info on finishing a stock!?!?!?

[sauls89]

i have a black pepper laminate stock for my encore and it is unfinished i was wondering if i should use a spray stain or no... Also plz tell me what brand of stain to use or atleast the stains that you have had good experiences with!!! thanks...

[encore58]

I personally don't use stains. I wet sand in tung oil on most of my stocks. Or a make a mix of linseed oil, spar varnish and mineral spirits and wet sand it in.
There are some great directions on wet sanding and wood finishing on the net. I'd google it and download a few ideas.

[Heavy C]

I would recommend sanding with consistently finer grits until you get to 220 grit.  After wiping the stock down with a wet towel allow the stock to dry.  Repeat the sanding with 220 and the wet towel treatment until when the stock dries you see no more splintering and the stock is absolutely smooth.

After that I apply tung oil finish (different from tung oil) allowing the finish to penetrate the wood.  Repeat multiple times until the finish starts to build.  Allow plenty of time between coats for drying.  Then take some 300 to 400 grit sand paper and dip it into the tung oil finish and wet sand.  Continue to rub until you're about to the wood wiping as you go.  Allow the stock to dry.

Wipe down the stock adequately.  Then apply thin coats of linspeed oil.  What you do next is up to you.  While the oil is still sort of tacky rub it with a clean cloth and repeat.  This process will yield a great satin finish.  If you prefer a glossy finish just allow the linspeed oil to dry completely without wiping it down and repeat the process.  I opted for the sating finish myself. 

Considering you have a laminate stock you don't need to stain - the color is already there.  I got the linspeed oil from Gunstocks Inc - one of the GBO sponsors.  They can also provide you with some guidance on how to finish your stock too.

Good luck!

Heavy C