First tru oil finish

[tws3b2]

This is a Stevens model 54 410ga. that I just finished with tru oil. I picked it up at the gun show. It was made between 1933 and 1942. The stock was really nasty with several layers of crap on it. I'm still looking for bolt assembly parts for it so it's not finished yet. I stripped it down to the wood and was surprised to find no cracks or chips. Just a few dings that I did not fully remove. I only put four coats on it when I decided it was where I wanted it to be. Not perfect but good. Below it is a winchester 67a that I did over ten years ago with stain and poly. I think it has held up really well. Kind of hard to tell in the photo. Have to say I like the stain and poly better than the tru oil. I just did not like the way the tru oil went on. Just me I guess.

 

[1KPerDay]

Looks good to me!

 

[greyling22]

I've taken to hitting my truoil stocks with some buffing compound and a rough sock. It takes some of the gloss off but still leaves smooth slightly more satin finish. I keep meaning Alsoto try some of that rottenstone brownells sells.
and this will sound really weird, but if you will rub WD-40 on your stock in between coats of truoil it will harden the true oil in a few minutes instead of hours. Let's you get a smoother hand rubbed finish with less lint collecting on it.

 

[GBExpat]

This is a Stevens model 54 410ga. that I just finished with tru oil. ...

IMO, that looks really nice in addition to being appropriate for that type of stock (a type of rifle that usually sports a hard-shell Remchesterby-style glossy finish).

Good Job, tws3b2!

 

[JeffG]

Good job!

 

[Old Shooter]

Nice job.


I wish some of them I've worked on came out that nice.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

Looks good, though I am not a big fan of Tru Oil. My preference is a satin polyurethane hand rubbed.

 

[Miguel Angel Camara]

Hi tws, seems you are on the right track.
Your finish appears to be lacking some elbow grease,
I suggest you try a light buffing with some fine steel wool, or like I do mix some fine pumice powder mixed with mineral oil or bleached linseed oil.
I mix my tru-oil with 1/3 bleached linseed oil (the kind found at art supply stores) to give it a bit more time to spread and cure evenly, apply with your hands very, very little a a time, and do keep in mind it will take at least a week for each hand application to dry.
Tru-oil out of the bottle is technically a varnish, so mixing with some high end linseed makes for a much nicer looking finish (the kind found on high end shotguns).
You'll be surprised what can be accomplished with a bit more rubbing and finish.
Good luck, love to hear how you do.

 

[Catman42]

you do good work, now hand rub with a pure cotton cloth and HUTS polish available on the internet. it will bring it to a gloss that makes the finish dissapear and beyond anything you ever thought possible. then finish with a cotton cloth and 5f polish from brownells.

 

[Catpop]

Tru Oil finishes are really at their best on fancy grain stocks! Gives them depth!

 

[1MoreFord]

Tru Oil works nicely as does Linspeed. For your info both work well if you have future needs.