stock staining

[shawlerbrook]

Anyone ever use min-wax oil stain on a stock before tru-oil finish ?

[Frank46]

Yes I have. don't know what type wood we are talking about so will tell you what I do. In using the min-wax stain if a light colored walnut or even birch (aka so called hardwood stocks) I use a pre stain that allows the wood to evenly take up the stain. Brush it on wait about 15 minutes and wipe off the excess then stain. Do not let the stain completely dry on the wood. Use a coarse rag to wipe off the stain. If not dark enough just repeat the stain.
The pre stain treatment will allow birch stocks to better soak up the stain. I've used it on a couple birch garand stocks. OK, let the remaining stain dry, when dry go over the wood with 0000 steel wool. The stain will lighten up somewhat. I can get a well sanded stock to shine with the steel wool. Now here is where you have two choices.
You can use a stain or wood sealer first then tru oil OR after the steel wool treatment wipe stock down good to get rid of any steel wool fibers and dust from the wood and then use tru oil starting out with a fairly heavy coat. Steel wool it almost down to the wood and repeat till you get the desired finish. Let the tru oil dry for about a week to make sure it has dried and don't lean it or place it on anything. I have a large dowel that I stick in the die hole on one of my presses with a large wood screw through the mag opening to keep it upright.
Kinda old fashioned as to how I do wood but covered the basics. Hope this helps. Frank

[gunnut69]

MinWax makes several several types of stains and the opaque ones seem to be used by some manufacturers who use the 'American hardwood' stocks (aka birch). They also make transparent stains I much prefer. These allow you to build color in layers to match in a repair situation or to just get the color you want. The best of these last stains are made and as 'Pilkington' brands stains thru Brownells. I usually finish the sanding process with 00 steel wool and then a cloth dampened with solvent.. just damp! The steel wool polishes more than cuts and as Frank46 said it is shiny and slick before the finishing process is even started. I then stain as per frank46,,using more coats, different stain colors and rubbing with steek wool (0000) to get just what I'm looking for.. Then I heat the stock with a heat gun 'til almost too hot to hold and apply 'Okene' (a french type oil) to the hot wood. The surfaces are kept wet with the material until cool. This step can be repeated twice more but most benefit is done the first time. Only really porous blanks need a couple more coats. The french oil penetyrates better than TruOil even if thinned.. After each Okene application the excess is wiped clean and allowed to dry thoroughly. At that point just apply the TruOil in light coats with steel fur (0000) in between to level and scuff the shiney off the last coat applied.. When finished Steel fur to nock off the shiney surface and wax to protect from water.. If shiney is desired a very, very thin coat called a wet coat is applied to the stock and alloed to dry. Waxing is still required to water proof the wood... There are many permutations, variations but as frank46 said these are the basics..

[Rangr44]

Anyone ever use min-wax oil stain on a stock before tru-oil finish ?

I've been doing so for over 30 years
I use mostly Black Walnut, but have been known to mix in 2/5 Red Mahogany (60/40) to replicate the older Wincheste & Marlin r French Red color.
After the stain app, I always let the stock air dry overnite before a light rubdown with OOOO steel wool ( The ONLY grade steel wool I will ever use on a gunstock), followed by a thorough pass with a (thin) cloth-covered magnet to ensure all metallic dust is gone before applying the TruOil.
I start the TO by dipping one fingertip into the bottle of TO, and applying that one dollop of oil to one end or the other of the stock (wherever I decide to start).
The dollop of TO is then rubbed around & back/forth in a small area the size of a quarter coin, gradually expanding the area to one no larger than a paper dollar bill.  I keep rubbing with the same finger until the finish "squeaks" (drags) under my fingertip in the entire area, before getting another dollop of TO and begin applying it in an adjacent area as before.
I continue until the entire stock has received one coat of TO, except for any checkering - which will get finish much later, with an old toothbrush.
I hang the stock to dry overnite in a draft-free area, from a pre-bent wire-type coathanger.
The next day, I rub the sttock down with a new/clean pad of OOOO steel wool, and proceed with the 2nd coat, as above.
Ditto, for as many coats as needed.
For a shiney finish, just don't rub down the last coat of TO prior to waxing with a good paste wax.
 
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[oneoldsap]

           There is a company called Mirka , that makes abrasives for the autobody industry . They make scuff pads all the way to 2500 grit . I started using their pads several years ago for stock finishing . The 1,000 grit works well for burnishing finishes between coats , and there are no steel fibers imbedded in the wood or finish to contend with . Plus the pads last almost forever , they lay nice and flat under the hand too . Just rub , tackcloth , and add more finish , or to rub the shine off the final coat . Steelwool is a pain in the butt , and if you try these pads , you won't use it on wood anymore !