What finish...? Some pics up !

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Johnnu2

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Howsabout some thoughts on what's good as a finish for gun grips. A friend of mine uses a 50/50 mixture of Tru Oil and Mineral spirits; and applies 0000 steel wool in between coats. I'm guessing that the type of finish would depend heavily on the type of wood used, but I'm thinking about walnut, maybe mesquite, curly maple....???
Thanks, John
 

Johnnu2

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Two good recommendations from guys who know what they're doing... thanks. p.s. does Tru Oil go bad? I have a spray-can of the stuff that must be 10+ years old.....
 

woodsy

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Simplest and cheapest (and most easily acquired?) is Minwax Rub-On Poly (satin or gloss), available at Home Cheapo and Lowe's, etc. Extremely durable (verified by independent means) and incredibly easy to apply. Plus, it cures in about a day (much quicker than boiled linseed oil, which is what Tru-oil is), and doesn't smell once dry. I used it for more than 10 years in my furniture-making business, and NEVER a complaint.
 

Johnnu2

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That sounds like it might be worth a try just because I never heard or thought of it. I'm just experimenting and learning how to make grips (big scrap pile of some nice wood). Thanks WOODSY....
 

woodsy

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Tru-Oil, which is mostly boiled linseed oil, has MUCH LESS durability than the Minwax stuff, or, for that matter, any other polyurethane-based rub-on finish.
 

Johnnu2

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Was up at Lowes in Danbury and picked-up some of that Minwax Rub On Poly.... will give it a try next time I get to practice my grip making....
 
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After the first 25 years finishing gunstocks with about every commercial and many proprietary recipes.....

RZFEfES.jpg


...I spent the last 15 years using Waterlox Original Sealer and Finish, a resin-modified tung oil blend.

https://www.waterlox.com/products-item/waterlox-original-penetrating-tung-oil-floor-sealer-finish

It works for $3000 shotgun stocks...

YINEqF0.jpg


as well as $200 handgun stocks ...

z1w5GBo.jpg


They sell it for floors, I use it for furniture ...

TNG61rW.jpg
 

Johnnu2

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I tried some old tru-oil and it stayed tacky so I broke down and bought a new bottle and only put about 4 coats with a "0000" steel wool rubdown between each coat. This is what I got (gunfighter/thin style for my hands):


Thanks again for all the great ideas, gonna try a few of them as I learn this skill....
J
 

Snake45

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Tru-Oil, uncut, #00000 steel wool between coats, as many coats as it takes. Your results look very much like what I get. :wink:
 

snakeeyes4445

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All or any of these will work and look good depending on your tolerance for detail.....although universally recommended, flattening the dried finishes between coats with very fine steel wool leaves broken iron fibers inside the wood pores which I can see and don't like. Strong magnets and blowing with air will reduce these but not eliminate.
Brownells product number 032-00-009, Dico Abrasive Wool-fine grey is better. It is about 360 grit and is the same as the Scotchbrite grey pads. Go very lightly to get the effect you like and with no shiney iron fibers locked inside the finish.
Pour your finish into small paper cups to avoid contamination of your bottle, same recommendation for bluing solutions.
I have used both Permalyn Sealer and Waterlox Origional on different individual shotgun stocks, both diluted 50/50 for deeper penetration of the waterproofing effect. Dilution may give a more level finish also if flattened between applications. Just double the number of applications to deposit the same amount of finish. It dries faster too but wait at least 24 hours.
I don't see any reason to wet sand revolver grip wood with dilute finish to fill the pores....a long process which I do for a glass smooth professional job on long guns. Revolver grips, you may want to have the extra texture left in place.
The Minwax Rub on Poly may be the most damage resistant, but I haven't tried it.
 

snakeeyes4445

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All of these are good and will work. I have used 50/50 dilutions of Permalyn Sealer or Waterlox Origional wet sanded in to fill the pores on shotgun projects. The dilution with Mineral spirits is said to increase penetration of the water resistance factor. Put on twice as many of these faster drying coats to get the same amount of finish built up. 24 hours minimum to dry.....there is no real hurry and you will enjoy doing it.
Although usually recommended to flatten the finish with very fine steel wool, if you examine closely you will leave shiney little broken iron fibers in the pores and elsewhere. Even strong magnets and forced air won't get them all off and they will be visible under the next coat.
Brownells has part number 032-000-009, Dico Abrasive Wool- fine grey works to avoid this. Go lightly and sparingly as it is about 360 grit, same as grey Scotchbrite.
Just like with bluing solutions, pour from the bottle into small Dixie Cups and discard the excess to avoid contaminating your main supply.
Revolver grips don't scream out for grain filling, and the texture may be helpful to our purpose. I do it though on long gun stocks even though it may take ten or twelve hours.
Waterlox Original diluted is what I used this year, but the Min Wax Wipe on Poly would be just as water resitant and perhaps more damage resistant on a revolver.
 

snakeeyes4445

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Cutting Tru oil or Waterlox sealer 50/50 with original mineral spirits probably enables the mixture to penetrate the microscopic gaps in the wood which is good. Just apply more coats, flattening the surface between treatments improves the outcome but I dont like to see the broken iron fibers shining back at me which is inevitable if using 0000 steel wool.
Brownell's has 3M Scotch brite "wool" which works better and also the 3M white pad towards the end.
Next I will try the Minwax Wipe on Poly which no one seems to dislike.
You should look up on Google a very simple and easy application using spray on original Armour All, wet, followed immediately with a small amount of full srengthTru Oil. Just rub it in with a pad or your fingers and in a minute, you will feel a chemical reaction occur which is sort of an enhanced drying effect. At that point rub to flatten with a clean cotton cloth. A few hours is enough time between passes. Six to eight successive coats over several days will give what I think is a perfectly lustered deep gorgeous finish which enhances the wood as well as working ten or twelve hours with Waterlox.
The technique sounds crazy, but some guitar makers are using it. It is easy and quick. I went to as many as ten coats on some practice wood which at that point, the finish began to look milky from deep down in. That many not necessary anyway.....probably incomplete drying between coats.
 

Hondo44

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Johnnu2 said:
Two good recommendations from guys who know what they're doing... thanks. p.s. does Tru Oil go bad? I have a spray-can of the stuff that must be 10+ years old.....

If the spray can nozzle wasn't cleaned before storage it may be plugged up. But if it sprays the true oil is still good.

Tru oil in the bottle must have the lid screwed on tight and be stored up side down or the air trapped in the top of the bottle will dry the surface of the contents.

If it's had too much exposure to air and gets tacky to where it doesn't dry, dump it. To prevent that, when using it don't leave the bottle open to use out of the bottle. Pour what you need out of the bottle into a dish or similar and close up the bottle.
 

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