# Gunstock Tung Oil Finish



## bowyer

Many years ago I learned a method used by professional stock makers for applying tung oil to gunstocks which results in a silky smooth, deep lustre finish. It only takes a few hours of actual work  stretched out over several weeks of drying time and is easy to learn for a first time user. Oil finished stocks are easier to repair than the hard plastic type finishes for dings and scratches that inevitably occur. Besides, I like the traditional looks. The only supplies needed are: Tung oil, wet/dry sandpaper in 320,400, &600 grit, paper towels, small brush, and masking tape.  

Step 1: The stock must be prepped as with any finish...all old finish and tool marks removed, all metal and furniture removed, wood sanded smooth and stained. Any dings or blemishes will stand out like a sore thumb when any finish is applied,so take care of it now. Small dents can be removed with steam by placing a damp cloth over the spot and carefully heating with an iron.Cut masking tape and cover checkering, engravings  and cartouches. 

Step 2: Take the small brush, the acid type works well, and liberally apply a coat of tung oil on all exposed wood areas other than the barrel channel and magazine recess. This is opposite than how most finishes are applied but idea is to have plenty of oil soak into the wood. Some areas will soak up the oil more than others so keep applying until the entire surface is saturated. Do not wipe it down and set it aside a week to dry. Do not worry too much about dust like you would with Tru Oil ( a great finish in its own right) and other hard shell finishes. 

Step 3: Dip 320 grit wet/dry sandpaper in the tung oil and gently sand  down to the wood. Keep the paper wet while sanding and this step will create a type of "mud" out of the tung oil and wood particles which will be used to to fill in the pores and seal the stock. A small, rectangular school eraser can be used to keep the edges sharp where the wood meets metal parts. Do not remove much wood in these areas and you can move mud from other sections  of the stock to fill in the pores. Set aside for another week of drying. 

Step 4. Final finish is begun with 320 grit paper and paper towels. Dip the sandpaper in tung oil  as in the previous step and begin sanding starting with the butt of the stock working forward. The tung oil will act as a cutting agent this time so as you cut through the mud wipe it down with the paper towels. Be careful not to rub all the oil off as you just want to remove the mud in this step and you want to be sure all the pores are filled. . Set aside to dry for at least four days. 

Step 5: Use 400 grit sandpaper dipped in tung oil and wipe down each area as you go with paper towels. Check to see if all pores are filled ,leave a very light coating of oil and let dry for three or four days. 

Step 6: Repeat same process with 600 grit paper dipped  and paper towels. Let dry for a week and repeat sanding with 600 grit and paper towels one last time . At this point you will end up with a nice satin finish. I usually stop here, but if you want a shinier finish you can apply LinSpeed or Tru oil. 

I hope this will help some of you who have wanted to give stock finishing a try. This is a great way to finish muzzleloaders also.


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## dax

I used a very similar method but with different grades of steel wool and got a fantastic finish on some AK-47 furniture.


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## bowyer

I have never used this method with steel wool but it is good to know that it works. Also thought I should clarify using the rubber eraser in step 3. It is used as backing for the sandpaper around the delicate areas where more precise sanding is needed. 
I really had my doubts about using this process the first time since it does not conform to many other accepted finish applications. And really started to be concerned when my burl walnut stock was covered in "mud".  But when I got to the stage of wiping it down with the paper towels and seeing the wood grain I knew I was onto something good. Easy to do with great results.


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