# Gun stock refinishing with Tru-oil



## Woodscrew

I been reading on here about different people using Tru-Oil to refinish there gun stocks and keep reading where people say that the finish will get darker with every coat you put on it. Well I been working on my stock on one of my shot guns and i'm up to about 6 coats now and its no darker than the first or second coat I put on it. I been hitting it good with 00 steel wool between coats and wetting it good with the Tru-Oil. So whats the deal??? How many coats you got to put on it before it start getting darker?


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## gordylew

depends on the type of wood.  looks like your gun is birch and would have to be stained first.


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## GT-40 GUY

Needs some age? Maybe about 25 years and it might be dark enough.


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## Woodscrew

gordylew said:


> depends on the type of wood.  looks like your gun is birch and would have to be stained first.



I had thought about staining to begin with but in every post I read about Tru-Oil I keep reading how it will get darker and darker with every coat. One guy has a picture of one gun thats really dark and say it was almost white when he started. I dunno what type wood my stock is made of. I thought it was oak.


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## CAL

gordylew said:


> depends on the type of wood.  looks like your gun is birch and would have to be stained first.



I agree,you might use some remover and then try to stain it but it looks real pretty to me as is.Looks like you doing a good job,your wood is just light to start with.


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## Woodscrew

Can you apply a stain now that I have put the tru-oil on? I know its an oil and soaks into the wood.


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## QuakerBoy

the stain my not absorb as well, but if you are using an oil based stain it will still soak in


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## Back2class

That is a brich stock I think. It will not get any darker. If you want darker on thet Savage stock you need to remove all the new finish and stain with oil stain. Then do the first few coats with tinited polyurethane to get it the color you want. So no, you can not put stain over it as is.


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## DannyW

I agree with Spam...it will be the devil trying to get the stain to take at this point. The stock is essentially sealed from the TruOil that you have already applied and it's not going to let the stain penetrate. At best it will just dry on the surface.

If you want it darker then you will need sand it down to the raw wood again, stain it, seal it, and then finish it. But here are a couple of thoughts:

That wood appears to be birch or some other soft wood and it is not going to take stain real well. It will be uneven and blotchy. Some wood conditioner before staining may help but it will not be a miracle cure.
Don't take this the wrong way but I hope you don't have real high expectations for that stock anyway. There is an old saying about silk purses and sow's ears, and to get a silk purse you need to start with some nicely figured walnut. Not birch.
Also...applying the finish to the surface will make it shine but will not darken the wood. If you sand that Tru-Oil into the wood (AKA "hand rubbed oil finish") it will make it darker but it will still be very subtle. It's certainly not going to significantly darken a stock that blond.

Good luck...


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## Woodscrew

Think i'm just going to leave it as is. Tired of fooling with it. Thank for the advice anyways.


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## mmarkey

Woodscrew

Yes you can definetly strip it and restain it. I've done it.

I've used Jasco Varnish and Stain remover. Says it's good for antique furniture. Tru-Value hardware stores carry it. 

Follow the instructions on the can. 

You'll have to re-stain the entire stock using an penitrating alcohol based stain. DON'T USE OIL BASE STAIN. It sits on the wood and hides the wood grain. 

Apply the Tru-Oil with your bare hand only a couple of drops on the end of your finger, rubbing thouroughly till it starts to dry or tack then move to another spot. After several coats then steel wool lightly don't break through the oil finish or you will create a spot that won't stain well.

Good luck.


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## pdog06

I think it looks really good just as it is. It must depend on the wood, cause I did a laminate with Tru-Oil and it darkened up alot with 6 or 7 coats on it.

edit: I tried to load before and after pics, but photobucket wont open up for some reason. I'll try to add later.

Edit: here's the before and after pics to show how much it darkened:


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## Woodscrew

mmarkey said:


> Woodscrew
> 
> Yes you can definetly strip it and restain it. I've done it.
> 
> I've used Jasco Varnish and Stain remover. Says it's good for antique furniture. Tru-Value hardware stores carry it.
> 
> Follow the instructions on the can.
> 
> You'll have to re-stain the entire stock using an penitrating alcohol based stain. DON'T USE OIL BASE STAIN. It sits on the wood and hides the wood grain.
> 
> Apply the Tru-Oil with your bare hand only a couple of drops on the end of your finger, rubbing thouroughly till it starts to dry or tack then move to another spot. After several coats then steel wool lightly don't break through the oil finish or you will create a spot that won't stain well.
> 
> Good luck.



Thanks I might try that. I really wanted it darker. I was applying the Tru-oil with and old sock and when I used the steel wood I was taking it back to the wood everytime. Is that the wrong way?


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## mmarkey

Here is a link to a rifle that I built and sold through TOW 

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(10...catId=12&subId=81&styleId=280&partNum=AAF-080

The steps to that finish are 
1. thorough sanding to 400 grit
2. Wipe the entire surface with warm water and let dry to raise the grain. 
3. Re-sand again to 400 grit
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 till the grain no longer raises (usually two or three treatments.
5. Stain with an alcohol based stain. (I used laurel Mt. Forge Stain.) But any Alcohol based stain is good.
6. I sealed with Laurel Mountain Sealer. (available at TOW)
hand rubbed till dry. 
7. Apply Tru-Oil a drop at a time rubbing with your bare hand, After about three or four coats, lightly steel wool with 4-0 steel wool only to remove any dust or particles in the surface. Try not to break through the finish. Repeat Step 7 till you get the finish you like. 
(Use your finger and apply sparingly. I pour some into a small plastic bathroom cup and dip my fingertip then rub away till it feels like it starting to dry/stiffen. A minute or two. Make sure it is somewhat dry or it WILL run/sag and cause problems.) Repeat applications in about 4 hours.

The rifle in the link has about 7 coats More or less. 

A note about using your bare hand. Once the finish is where you like in a given area you can stop applying there and just blend into it, it blends very well. 

Wash it off your hands with mineral spirits and hand soap. Or if you got it a couple squirts of GOO-GONE and then hand soap works well and smells better.

Any other questions PM me. All my finishing liquids were from Track of The Wolf.Com.
Hope this helps you.


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## Al Barrs

*Refinishing Stocks with Tru-oil...*

Woodscrew;

If you want a dark stock you have to apply a stain to the bare wood and then the tru-oil. If you stock is made of black wallnut it will be dark anyway. If you gun stock is made of birch it will be light colored and you will have to stain it. Many less expensive rifles and shotguns were stocked with birch wood. Remington had an early practice of staining the birch stocks with black wallnut stain, which Birchwood/Casey also sells and then spray painting with clear lacquer paint. I find that lacquer paint tends to wear off. Birchwood/Casey Tru-oil will not and it is a hard finish that will last a long time, but it won't get darker the more coats you apply....sorry.
Al Barrs
Greenwood, Florida


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## 7Mag Hunter

I used Tru-oil on the Hawken kit in my avitar...It was white
wood (birch I think) when I started it....Put about 20 or more
(don't remember exact #) untill I got the color I wanted.....
I used 0000 steel wool to smooth up between coats and
made sure it dried good between coats


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