Excellent piece on stock finishing

[shoot n skoot]

Does anyone have any ideas on what i should use to keep my walnut stock on my Theoben in tip top condition i did hear from one gun dealer that bees wax was rather good ????

[landrovermanuk]

For walnut you can use bees wax or get an oiling kit from your local gun shop or go to a good wood yard that supplies wood and oil for the furniture hobbyist/trade. I'm just about to try a "Trade secret" oil kit.
Many years ago when I was a boat builder I knew a boat builder called Jack Chippendale, he was some thing like great great great great grandson of the master furnature making Chippendale(not the male strippers). When varnishing boats he started off with 75% thinners to 25% varnish, then 50/50 then 25/75 and finishing with about 10 to 12 coats of varnish. The wood looked like it was under a sheet of glass, it was the best wood finish I've ever seen.

[Hsing-ee]

he was some thing like great great great great grandson of the master furnature making Chippendale(not the male strippers).

No, that is the family which is headed by N.I.Tromoors.

[nat1]

As an antique furniture restorer,i thought i'd give a few of my tips for stock finishing,
1/ BEECH FINISHING, i find it best to use water based stains (not spirit based) lots of colours available. Seal bare wood first with 50/50% shellac/finishing spirits or you could use a sanding sealer,cut back with 0000 wire wool then apply stain with a damp rag,allow to dry,seal the stain in with 80/20% shellac,finishing spirits,lightly cut back with 0000 wire wool,then wax up and buff off.

2/WALNUT OIL FINISH, I prefer not to stain walnut,(because i believe sealing after staining would prevent the oil soaking in!) but you can if you wish.Bare walnut will take a stain better,but remember to seal in the stain or the oil will make it streaky looking.
My method with a bare stock= wet the stock with a damp rag,dry quickly with a heat-gun/good hair-dryer(careful not to darken/scorch wood).Sand back with 400 grit paper,do this process twice.

Now for the oil process, i use (for the first two coats only) a mix off 35% tung-oil,35% boiled linseed oil,30%white spirit (turpentine works also) .This is a thin oil coating to help penetrate the grain better.Brush on,leave for 15 minutes wipe off excess with a rag(T-shirts are good),allow to dry for 24 hours in a dust free room.Then cut back with 400 grit paper.Do this process twice.

Now for the 3rd-8th coats. 45% tung-oil,45% boiled linseed oil,10%white spirit(or turpentine), use a rag to apply,leave 24 hours to dry,then cut back with 0000 wire wool,repeat 8 times,8 coats= about 8 days.If you wish once lightly cut back,apply wax or leave for further oil coating.
A WORD OF WARNING!!!! RAGS THAT HAVE BEEN USED TO OIL WITH CAN SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST !! Wash out the used rags,then lay out flat outside on pavement/patio etc.

Handmade walnut s200 stock, BEFORE= http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?i...tock004sm2.jpg

AFTER= http://img119.imageshack.us/my.php?image=eds005uv0.jpg

A couple of suppliers i use= http://www.fiddes.co.uk/content/

http://www.mylands.co.uk/
I hope some of this is helpfull....Woody.

[nat1]

oops!