Dull dingy stock finish?

[GunnyMack]

Years ago I was told about this product by a collector of HIGH grade guns.
ULTRA FINISH, its an auto polish. Very very fine grit. Much finer than normal polishing compound.Since then I have rubbed every stock I own.
This Model 60A stock was very dirty. I wiped it down with Naphtha to loosen the grime. Now the Ultra Finish on a piece of Tshirt- bright & shiny and smooooth.
All the dents and dings remain but it looks much nicer.
You can see the dirt this removes.

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[gamekeeper]

I've never thought of using auto polish, must give it a go...

[Old No7]

I've never thought of using auto polish, must give it a go...

Me neither, thanks for the heads up on that!

Also, once the dirt and grime is removed, this may be a great way to seal the pores and leave a hard but SATIN finish -- it's a new verison of Tru Oil by Birchwood Casey called "Genuine Oil".

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I have not used it myself yet, but saw a muzzleloader finished with it over on Frontier Muzzleloading, and it looked GREAT!

(Note: I found it's cheapest to buy it on ebay; under $9 delivered, so you don't pay $6 for the oil and then add $10 or$15 shipping/handling like you would from some larger gun supply emporiums.)

I've used Tru Oil before, but always had to tone down the hard shiny finish, so I am really looking forward to hand-rubbing many thin coats into a couple of project guns and getting a durable low-gloss look.

Cheers!

Old No7

[GunnyMack]

Varathane made a product years ago called Flecto 66. It was an oil blend. Worked great for filling the grain and as final finish. You could rub it for a dull finish or leave final coat alone for more gloss.
Sadly the product is no longer on the market. Tung oil or boiled linseed oil next best IMO. Truoil is good enough but as you say it does get a bit shiny.

[marlinman93]

Some of those finishes wont dry depending on the finish already on a gun stock. I've found the best finish for touch up, or coverage over old wood is Minn Wax Wipe On Poly. It's available as satin or gloss, and has the look of a fine hand rubbed oil finish once it's done. It goes over every existing finish I've tried it on so far, and given me great results.
This is WOP I did on my Rolling Block and Hepburn stocks.

[GunnyMack]

My only worry about wipe on poly is that it is normally an interior finish and on a hunting gun that might be out in the weather it could peel off.
Another finish I've thought about using is min wax antique oil finish, hand rubbed as well but again interior.

[Tycer]

I’ll have to give that a try. On my old guns I use boiling hot water with equal parts turps and boiled linseed oil. Protect the hands and scrub gently with 0000 steel wool. Doesn’t remove any remaining finish and leaves behind a finish that matches the old well enough that a couple of coats of Renaissance Wax makes it blend perfectly.

[marlinman93]

My only worry about wipe on poly is that it is normally an interior finish and on a hunting gun that might be out in the weather it could peel off.
Another finish I've thought about using is min wax antique oil finish, hand rubbed as well but again interior.

I've used Wipe On Poly for decades on collector guns and hunting guns. Polyurethane WOP does very well out in the weather nd I've never had an issue in the rainy NW where we hunt. Of course I wax all my stocks, regardless of hunting or collectables. It just enhances the finish, and protects it for those I hunt with.
Fine furniture is no different than fine wood stock. Both use the same finishes, and I'd put WOP up against any dedicated gun finish.

[GunnyMack]

I understand your point, however my thinking is WOP where it contacts existing stock finish, I'm sure I'm over thinking it.
Having been a custom carpenter & furniture maker I've spent lots of time doing finishes. I have developed a polyurethane technique where I can get it so smooth that you can not pick up a object without a lot of effort. 400 grit then coat,600 grit then coat then 1200 grit and coat, like a mirror!

[marlinman93]

That's one of the reasons I began using WOP. I was using Laurel Mountain sealer and finish, but they weren't available locally and I had to get them from Brownells for big money. I saw someone decades ago state they had used WOP and that it was much like WOP. Both are finishes that are like hand rubbed oil, as they don't crack, get milky in wet weather, and can be spot repaired if damaged, like an oil finish.
WOP is also one of the few finishes I've used that has been able to coat over existing finishes without stripping the existing down to bare wood. It seems to not react like many finishes that will remain sticky if the existing isn't totally removed. It's also a very watery solution, so it penetrates deeply on raw wood or existing wood surfaces. That gives it a very good protective coating for damp weather when hunting. My guns have survived some pretty ugly weather here in the NW during fall hunts, and the finishes hold up quite well.

[GunnyMack]

I'll have to try it on the next stock I do. Just rediscovered a Mauser 22 that I started working on 25 years ago. Barrel is fit, stock is inletted. Just gotta finishing the new extractor and shape/ finish the stock.

[marlinman93]

Since WOP is such a thin solution, it takes anywhere from 12-16 coats to get the hand rubbed look. But it's also easier to apply than any finish I've used. I brush or wipe it on with a rag, and then wipe off any excess with a rag. Of course the first 3-4 coats wont have any extra as the wood soaks it up like a sponge! But as coats build up, I wipe the excess off. I wet sand the last few coats and wipe it off against the grain so it fills pores in the grain nicely.
Once the last coat has dried for a week I rub it with a damp rag and rottenstone powder. Then let it cure for a few more weeks and buff it out using paste wax. The end is a spectacular hard finish that is as good as it gets.

[GunnyMack]

Your method is about how I learned to finish stocks but we did it with that Flecto 66.