DIY Rokstok Lite-ish (The Barnstok)

[Ibex]

Looks great

 

[Speaks]

I have all my user shotguns stripped and refinished with tung oil. End of season I may touch up a bit as needed.

I far prefer it to the thick finishes that come on most stocks.

 

[MuleyFever]

Awesome work.

 

[rabbithuntr]

That stock looks great. Another vote for tung oil, I done it on a couple of stock and am tempted to sand down a few others and finish them with it as well even though they are fine as they are now.

 

[Decker9]

Looking good!! You’re going to love packing and using this piece you’ve put together with your own hands!! Before you know it you’ll be looking for one of those fancy AAAA blanks to work on! Ask me how I know .

For sealing, Ime, spar urethane seems to cure harder then sealing with just oil. I have mixed oil with spar urethane and had good results as well but it makes sense in my mind that straight SU would cure harder.

I mix the SU 50/50 with mineral spirits (steeped with alkenate root for tone) to thin it a bit then lather it on until the stock won’t soak up any more, inside and out and all around. Then wipe the excess off after the wood won’t take any more. I let it dry good for 3-5 days by the stove in the basement, then hit it again with a second soak. After the second soak dries, I then start with wet sanding whatever oil finish I plan to use.

I’m about ready to start on the sealing on my current project here. I sent the metalwork out for cerakote, but the metal grip cap screws went mia in the process. I need the grip cap installed before I can start the fishing, really hoping the new screws show up Monday/Tuesday so I can get a sealer coat on before heading to the city to have a new baby on Wednesday lol.

 

[Speaks]

My stock guy also has been using timberlux more and more. I had mine done with tung oil still but he has been having good luck with it as well. I think its a bit more maintenance free, I just perfer the hand feel of a pure oil stock.

 

[hibernation]

My stock guy also has been using timberlux more and more. I had mine done with tung oil still but he has been having good luck with it as well. I think its a bit more maintenance free, I just perfer the hand feel of a pure oil stock.

Do you prefer tung oil over boiled linseed oil? Haven't used tung oil before but I'm curious to pick some up, see if it's noticeably different.

 

[LoH]

Inspiring! Nothing quite like the real (wood) thing.

 

[Speaks]

Do you prefer tung oil over boiled linseed oil? Haven't used tung oil before but I'm curious to pick some up, see if it's noticeably different.

I have not ever used boiled linseed oil on a stock. Tung oil should be a little more durable and water resistant though I am not sure it would be a big difference. If using tung oil make sure you get the real thing, lots of them at hardware stores are not.

 

[feanor]

Nice work! As others have noted, I like the improv on jigs and tooling, since that can be duplicated by others with basic tools.

 

[Eastman528]

Inspiring! Nothing quite like the real (wood) thing.

Thank you, Others on here inspired me to give it a shot, there is definitely something about it!

 

[Eastman528]

Looking good!! You’re going to love packing and using this piece you’ve put together with your own hands!! Before you know it you’ll be looking for one of those fancy AAAA blanks to work on! Ask me how I know .

For sealing, Ime, spar urethane seems to cure harder then sealing with just oil. I have mixed oil with spar urethane and had good results as well but it makes sense in my mind that straight SU would cure harder.

I mix the SU 50/50 with mineral spirits (steeped with alkenate root for tone) to thin it a bit then lather it on until the stock won’t soak up any more, inside and out and all around. Then wipe the excess off after the wood won’t take any more. I let it dry good for 3-5 days by the stove in the basement, then hit it again with a second soak. After the second soak dries, I then start with wet sanding whatever oil finish I plan to use.

I’m about ready to start on the sealing on my current project here. I sent the metalwork out for cerakote, but the metal grip cap screws went mia in the process. I need the grip cap installed before I can start the fishing, really hoping the new screws show up Monday/Tuesday so I can get a sealer coat on before heading to the city to have a new baby on Wednesday lol.

Thanks! There was a point where I said this may be the first and last stock I ever do but I have come around and likely will do more eventually. I actually have a mill and a 100 plus year old black walnut tree that needs to come down in my yard might see what I can get out of that. Maybe by the time it dries I'll be ready to do another. Doing one for my wife's Pre 64 Win would be a good excuse to get fancy.

Appreciate the input and description. That makes sense. I have some experience with furniture etc. but nothing like what a rifle stock that gets exposed to the elements. That said my kids are pretty hard on furniture ha!

Do you usually do all of your glass bedding etc. before finishing or after?

That's a really pretty figure on that stock, something kinda cool about a carbon barrel in a wood stock as well, I like it!

Congrats on the incoming new born, and good luck! My wife and I just had our 3rd in October and having some time at home is partly what spurred this project.

 

[Eastman528]

My stock guy also has been using timberlux more and more. I had mine done with tung oil still but he has been having good luck with it as well. I think its a bit more maintenance free, I just perfer the hand feel of a pure oil stock.

Tung oil definitely seems to be a popular choice, what your saying about the hand feel makes sense. I don't like the really slick varnish like finish on older wood stocks. I am sure it serve's its purpose but aesthetically not a big fan and pretty slippery. I'll have to look into the timber lux this is the first I have heard of it.

 

[Decker9]

Thanks! There was a point where I said this may be the first and last stock I ever do but I have come around and likely will do more eventually. I actually have a mill and a 100 plus year old black walnut tree that needs to come down in my yard might see what I can get out of that. Maybe by the time it dries I'll be ready to do another. Doing one for my wife's Pre 64 Win would be a good excuse to get fancy.

Appreciate the input and description. That makes sense. I have some experience with furniture etc. but nothing like what a rifle stock that gets exposed to the elements. That said my kids are pretty hard on furniture ha!

Do you usually do all of your glass bedding etc. before finishing or after?

That's a really pretty figure on that stock, something kinda cool about a carbon barrel in a wood stock as well, I like it!

Congrats on the incoming new born, and good luck! My wife and I just had our 3rd in October and having some time at home is partly what spurred this project.

That would be cool using a tree you cut yourself!! Mentioning sawmill brings back memories, my childhood and 20’s were lived building and running small sawmills, I miss those days, unfortunately we don’t have any walnut over here lol.

I do do my bedding before finishing for a few reasons. It is easier to clean up the overflow if there’s no finish on the wood, but also I like to go test my build before finishing, just incase something needs tweaked. One time i finished before testing, then chipped out a chip behind the tang of the action due to not relieving it, gluing it back in and hiding it woulda been easier if the wood was unfinished. Another reason is I don’t want finish where my bedding will be. When I seal a stock I soak down the inletting as well, but I go slow around the bedding so to not get any on it.

 

[Decker9]

Talking tung oil, just a couple examples I used for visual.

The stock inside has about 15 coats of tung oil, wet sanding in the first 3-4 then hand rubbing the rest in very thin coats over a month or two

The stock outside, was finished the same except I added 25% spar urethane to the last 2 thin coats. It did add a “on the wood” feel to it, but after some years of use, it has proven to shed the water better.

Iv since learnt about using spar urethane as a sealer rather then the finish mixture, its said to be better for sealing and curing. This stock I’m working on will be the first I’ll try it on so we’ll see.

 

[TOLeary]

Iv since learnt about using spar urethane as a sealer rather then the finish mixture, its said to be better for sealing and curing. This stock I’m working on will be the first I’ll try it on so we’ll see.

What was your reasoning for mixing/diluting the urethane?

I would definitely recommend applying it to a scrap piece for practice if you haven’t already. I used spar urethane when I made my front door and while it’s easy to apply it would want to pool up on edges. A stock isn’t a square door but I can see it wanting to pool up where the fore end turns into the barrel contour or the butt pad.

Getting a feel for the amount you’re applying will be another thing to think about. It only wants to spread so far - if that makes sense.

And making sure you get everything applied relatively quickly. If it starts to tack up and you apply more over that tacked up urethane it’ll wrinkle. Getting a feel for this timing will be good as well.

The good thing about it is you can get a feel for applying it pretty quick, looks great in a non semi gloss-gloss, is easily sand-able and easy to apply new layers.

I have not used this on a stock before. But what I would want to try is the French polishing method to apply the spar urethane on something small and shaped like a stock.

 

[TOLeary]

The stock inside has about 15 coats of tung oil, wet sanding in the first 3-4 then hand rubbing the rest in very thin coats over a month or two

The stock outside, was finished the same except I added 25% spar urethane to the last 2 thin coats. It did add a “on the wood” feel to it, but after some years of use, it has proven to shed the water better.

Really like the sheen of the tung oil stock. Does it really take a month or two to finish or could that be sped up at all? Is 15 coats standard?

was there a noticeable difference in durability and feel between the 2 finishing methods mentioned?

 

[Speaks]

Really like the sheen of the tung oil stock. Does it really take a month or two to finish or could that be sped up at all? Is 15 coats standard?

was there a noticeable difference in durability and feel between the 2 finishing methods mentioned?

I think my guy does 6-7 coats over about 10 days using a dry box in between. I beat the heck out of the shotguns he did for me and it holds up well.

 

[BBob]

Tru Oil & Armor All. The Armor All catalyzes the Tru Oil so you can lay down many more coats in a shorter time than with just the Tru Oil.

https://www.rimfirecentral.com/threads/woodstocks-amazin-stock-finish-photos.331108/