I has a curiosity about Tung oil

[hawg]

Can you remove it and use Aqua Fortis/iron nitrate. If so how would you remove it? My Hawken has a figured maple stock and had Tung oil applied over bare wood. It's not a high grade stock but does have figure in it and the Tung oil just looks like a muddled finish until you see it up close. I want to try to bring out the figure in it.

 

[woodnbow]

Can you remove it and use Aqua Fortis/iron nitrate. If so how would you remove it? My Hawken has a figured maple stock and had Tung oil applied over bare wood. It's not a high grade stock but does have figure in it and the Tung oil just looks like a muddled finish until you see it up close. I want to try to bring out the figure in it.

I don’t know,for certain but I do know that tung oil allows water and water vapor to pas through such a finish. It’s not my first choice as a finish for that reason. I would expect aqua fortis would go through it like grass through a goose.

 

[hawg]

I don’t know,for certain but I do know that tung oil allows water and water vapor to pas through such a finish. It’s not my first choice as a finish for that reason. I would expect aqua fortis would go through it like grass through a goose.

I beg to differ. My rifle has about 6 coats of Tung oil on it and water definitely does not get through. I've soaked it down with a water hose before to prove a point. It's a hard finish too. I can't imagine grass going through a goose anywhere near as fast as grease.

 

[gwpercle]

Treat the Tung oil finish as you would a exterior Varnish ... it is in fact a spar varnish but made with Tung oil base rather than Linseed oil base ... both are oil based finishes and can be removed with varnish remover .
Plenty of brands to choose from .
Strip the old finish ... enhance the wood grain on the bare wood and refinish .
I like Min-Wax Tung Oil Finish ... after refinishing antique oak table and chairs with it ... I like the way it goes on and the finish it leaves ... all my gun stocks (rifle & pistol ) get Tung Oil Finish by Min-Wax ...
It's a good protective finish and , to me , looks better than linseed oil finishes ( True Oil ) .
Gary

 

[hawg]

Treat the Tung oil finish as you would a exterior Varnish ... it is in fact a spar varnish but made with Tung oil base rather than Linseed oil base ... both are oil based finishes and can be removed with varnish remover .
Plenty of brands to choose from .
Strip the old finish ... enhance the wood grain on the bare wood and refinish .
I like Min-Wax Tung Oil Finish ... after refinishing antique oak table and chairs with it ... I like the way it goes on and the finish it leaves ... all my gun stocks (rifle & pistol ) get Tung Oil Finish by Min-Wax ...
It's a good protective finish and , to me , looks better than linseed oil finishes ( True Oil ) .
Gary

I may go back to a Tung oil finish but I want to bring out the figure. Straight Tung oil won't do that. That's what's on it now.

 

[Mizar]

I would try careful sanding (mind those edges!) followed with even more careful rubbing with acetone, as it tends to crack the wood if heavily applied - like a make-up removal pad soaked with acetone, but not dripping.
BTW, as I understand it, Minwax Tung Oil is nothing more than a type of Danish oil, or an oil/varnish blend like many other commercial "oil finishes". With which I have no problem at all actually, because I can replicate a "traditional oil finish" quicker and with less hassle.

 

[hawg]

Jim used a block of maple for packing in the box my Woodsrunner came in that's 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 5 1/4 and looks like it came off the blank the stock was cut from. I can section it into several test pieces.

 

[Pat Riot]

I like using tung oil on gun stocks because it soaks in and seals the wood. It’s like thin varnish.
I have used it on a number of stocks and other wood objects, but I have never tried to remove it. I am not sure how one would.

 

[gwpercle]

I may go back to a Tung oil finish but I want to bring out the figure. Straight Tung oil won't do that. That's what's on it now.

Neither Tung or Linseed oil do a whole lot of "enhancing" to the grain of Maple .
I haven't done a lot of work with Maple but when I did I used a wood stain , sometimes two different colors , overlayed , to get the grain to stand out ... it was just try a color and see how it looked ... first color wasn't enough but a second color did the trick .
My thought was remove the old finish with varnish remover and use something to get the grain to pop ...I'm not sure what works best , then re-finish the stock with Tung or Linseed oil based finish .
Gary

 

[Pat Riot]

Neither Tung or Linseed oil do a whole lot of "enhancing" to the grain of Maple .
I haven't done a lot of work with Maple but when I did I used a wood stain , sometimes two different colors , overlayed , to get the grain to stand out ... it was just try a color and see how it looked ... first color wasn't enough but a second color did the trick .
My thought was remove the old finish with varnish remover and use something to get the grain to pop ...I'm not sure what works best , then re-finish the stock with Tung or Linseed oil based finish .
Gary

When I was a teenager my dad taught me about furniture refinishing. He was a general contractor so there wasn’t much work in the winter so we refinished furniture.
You’re correct about maple wood and using stain to bring out the grain.
Another way is multiple coats of varnish or polyurethane. Which can look pretty gawdy on a gun stock.
Personally, I like maple as it is, without stain, for some rifle stocks. On a bolt action, muzzle loader or single shot, I like the way it looks. Not so much on a lever gun.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

I used tung oil and applied 7 coats on the Pedersoli muzzle loaders I built and really like the appearance. It is a durable finish without having glare in bright light. As for getting the old finish off I would try lightly sanding with some 200 grit sandpaper.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Can you remove it and use Aqua Fortis/iron nitrate. If so how would you remove it? My Hawken has a figured maple stock and had Tung oil applied over bare wood. It's not a high grade stock but does have figure in it and the Tung oil just looks like a muddled finish until you see it up close. I want to try to bring out the figure in it.

Ahhh....so that's the scratch-built Hawken. (saw someone talking about their "Hawkings" on another forum the other day. !!! Instantly thought of you) Anyhow, wow that is one fine beast of a rifle. Well, get you a horse shoe rasp and go to work on it. Will take it right off. You are welcome, for my most excellent advise.

Did you shoot the ramrod out of your barrel, and lose it??? I crack myself up.

 

[hawg]

Ahhh....so that's the scratch-built Hawken. (saw someone talking about their "Hawkings" on another forum the other day. !!! Instantly thought of you) Anyhow, wow that is one fine beast of a rifle. Well, get you a horse shoe rasp and go to work on it. Will take it right off. You are welcome, for my most excellent advise.

Did you shoot the ramrod out of your barrel, and lose it??? I crack myself up.

I thought I'd posted pics of it before.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I thought I'd posted pics of it before.

Perhaps before my time. ?? Wow what a nice hunk of rifle. Glad you found your ramrod. Was it very far down-range?

 

[.38 Special]

I'd start with mineral spirits and fine steel wool first. If that didn't work, then I'd move on to a chemical stripper meant for varnish and urethane. Afterwards a going-over with 220 sandpaper and then two or three "whiskerings" with 320 should have the stock ready for the new finish.

Please let us see how the rifle turns out!

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I'd start with mineral spirits and fine steel wool first. If that didn't work, then I'd move on to a chemical stripper meant for varnish and urethane. Afterwards a going-over with 220 sandpaper and then two or three "whiskerings" with 320 should have the stock ready for the new finish.

Please let us see how the rifle turns out!

Indeed, and be ultra careful with any sandpaper. Takes so little sanding to destroy the wood to metal fit. DO NOT ask me how I know that.

 

[drband]

Here’s what you’re looking for:
https://youtu.be/7NLQEmwAvo4?si=Thvd_VflXPp5FZco

Mark Novak is a master at repairing/refinishing stocks.

Do NOT use sandpaper.

 

[.38 Special]

Here’s what you’re looking for:
https://youtu.be/7NLQEmwAvo4?si=Thvd_VflXPp5FZco

Mark Novak is a master at repairing/refinishing stocks.

Do NOT use sandpaper.

Novak uses sandpaper in the video. I'm unable to listen at work, so perhaps he is using it as a negative example? Regardless, I would certainly use 320 sandpaper for whiskering, as it removes very little wood beyond that which is "stood up" by wetting the stock.

<edit> I will admit that a card scraper is probably the best way to go, but there is a learning curve. I've done some real damage with one, and after a couple of hours of practice still wouldn't trust myself with a nice gunstock.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Novak uses sandpaper in the video. I'm unable to listen at work, so perhaps he is using it as a negative example? Regardless, I would certainly use 320 sandpaper for whiskering, as it removes very little wood beyond that which is "stood up" by wetting the stock.

Ha ha, if he is a "master" he could probably use a horse shoe rasp and get perfect results. I could certainly easily ruin a stock with just sandpaper alone!!

I'm right in the middle of fitting a replacement stock to an old Stevens Model 44. Used to be a .25-20, but someone converted it to 410. Very cool little shotgun. It's actually coming out pretty good as I think I've learned my lessons about over-sanding.

 

[.38 Special]

Ha ha, if he is a "master" he could probably use a horse shoe rasp and get perfect results. I could certainly easily ruin a stock with just sandpaper alone!!

I'm right in the middle of fitting a replacement stock to an old Stevens Model 44. Used to be a .25-20, but someone converted it to 410. Very cool little shotgun. It's actually coming out pretty good as I think I've learned my lessons about over-sanding.

Yes, and after my minor debacle with the Kibler Colonial, I'm leery of major sanding myself. By the same token, though, I'd argue that some sanding is almost a necessity.

 

[hawg]

Here’s what you’re looking for:
https://youtu.be/7NLQEmwAvo4?si=Thvd_VflXPp5FZco

Mark Novak is a master at repairing/refinishing stocks.

Do NOT use sandpaper.

That's a standard stock finish. Those come off pretty easy.

Ha ha, if he is a "master" he could probably use a horse shoe rasp and get perfect results. I could certainly easily ruin a stock with just sandpaper alone!!

I'm right in the middle of fitting a replacement stock to an old Stevens Model 44. Used to be a .25-20, but someone converted it to 410. Very cool little shotgun. It's actually coming out pretty good as I think I've learned my lessons about over-sanding.

I'm ok with light sanding. I've refinished a lot of stocks in my time but they were all factory finishes. One thing I won't ever do again is strip one of those plastic like finishes like on a Browning or Weatherby. I tried scraping a stock once. Nah, that ain't happening. I won't ever use EZ Off again either. If the first coat doesn't get all the finish off the next one will turn the wood black where it has taken it off and it goes deep.

Perhaps before my time. ?? Wow what a nice hunk of rifle. Glad you found your ramrod. Was it very far down-range?

Lol I didn't shoot my ramrod out. He put it in the barrel so it wouldn't get broke during shipping. The tip broke off flush with the barrel during shipping.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

By the same token, though, I'd argue that some sanding is almost a necessity.

For sure. But like other things...sometimes I just don't know when to stop!!!!

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I won't ever use EZ Off again either.

You and me both brother. I wish I didn't know how I know that.

 

[J-Bar]

In my admittedly limited experience, tung oil will show the fine wood figure IF you take your time, use small amounts on each application, and rub the hell out of it each time. If you want a fast finish, use a polyurethane varnish.

 

[hawg]

It will show it but it won't make it pop. Polyurethane is good on a plain walnut stock.