Junior Woodchuck at the crossroads..

C

Cuttin' Craig

Joined
Jun 9, 2001
Messages
346
Hi, Gang!

This question is aimed for Walosi, primarily, but feel free to dispense Wisdom $.02 at a time:

After, say, 40 coats (YEAAAAHH, BABY!) of the gunstock finish, What type(s) of Wax is best to preserve the oiling and bring back the shine to my all-to-shiek Malla Handle. ?? And where is the best source of it (them)?

I'm certain you've probably already mentioned this, but I'm convinced that Tru-Oil has an amnesiatic effect when absorbed through the skin...

Thanks, One and All :D

-Craig
 
Many woods, after all that work, will have a shine almost like varnish. I haven't gotten it on either my Malla or GS, but it sho' do light up the grain. I capped off the Malla at 40 coats, and used Johnson's Paste Wax. No kidding. I put it on just like the oil - light coats with the fingertips and spread as thin and even as I can manage. Let it dry for a full day, buff down with a clean T shirt, and go two more coats. You won't get a genuine shine, just a good gloss, but it will help protect what you've achieved with all the prior work.

DO NOT use Tru Oil and Johnson's on the same day unless your dad is standing by, and willing to go bail. Fumes is fumes, after all :rolleyes:
 
Thanks, once again, Wal....You the Man!

You are making my trip to the darkside of Woodchuckery complete!;)

-Craig


P.S. I've got 35 more coats to go on the GRS UBDOTD before the Wax job.......Then.......Must.....GET....NEW..HANDLE TO WORK ON....
( Maniacal laughter fades in the background)
 
I know what you mean. When Uncle put up the Hanuman, I cried all the way from the bank. They had locked me out :(
 
Wal:

Can you steel wool the Johnson's wax and resume the treatment if you get the itch? Also would you want to touch up the oiling every 6 mos. or so?

Danke!

-Craig
 
Craig:

Absotively :) One of the good things about the paste furniture wax - it hardens, and can be removed. It will load up a piece of steel wool faster than the oil alone, so I keep scraps of the older stuff just for taking off wax. As for periodic re-hab, I can't say. This is up to the wood (mainly, if it has oils which seep to the surface and dull the finish) and amount of use, sweat, abrasion, etc.

The Saatisal has a lot of "sap" grain - the gold bands - and it's too soon to tell if the Tru Oil has stabilized it, or if it may have thinned some of it enough for it to "travel", and rise to the surface. This is a little like trying to overpaint an old wall, and the old paint, when wet, wants to come through in places. The wood finish is handled just like the paint. Remove it in those places, and start over.

Dents and scrapes on gunstocks are often "raised" by placing a damp cloth on the depression, touching it up with a steam iron, and then sanding and wooling it down and re-oiling. The heat and moisture will raise the dent, and if it is minor, the wood won't be overly softened in that area. Excessive heat and moisture will make the wood "spongy". I have some reservations about doing this to heavily grained Saatisal. Remembering a comment Rusty made when we first started talking about fancy woods, I wonder just how much stress this wood may have been under, and what effect the heat/moisture treatment might have - it could cause a crack or even a major burst if used in the area of a knot (I have one through the handle of the GS). Also have some heavy burls just under the butt caps of both knives, where the wood has been flared out to the points of the cap, that I don't want to "heat treat". The handle of my carved UBE is another story. If it ever receives a dent, I will leave it there in memory of the person who caused the dent. Better, IMHO, than a headstone :eek: (I love these little smiley critters HEHEHE)
 
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