Finishing a Kibler Walnut Stock

[Flint.]

I’ll be finishing a Woodsrunner walnut stock that has some decent figure. Any suggestions on the best way to highlight the grain would be appreciated. How would you finish it?

 

[IanH]

What do you want it to look like?

Tried & True varnish oil will show the grain really well as do all linseed-oil based finishes and not be too shiny no matter how many coats you put on. It takes almost forever to cure between coats unless you modify it.

If you want quick and dirty, BC Tru-Oil, hand rubbed in a few drops at a time until dry, for several coats, will leave a durable finish although it is absolutely loaded with resins and dryers so it shines like glass.

Another quick and dirty is Minwax Antique Oil Finish which is a thinned linseed varnish and truly dries overnight if flooded on, allowed to soak a few minutes, rubbed in, and buffed off. Three coats is good.

Then there's tung oil and tung oil varnish, and finally polyurethane which I would avoid.

I would definitely consider a varnish over a straight drying oil to harden the surface a little. Walnut scratches easily with a fingernail but soaking in a thinned varnish like Minwax Antique or thinned Tru-Oil will firm up the wood fibers near the surface.

 

[TDM]

Agree with @IanH. Another tip that I’ve learned is to mix a little gum turpentine with the Tried & True oil varnish. I like the finish T&T gives and the turpentine greatly reduces drying time and makes for a smoother application. You don’t need much turpentine, maybe a 12 to 15 to 1 mix. But it needs to be real gum turpentine for best results.

 

[Flint.]

What do you want it to look like?

Tried & True varnish oil will show the grain really well as do all linseed-oil based finishes and not be too shiny no matter how many coats you put on. It takes almost forever to cure between coats unless you modify it.

If you want quick and dirty, BC Tru-Oil, hand rubbed in a few drops at a time until dry, for several coats, will leave a durable finish although it is absolutely loaded with resins and dryers so it shines like glass.

Another quick and dirty is Minwax Antique Oil Finish which is a thinned linseed varnish and truly dries overnight if flooded on, allowed to soak a few minutes, rubbed in, and buffed off. Three coats is good.

Then there's tung oil and tung oil varnish, and finally polyurethane which I would avoid.

I would definitely consider a varnish over a straight drying oil to harden the surface a little. Walnut scratches easily with a fingernail but soaking in a thinned varnish like Minwax Antique or thinned Tru-Oil will firm up the wood fibers near the surface.

Thanks for the info. I’m new to this and wonder what would be best to get the figure to stand out or would any of the finishes you mentioned do that equally well. I have a colonial in walnut which I bought already finished and it’s pretty plain with no noticeable figure (which is okay too).

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Many methods posted as per below. I use the black spray paint method - see Post #5, ala Mike 'Comfortably Numb' Brook's treatise.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/highlighting-figured-walnut.167416/

 

[Scota@4570]

American walnut is porous. You will want to fill the grain. A paste filler that is colored darker than the wood will work. Another option is to wet sand with dilute finish and 320 to 400 grit paper. The sanding mud will fill the grain. For guns I normally use the wet sand method.

As for finish, take your pick. I would avoid satin or mat varnishes. They have stuff in them that scatters the light. Whatever product you choose use thin coats. Do not try to get by with a few thick coats.

The only thing to avoid is BLO. BLO on the walnut we get today is a mistake. It will turn the wood extremely dark. IF you had 200 year old fine English walnut that is different. They did use BLO but that wood is much different. That wood is much less porous. However I did ONCE put BLO on and very expensive piece of English walnut. It really messed it up. It got even darker over time. The checkering is intricate and very fine. Rubbing it back would be very difficult.

For the ultimate 3D iridescent effect I used the modern catalyzed bowling pin finishes over filled wood. This will is not appropriate for a ML. They are also extremely toxic.

 

[Flint.]

Many methods posted as per below. I use the black spray paint method - see Post #5, ala Mike 'Comfortably Numb' Brook's treatise.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/highlighting-figured-walnut.167416/

Wow! That's exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks! What oil was used on that stock?

 

[IanH]

American walnut is porous. You will want to fill the grain.

Very true, but it depends on how authentic you want to be.

Hardware store BLO and many commercial finishes are not properly boiled and have a very high acid number. Tru-Oil also has a very high acid number and will darken wood in time. Tried & True varnish oil has an almost neutral acid number and does not darken much with time.

It appears we have a winner with the paint-filled grain technique, that's why I asked what the OP wanted it to look like, there are a number of techniques to use that all affect the outcome. If filled grain is desired, I prefer the mud-sanding technique you mentioned, especially on modern guns.

 

[RB POWELL]

I’ll be finishing a Woodsrunner walnut stock that has some decent figure. Any suggestions on the best way to highlight the grain would be appreciated. How would you finish it?

Jim Kilbler has some helpful videos on finishing stocks. I'd start there.

 

[Compressorguy]

I’ve always burnished walnut wood prior to and after staining with a smooth rounded end piece of dowel rod or antler. I’ve read it greatly hardens the surface to prevent dents, lays down the fibers or “hairs” and closes the pores. Is there historical accuracy to this? In the pic below you can see the difference (glossy looking wood has been burnished).

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Wow! That's exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks! What oil was used on that stock?

The wiping varnishes by Arm-R-Seal, as used by high end custom furniture makers. Build up the coats in gloss and then use satin for your last 2 coats, to dull the gloss but leave depth. It's just another of those modern polymerized super finishes.

But, on tiger-striped maple, such a method (oil finish only, NOT the paint!!!) will ADD to the chatoyance!