seen, with the possible exception of an epoxy finish like Remington's "Bowling pin" finish.
This stuff is totally unaffected by lacquer thinner when fully hardened, and unlike tung and linseed oils, on a hot day a sweaty face on the stock won't raise the grain.

Here's how I apply it.
First, do as the directions on the can specify, by applying a thin coat, allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes until it starts to get sticky, then buff off with a clean, lint-free cloth.
An old linen sheet works great.
Let dry 24 hours, then apply again.
I put on 3 coats this way.
This starts to fill the grain, and speeds drying for the later steps.

After three coats as a sealer, apply a thin coat and allow to dry BONE DRY on the surface.
This may take 24 hours or more, and in some cases of really open grain wood, the first may not dry at all.
Using finer steel wool, steel wool the finish off the wood. As you steel wool, the surface coat will turn "muddy" looking so you can see it.
Be careful around proof stamps and sharp edges to not round edges off or thin stamps.

After steel wooling the stock down to bare wood, clean the stock with brushes or compressed air, then apply another coat, allow to dry and steel wool off.
Continue this until the grain of the wood is 100% FULL, and you can see NO open grain.
When held up to a light and sighted along the grain, open grain will look like tiny scratches in the surface.

Usually 4 coats will fill all but the most open grain.
After the last coat is steel wooled off, THOROUGHLY clean the wood.
Then, apply a thin coat and allow to stand for several minutes until it starts to get sticky.
Using several clean cloth pads thoroughly buff the surface until all traces of finish are off.
This is a "color coat" that will give the bare wood more of a color without any build up on the surface.
After buffing, allow the wood to age out and fully harden for 3 to 4 days.

After aging, buy some new burlap at a fabric store, and make a small pad from several layers.
Briskly buff the wood to burnish the surface and bring out the egg shell luster.

The advantages of the Minwax Oil finish are:
It's HARD and incredibully tough.
It's water and solvent proof.
It can be repaired or overhauled by adding more oil and buffing.
Scratches can be filled by coating and steel wooling again.
It's a REAL oil finish that looks like those seen on British double guns and American custom rifles.
It's a life time finish that never has to be done over ever again.
All the finish is IN the wood, not ON it so it looks like an original.

Here's a 1950 Marlin 39-A I'm in the process of restoring. The stock was originally an oil finish that was varnished some time in the past.
I scraped the old varnish off, lightly sanded it and finished as above with Minwax Antique finish.
The stock shows a perfectly smooth surface with no open grain at all, and has a extremely smooth, velvety feel.
.................................................. ....................
Clean up is with paint thinner.
It's like a medium weight oil.

I've used brushes, a paper towel or cloth pad, and in one gooey case, my fingers to smear it on.

Again, follow the can directions for the first three "sealer" coats.
Apply a medium coat, allow to dry 5 to 10 minutes, then buff off with a lint-free cloth.
Let dry 24 hours.

After the first three coats, apply a thin coat and let dry bone dry, steel wool off, and repeat until the wood is full.
You want a coat just thick enough that it won't run.
As the wood pores fill up, it drys faster.
The last few coats dry so fast, depending on the weather, you can put two to three coats on during a long day.
.................................................. ...................
is there a way to make it more of a matte finish"?

Yes, just don't apply a last "Color coat" and don't buff with the burlap.
After you get the last coat on, steel wool it off, clean everything up and don't buff.
The finish will be more matte.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

If anyone is interested and it's Ok I would kinda like to give the author credit.
Marlinf

Marlin that was from Brownell's tech section for public use. They have lots of articles like that. Keeps them in business helping folks. You bet copy it. I really like the sanded in finishes.

I like the "in the wood" finishes way better than an "on the wood finish".

For those that don't know the difference on the wood finishes are those that are usually sprayed on. Remington's, Weatherby's and Browning's shiny spray on epoxy finishes. These spray on finishes are extremely hard to strip off. One of the best ways to get them off is to take them to a furniture refinisher whom uses a dip tank to take off finishes. He usually won't charge much to dip them. You have to make sure there are no plastic forend tips or grip caps.

I have read "citristrip" works good on Remington's when a dip isn't handy. With the plus that the odor isn't bad. Bought some when I purchased the Minwax for a BDL stock but like the Minwax haven't got a round2it.

I have read "citristrip" works good on Remington's when a dip isn't handy. With the plus that the odor isn't bad. Bought some when I purchased the Minwax for a BDL stock but like the Minwax haven't got a round2it.

I've used CitraStrip and can vouch for it. Good stuff.

I've used CitraStrip and can vouch for it. Good stuff.
Are you guys talking about Certistrip? If so, have used it and found it to be very effective and user friendly.

Are you guys talking about Certistrip? If so, have used it and found it to be very effective and user friendly.


It is actually CitriStrip. It is a varnish removing gel. You can find it at Walmart.
Here the website:
http://www.citristrip.com/products.htm

It is actually CitriStrip.
Thanks for setting me straight. Have used Certistrip but not CitriStrip. I will have to try that the next time I work on a stock.

I went the Tung Oil route, two hand rubbed coats and counting. From the looks of it I will most likely end up with about a dozen coats. I wish my fingers weren't sticking together, it's hard to type.

It's done, I'll try and post a pic tomorrow.

I ended up with twelve coats and wet sanded coats 5, 8, and 11 using 600 grit paper. To Bob's comment .... an in-the-wood finish is better than an on-the-wood finish. I got the in-the-wood finish I was looking for.

The first 2 days I applied 3 coats each and then 2 coats per day till finished. The raw wood sucked up the tung oil pretty quick and it was easy to work it into the wood. The wet sanding fills in the pores quickly and helps achieve a smooth coat. I applied every coat with a lint free cloth, circular motions at fisrt then finishing with the grain.

I'll give it a week then wax it.

I'm refinishing an A-bolt II stock and wanted some recommendations on whether to stain before starting the finish. I'm trying to post a pic of the stock. Before I stripped it, it was your standard hi-gloss browning. The wood color looks ok, but the grain is minimal (no fancy grade on this stalker model). I'm wondering if using a lighter stain, like a maple, would darken it enough before starting with one of the two techniques mentioned above.

As an aside, has anyone tried the technique listed in MarlinF's post? Looks simpler than Bob's, and I'm a first timer - just curious.

Anyhow, first things first. Here's my stripped stock - any thoughts on whether to stain or move ahead with finishing (after sanding, of course)?

Thanks.

Deck

Finished product. Love to hear your views. I used Pilkington's, and did everything but the 600 grit sand. I actually used the gold-brown for the sand in and the red brown oil over the top. I think it turned out pretty good, but I'm a rookie.

Deck

Here's my second labor. Browning gave me pretty good wood to work with. I really like the figure of this stock. Who would've thought that the dyed and lacquered stock would look like this stripped down and refinished with an oil rubbed finish.

Deck it really depends on what you want the color of your stock to be. I personally like a little darker stock than one that's not stained. I like the stains that Brownell's sells, especially the Winchester red. Some of the water based stains you can buy are also excellent.

I have pretty much used Tru-Oil over the years with great results, but there are certainly lots of good finish materials out there today. My problem with Minwax is it's harder to get an in the wood finish with it than an on the wood finish. The Tru-Oil goes on with a small rag in very thin coats and I like the way it soaks into the wood on the initial coats. Usually a rifle will end up with a dozen or more very light coats sanded with 0000 steel wool between coats.

The finish looks extremely deep in the wood when done this way and the small bottle lasts for years for any touch up work on dings or scratches that will invariably happen on a hunting firearm.

Deck it really depends on what you want the color of your stock to be. I personally like a little darker stock than one that's not stained. I like the stains that Brownell's sells, especially the Winchester red. Some of the water based stains you can buy are also excellent.

I have pretty much used Tru-Oil over the years with great results, but there are certainly lots of good finish materials out there today. My problem with Minwax is it's harder to get an in the wood finish with it than an on the wood finish. The Tru-Oil goes on with a small rag in very thin coats and I like the way it soaks into the wood on the initial coats. Usually a rifle will end up with a dozen or more very light coats sanded with 0000 steel wool between coats.

The finish looks extremely deep in the wood when done this way and the small bottle lasts for years for any touch up work on dings or scratches that will invariably happen on a hunting firearm.

Actually the picture is of the completed stock. I used Pilkington's gold-brown, and did the sanded-in finish he provides in the instructions, and finished it with the red-brown rubbing oil. I'm very pleased with it. The original Browning finish with the lacquer completely covered up the "tiger stripes" you see in the photo.

Thanks.

Deck