Author Topic: Tru Oil + Pallet Wood = Nice looking Handi-Rifle! (Read 1781 times)

SM Bob · « **on:** October 19, 2007, 03:08:34 PM »

I had nothing better to do, so I decided to refinish the stock on my 223 bull barrel Handi.

I stripped the factory finish off with stripper and sanded it smooth with 600. Then I "whiskered"
the wood till it was smooth. Then I stained the wood. I let it dry overnight and started laying on the Tru Oil.
I sanded it with 400 in between coats. Somewhere around the 7th or 8th coat the grain began filling in and
the wood really started coming around. I ended up putting about 15 coats on the wood. Call me crazy, but
I prefer the shiny finish the Tru Oil gives vs rubbing it down afterwords with rottonstone or other compounds.
It's not show quality perfect, but it does look way better than the factory finish. It's a hunting rifle after all.

I am no woodworking expert by any means. I have a lot to learn about working with wood. Metal is what
I work with mostly. I'm a machinist. This project wasn't that hard to do. It just takes time, patience, and elbow
grease.

Robert

Inrut24/7 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 19, 2007, 03:18:59 PM »

They look really good, I sold ten ring a set that i refinished with true oil, the grain was not as nice as yours, but they still turned out alot nicer than the factory finish.

Mac11700 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 19, 2007, 03:22:49 PM »

Nice Job...You did a real good job there...and that is some real interesting grain in the stock...

Mac

carp · « **Reply #3 on:** October 19, 2007, 03:54:33 PM »

That looks great!

DalesCarpentry · « **Reply #4 on:** October 19, 2007, 03:59:53 PM »

Very nice job. I like it a lot. I have never worked with Tru oil. Will it always have a gloss? I have never worked with Linseed oil also could someone fill me in on this finish also? Like I said a very nice looking stock. Dale

quickdtoo · « **Reply #5 on:** October 19, 2007, 04:18:10 PM »

Nice work, Bob!! I've been using Tru-oil for as long as I can remember, great stuff, easy to work with and get great results.

Tim

bigjeepman · « **Reply #6 on:** October 19, 2007, 04:55:55 PM »

A really nice looking stock ... you should be proud. Tru -oil is good stuff.

bjm

SM Bob · « **Reply #7 on:** October 19, 2007, 05:08:09 PM »

Thanks for the kind words fellas! The more I play around with these Handi's the more I like them!
I have ordered a Pachmyer Decelerator recoil pad for this rifle. I know I don't need it for the 223, but
I plan on getting 308 Win and possibly 30-06 barrels in the future. Besides the factory recoil pad isn't
the best looking or working one available. I also have brass and bullets on order from Midway. I am really
looking forward to working up some loads for this bad boy!

Robert

bluebayou · « **Reply #8 on:** October 19, 2007, 06:31:38 PM »

Wow, that grain is awesome. I finished my SKS with TruOil, but it just soaked it up like a sponge.

Just be sure to take it off before sending in for another barrel.........I have gotten chips or dents each time that I send mine in.

Doug K.A. · « **Reply #9 on:** October 20, 2007, 03:20:55 AM »

It looks Great!

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 20, 2007, 10:54:01 AM »

H&R does hide some nice wood under that gunk that they call a finish .

stimpy

OHHJIMMY · « **Reply #11 on:** October 20, 2007, 02:28:13 PM »

Where do you buy TruOil?

EVOC ONE · « **Reply #12 on:** October 20, 2007, 02:30:14 PM »

Quote from: OHHJIMMY on October 20, 2007, 02:28:13 PM

Where do you buy TruOil?

You can get it at Wal Mart. It comes as an individual bottle or in a refinishing kit.

glwenzl · « **Reply #13 on:** October 20, 2007, 02:31:30 PM »

Awesome!!!! You did an outstanding job!!!

Looks like I have another project to do~

quickdtoo · « **Reply #14 on:** October 20, 2007, 03:11:01 PM »

Tru-oil is a Birchwood Casey product.

Tim

http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/sport/wood_index.asp?categoryID=5&subcat=11

SM Bob · « **Reply #15 on:** October 20, 2007, 04:19:21 PM »

I used the kit from Birchwood Casey that has the stain, Tru Oil, and Stock Sheen. The stain is water based. The instructions tell you to cut it with water 50-50. I can't argue with the results, but when you apply the stain it hardly looks like it "stains" the wood at at all. I might try a different brand of stain on the next project. If you look close you can see where I goofed up by sanding through the stain around the end of the stock by the recoil pad. There is a kind of a bright ring there.

I guess the cure for that is using a sanding block instead of "free handing" it withsandpaper. That is where I am having problems. When there is a raised area or at the end of the stock it is real easy to get heavy handed and not follow the contour and sand through the stain to the wood. There must be some trick or special flexible sanding block to get this done correctly. I rub the Tru oil in with my bare hands. Afterwords you can see some streaks from this, but when it sets up they pretty much disappear. You live and learn I guess. This is my second attempt at refinishing gun stocks. I did my Marlin 336 30-30 a couple of months back. All in all, I can't complain. I think it is pretty presentable and light years ahead of the factory finish.

Robert

db22 · « **Reply #16 on:** October 21, 2007, 12:52:35 AM »

Mighty fine-looking Handi! I've used Tru-Oil for a long time, always with good results. I do remove the gloss with fine steel wool or one of those sanding sponges. What kind of stain did you use? Lately I have used Varathane oil-base stain. Just gave one of my 10/22s and a Savage bolt action the same treatment. It's nice to reshape and refinish these less-expensive guns' stocks -- makes them individual to the owner, and like you found out, sometimes there's pretty grain under the factory finish.

Hairtrigger · « **Reply #17 on:** October 21, 2007, 02:16:13 AM »

Can you imagine how many rifles Handi would sell if they put a quality finish like that on all of their rifles?

Great job!

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #18 on:** October 21, 2007, 02:33:38 AM »

HT

Your right about H&R needing to do a better finish , but that may never happen so we will just have to do them ourselves .

So far i have stripped down 4 sets of Handi stocks and re-finished them with great results .My latest is a set of Pallet Wood Lams for my new 25/06 that i stained in Red Oak and so far put 3 coats of Tung Oil on , still needs about 2 more coats .

On the other side of the coin , some i have just had to paint because they were just butt ugly .

stimpy

Hairtrigger · « **Reply #19 on:** October 21, 2007, 03:11:11 AM »

It is also true that the wood that is most pleasing to the eye is not the best for hunting but I would rather have a nice stock with a few "charactor marks" than an ugly stock

SM Bob · « **Reply #20 on:** October 21, 2007, 10:15:41 AM »

Quote from: db22 on October 21, 2007, 12:52:35 AM

What kind of stain did you use?

db22,
I used the stain that came with the Tru Oil stock refinishing kit. I am going to try some different
stain next time.

Robert

georgeld · « **Reply #21 on:** October 21, 2007, 10:00:39 PM »

Bob, Dale:

I make a stock every now and then. Since one turned out way too dark with Linspeed, I've gone to only TruOil.
The last half dozen sanding sessions are with 4/0 wool though. Keep wetting and drying, buffing it slick until no whiskers come up anywhere.

For stain, I've really gotten some fine results with MinWax. They have a bunch of colors to select from. To get the results you want, get half a dozen small can's and try them on scrap, or the inside's first. Just wipe it on with a papertowel til the color's right where you want it. Let it dry.

Then start TruOil. since this stuff sets up and is such a challenge to get off your hands. I use three pair of rubber glove's. When one is damaged, it's peeled off and fresh glove is up. Just keep rubbing it in until it starts to set up. Then wipe it slick as you can get it before it's set too much. Then hang it up til cured no matter how long it takes. You don't want to start sanding/buffing it off until it's hardened up. It'll ball up and you'll rub thru. Just buff it lightly til the shine is off, or the defects in the coat is off. Then STOP. and put another coat on.

There's water based stains with fillers, so far I haven't found them, but, have read there's fillers without stain too. That would be a good place to start before the stain goes on.

Dale, yes, TruOil is always real shiny. They make an opague top coat, but, I've always very lightly just dulled it with 4/0 wool with good results.
One $4 bottle will do two full sized rifle stocks 15-20 coats each if it's done right and you don't spill any.

Leave a natural coloration to the wood that really enhance's the grain. You'll love it. But, it take a lot of work to get it right. Anytime after 10 coats that you get a nearly perfect coating is time to stop messing with it. If there's line's or run's or other marks, buff it out and put another coat on til you get that one perfect layer.

Nice thing about TruOil is you can always come back and refinish blemishes or scabs that happen and you'll never be able to find them once it's done.

Fine looking job Bob.

George

PHATINJUN · « **Reply #22 on:** October 22, 2007, 04:45:10 AM »

Very nice Robert I have been wanting to refinish all my Handi stocks but know I have to wait til I get this carpel tunnel fixed after hunting season . Will probly have to forgo much coyote hunting to get it done this winter I think I can ice fish left handed. Kurt

Sourdough · « **Reply #23 on:** October 22, 2007, 08:34:04 AM »

The stock on my son's .243 needed cutting down. So while I had it off the gun, we sanded it down and refinished it using tru-oil. He also used a router and played around with it in wood shop class at school. Shaved some wood off the right side, and undercut the cheek piece. People at the range think it is a custom stock he had made. They find it impressive that he did it himself.

SM Bob · « **Reply #24 on:** October 22, 2007, 01:14:45 PM »

Sourdough,
Do you have a picture of your Son's custom stock?

Kurt,
Sanding on a gunstock will not do your carpel tunnel
any good at all. It would probably be best to wait
until you get that taken care of. Good luck this
hunting season my friend!
Robert