Posted: 1/21/2011 10:53:13 PM EDT
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I've worked my way up to 220 grit sandpaper. I've read I should wipe it down with water and clean cloth, let it dry, then wipe it down with acetone (wiping excess as you go) to remove oils. Then only use non-powdered gloves to handle. Am I on the right track? |
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Quoted: if you want it really smooth,sand it after you wipe it down w/water. wiping with water will raise the grain, as will wiping with acetone.then you should be good to go.use your gloves. eta : spelling What is your opinion on a prestain? I believe its a walnut stock, but when I press my fingernail against the wood I DO get a dent. The prestain said if the wood was soft enough to dent with that test, then it should be prestained. Opinion(s)? |
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Quoted: Only wood I used that needed prestaining was pine. If you want to polish the wood then you can use fine sandpaper/damp cloth over and over again. Are you saying to finely sand (800 grit) pre-stain? I know to sand with fine post-stain, but I read the more you sand pre-stain, the lighter the stain becomes.. Thanks! |
| The finer grit you use pre-stain means less stain can soak into the wood and will therefore be lighter. You don't need to raise the grain with water unless you are using a water-based stain/dye. Wiping with acetone isn't really necessary, but it won't hurt anything and should raise the grain much if at all. Acetone is really just to remove oils and prevent the finish from getting fish eyes. I build quite a bit of furniture and I don't use prestain, but I never work with pine - all it does is prevent some of the blotchiness that pine can get. Its not needed for walnut. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
if you want it really smooth,sand it after you wipe it down w/water. wiping with water will raise the grain, as will wiping with acetone.then you should be good to go.use your gloves. eta : spelling What is your opinion on a prestain? I believe its a walnut stock, but when I press my fingernail against the wood I DO get a dent. The prestain said if the wood was soft enough to dent with that test, then it should be prestained. Opinion(s)? If it's that soft, I am doubting it's walnut and to get an even stain on soft wood, you are supposed to use the pre-stain. |
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Walnut is such a beautiful wood why would you stain it?
Finishing wood is predicated upon its intended use. Are you talking about a gun stock or a piece of furniture? Sanding down to 220 grit is fine. I always sand my wood down to 320 grit though. When you think you're done sanding, remove the dust with a tack rag and not some liquid. Look closely at your wood at an angle in bright light to make sure your sanding is complete. No dimples, no sanding swirls, etc. If you are going to use a stain, any of these marks will be highlighted by your stain. (one of the reasons I go to 320 grit) Staining, most stains tell you to flood the work and let sit for 15 minutes or so. This gives you little control over how light or dark your final work will turn out. Instead, rub the stain in with an old t-shirt so that there is no excess stain pooling on the surface. Let dry and repeat as necessary until you get the color you want. You do not need to sand between coats. Top coats, if you tell me what you are doing with your wood I can get into more detail but: Drying oils, boiled linseed oil, tung oil, mineral oil (aka butcher block oil), danish oil, and walnut oil (my favorite drying oil), etc. [I'd stay away from tung oil as most of what you find in your big box stores isn't processed properly] -Final prep your piece by rubbing it down with 0000 grit steel wool then wipe down with a tack cloth. Flood your work with the oil of choice and let sit for a few minutes then wipe off the excess. Let dry according to the directions (usually 8 hours). Repeat as necessary (I usually do at least six coats). Let piece fully cure (I usually wait for a week) then coat piece with your wax of choice (a carnuba based car wax will work just fine) and buff. Polyurathane, after 30+ years of woodworking, I'm sold on General Finishes poly though I do not follow their directions on application. General Finishes poly is an oil and poly mix and really highlights the grain of your wood. After your sanding, tack cloth clean. Use a 3" foam brush from Woodcraft (not the ones you find in the big box stores, they are not the same), apply a coat of clear "Seal-A-Cell". Let dry for at least 8 hours. Do not sand between this coat and the next. Using the 3" brushes noted above, apply a coat of General Finishes "Arm-R-Seal oil and urethane topcoat" (Gloss, Satin, and Semi-Gloss) [ do not wipe off excess like the instructions say though be careful you don't have any runs in your coat]. Let dry for 8 hours and lightly sand with either 320 grit sandpaper or 0000 steel wool. Tack cloth clean and apply another coat. Do this 4 times. Poly dries in 8 hours but does not fully cure for 30 days. Give it the 30 days then wax and buff as above. Using the last method with the General Finishes product gives you this. (Maple and Cherry) 
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I'm going to say don't use steel wool. It will leave little bits of metal stuck in the wood. I've started using 3m pads which work great and don't leave anything in the wood. You can get them at Lowes, they are made for wood finishing. |
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Quoted:
I'm going to say don't use steel wool. It will leave little bits of metal stuck in the wood. I've started using 3m pads which work great and don't leave anything in the wood. You can get them at Lowes, they are made for wood finishing. Yep, good catch. I use those as well. Gotta stress though not to use the foam brushes you find at Lowes or Home Depot. They are flimsy and will piss you off. Find your nearest Woodcraft store or order them from their website. And just to show off, this is Sapele wood 
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Quoted: Yes super smooth. As close to mirror as i can get.Are you looking for a super smooth finish? Consider a filler for walnut Im totally sure its walnut. Its not that soft, but if i really press with my nail i can get a shallow dent. It has what i describe as pores that run with the grain. Is that why ypu say I should use a filler? How glossy can i get it without a filler? Yes it's a shotgun stock for an old J.C. Higgins bolt action 20 gauge. I use it to shoot starling varmints. ETA here is what my stock looks like sanded to 220 grit (ignore the darker part of the front of the stock...that's just an area the flash didn't cover, the butt of the stock is actual color):   Walnut. Right? Here is the stain I bought (Minwax Wood Finish Red Oak 215):  |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Yes super smooth. As close to mirror as i can get.Are you looking for a super smooth finish? Consider a filler for walnut Im totally sure its walnut. Its not that soft, but if i really press with my nail i can get a shallow dent. It has what i describe as pores that run with the grain. Is that why ypu say I should use a filler? How glossy can i get it without a filler? Yes it's a shotgun stock for an old J.C. Higgins bolt action 20 gauge. I use it to shoot starling varmints.
ETA here is what my stock looks like sanded to 220 grit (ignore the darker part of the front of the stock...that's just an area the flash didn't cover, the butt of the stock is actual color): http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc301/hoosier122/gun%20stuff/HigginsfullstockDSC_5213.jpg http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc301/hoosier122/gun%20stuff/HigginsbuttstockDSC_5213.jpg Walnut. Right? Here is the stain I bought (Minwax Wood Finish Red Oak 215): http://www.minwax.com/images/color-guide/large/woodfinish/mwf_redoak.jpg I use Fiebings Leather dye, Medium Brown for my military stocks. Sand down to 400 grit. Finish with Tung Oil with a dash of Japan drier to help harden it. Sand with 600 or 0000 steel wool between coats. For a shiny exhibition stock, I'll wet sand with the tung oil and 400/600 for 3 or 4 layers ... that'll give you a much more natural pore filler. Usually end up with about 10 coats of Tung oil, but each is very very thin. Get a pure tung oil from Rockler or elsewhere .. not a "tung oil finish". |
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How would you finish it? FYI this is a refinish on a shotgun i already own. The previous stain (original) was brownish with a hint od red. I plan on having the metal blued professional to around 400 grit polish...one step below very glossy. Quoted: Yes, that is walnut and I personally would not stain it. If you wanted red oak you should have bought red oak. Just my opinion though, your stock. |
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I wouldn't stain it at all but let the natural beauty of the wood show. That's a personal preference though, nothing wrong with staining. I'd finish it with a drying oil. If you like the tung oil look above buy a quality oil from Rockler or Woodcraft. It will be 100% tung oil and not a blend of oils like you would get from one of the big box stores. First couple of coats, thin the tung oil with mineral spirits and just rub it in with a rag, let dry and repeat as many times as necessary until you get the finish you want. Might take a dozen coats so be patient with it. When you get the finish you like, put two more coats on it. When you're done, let it dry thoroughly. Give it a week so it will fully cure. Wax and buff.
Note, I do furniture not gun stocks but wood finishing is wood finishing. Building is easy, it's the finish that makes a piece. All the furniture I've made that didn't come out well was due to me being in a hurry to be done with it and messing up the finish. Lightly sand with 0000 grit steel wool between coats and use a tack cloth before applying your oil. |