• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Stock finishing

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

PMurph

.54 caliber flint and cap
MLF Supporter
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
26
Reaction score
17
I have a Kibler Colonial rifle on order and have been keeping busy while waiting by watching Jim’s tutorial videos.
In one he said he likes to finish the stock with the rifle assembled.
This seems counter intuitive to me. Is this a common practice?
How in the world would you deal with the potential of gun stock finish on Metal parts where you don’t want it? Some help understanding this would be appreciated.
 
How in the world would you deal with the potential of gun stock finish on Metal parts where you don’t want it? Some help understanding this would be appreciated.

Q Tips dipped in acetone, then squeezed a bit so excess acetone doesn't run down the parts and onto the finish, then rubbed on the excess finish will take any finish off the metal parts. You do have to sort of "sneak" up to the edges where the wood is, so you don't harm the finish, though. It is not difficult to learn to do this at all.

Gus
 
I have a Kibler Colonial rifle on order and have been keeping busy while waiting by watching Jim’s tutorial videos.
In one he said he likes to finish the stock with the rifle assembled.
This seems counter intuitive to me. Is this a common practice?
How in the world would you deal with the potential of gun stock finish on Metal parts where you don’t want it? Some help understanding this would be appreciated.
If that works for you then go ahead. I've always applied finish staining/oiling with all the metal off then put it back together. I just prefer doing it that way.
 
I have a Kibler Colonial rifle on order and have been keeping busy while waiting by watching Jim’s tutorial videos.
In one he said he likes to finish the stock with the rifle assembled.
This seems counter intuitive to me. Is this a common practice?
How in the world would you deal with the potential of gun stock finish on Metal parts where you don’t want it? Some help understanding this would be appreciated.
Thanks
 
We often call it 'hand rubbed' but for me it is 'finger rubbed.' I finish with the firearm assembled, using only one finger to apply and rub. It is easier than using your hand and much easier to control where the finish goes. A bit of your better half's polish remover will fix any over runs onto metal. My finishes end up 'satin' rather than glossy because I like it that way. Just my 1 1/2 cents worth. Polecat
 
I finished mine without the metal installed. It was a little difficult to reinsert the trigger plate because sealer and tru oil had pooled in the cavity, but nothing unmanageable. I feel better knowing that all the stock is sealed inside and out.

RM
 
The inletting on Kibler kits is very tight. IF you repeatedly slopped thick finish in the inletting it would get too tight. Jim is a great gunsmith his advice is probably good. IN the video he was using permalin sealer. That is very thin by design. It will not dry in big goppers. That said, IF you finish with the metal in place you will have to clean the metal before you finish it.

For me, I would not slop thick finish in the inletting only to have to scrape it out later. A little care will allow you to finish the metal while you wait for stock finish to dry.
 
Applying wood finish to metal and wood surfaces intentionally or by accident adds more steps to a build. For instance, in my experience , no amount of acetone would clean a raw gun barrel and make it easily prepped for cold browning. Every removable part ,like trig. guard ,butt plate , etc should have finish under it. But, ........it's whatever the builder decides to do. I more prefer to polish brass as few times as I can. Just my impatient nature and years of builds. ............oldwood
 
For me the metal is finished completely before I put any finish on the stock, then I apply stock finish inside. When that is dry I assemble the gun and finish the stock outside [whatever I choose to use]. I then clean the metal surfaces very carefully with acetone/nail polish remover on a que tip or, for small spaces, a bit of cotton on a toothpick. Works for me. Dale
 
Last edited:
I have a Kibler Colonial rifle on order and have been keeping busy while waiting by watching Jim’s tutorial videos.
In one he said he likes to finish the stock with the rifle assembled.
This seems counter intuitive to me.......
You are going to enjoy the kit.
I've got 3. I'm very impressed with them.

I f8nish parts separately then assemble at the last, bit I'm not using modern finishes either. e.g. lye to bring out the red of the cherry stock. Linseed oil or Natural lac and denatured alcohol for a finish. (Why i am so against 'moose milk' and other such concoctions.)
 
I recently finished a Kibler Colonial. Because of the large amount of end grain figure in the fancy(grade 2) maple stock, I used Kibler’s Aquafortis, and added a coat of Kibler’s tannic acid before heating the stock. I then sanded back the stock to achieve the desired contrast, I used Permalyn sealer on the internal surfaces(barrel channel, lock/trigger mortise, etc). Exterior Surfaces were finished with TOTW Original Oil. First few coats applied unassembled, an additional 10 coats{or so}applied with the rifle assembled. Very light rubbing with fine Scotch-Brite beween coats. Waxed when finished.
B977CB58-C4A6-40C1-9456-595FB5A2DDC2.jpeg
 
You really should have finish on all the wood areas to keep it from swelling if it contacts water. Water in liquid form can be guarded against by being careful, but you can't avoid it in the form of humidity. Water makes wood swell and move. You need a sealer particularly in the barrel channel and in the lock mortice. You want the wood absorbing moisture all the way around at relatively even rates to prevent disparate movement.

I think what he was referring to was intended primarily for removable parts like metal PB's and inlays. If they are mounted permanently (like smaller inlay or a cheek star) then you probably used something like an epoxy under them to help bed and hold them so that has probably done the job of sealing there. If they are nice and flush without finish under them and you put finish in there to re-mount them, they will wind up a little bit proud. The way to deal with this is in the construction phase. Do your inletting, leveling, and smoothing as usual, and then put a very thin sealer coat in the buried areas that won't show. (Under the PB finial, BP, and pipes. Use a small paint brush or Q-Tip to get in to the corners. Let it dry and cure. Re-assemble and re-level and smooth. You might have to do a little bit of scraping or slight modification to get things to fit again. The inside of PB's (the part you can see where you open them) doesn't need to be done right now anyway.

Then you can do your finishing with those parts in place knowing you won't affect their function when it's all done. (PB latch mechanisms are notorious for needing adjustment to get them working again if the gun is finished without the BP installed.)
 
Last edited:
I recently finished a Kibler Colonial. Because of the large amount of end grain figure in the fancy(grade 2) maple stock, I used Kibler’s Aquafortis, and added a coat of Kibler’s tannic acid before heating the stock. I then sanded back the stock to achieve the desired contrast, I used Permalyn sealer on the internal surfaces(barrel channel, lock/trigger mortise, etc). Exterior Surfaces were finished with TOTW Original Oil. First few coats applied unassembled, an additional 10 coats{or so}applied with the rifle assembled. Very light rubbing with fine Scotch-Brite beween coats. Waxed when finished.
View attachment 60442
Art, That is one handsome rifle. What did you use to finish your steel and brass. It really looks great!
 
Art,
You’re the best. Hey, would you mind if I message you when I start my build if I have
questions ? It sure looks like you did a lot of things right with yours.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top