Sharp Shooters Stocks

[4runnerman]

Hello all.Looking for advice from the pro's. I am in the process of ordering a stock From Sharp Shooters. The stock is sanded from what i gather.Seems i need to finish this stock on my own. Is there a special finish you use or just like min-wax and other?. Thanks for your help

 

[Smokey Joe]

Finishing a stock...

4 Runner Man--I bought an unfinished stock from Boyd's. Glass-bedded the rifle; made a couple of minor changes to the stock, then sanded and sanded and sanded. Sanding is the most tedious part of any woodworking project.

Now, you ask about finishing. Boyd's sells finishing kits for their stocks, but I went with ordinary hardware-store spray-can satin spar varnish, and fine sandpaper. First coat: Spray it on, let it dry, sand it all off. You're just filling in the pores. Second coat, same. Third coat: same except don't quite sand it all off. Fourth coat: Same except leave most of it. Final coat: Just let it dry, and you're done.

Putzy? Yes. Time-consuming? Not really. Took mebbe 1 1/2 weeks, at about 1 hour/day for the sanding. Mebbe half that long on the spraying days. 2 days in between for varnish drying. You have to let the varnish dry THOROUGHLY. I made a wire hook, hung the stock from the clothesline outdoors, and sprayed it there. Then took it to the basement (Holding it only by the hook, of course!) to dry.

I have finished stocks the "old way" with linseed oil and rubbing. That takes just as long, you have to let the oil dry too, and the final finish is less durable.

If I had it to do over, I'd try matte varnish instead of satin.

You say your stock comes sanded. I bet it still needs finish sanding--that simply takes too many man-hours for a profit-making company. But you can do it on your own at no expense except for progressively finer grades of sandpaper.

Don't neglect the stage after you are "done sanding, ha ha" of wetting the wood to raise the grain, and then sanding that down too. You almost can't sand the thing too much or too finely.

Have a look:

 

[PawPaw]

One thing that I do when I'm finishing a stock is to feather it. When wood is worked, there are innumerable small splinters that are present in the wood, little slivers that you'd never notice.

We the wood. Not soaked, but wipe it down with a wet rag, just water on a rag. Let the wood dry, then sand it. You'll be surprised at the number of little splinters that have taken the water, warped, and are standing proud of the stock. Rinse, lather, repeat. I normally feather the stock three or four times before I'm ready for the final finish.

I like the old finishes, several hand-rubbed coats of boiled linseed oil. You can add a little color if you like, or you can leave the wood the natural color.

 

[4runnerman]

Here is a pic of the stock. Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Pretty!

4 Runner man--That looks nice! Did it come blue, or did you use a finish with that color? And what DID you use for a finish?

And for a "sanded stock" how much sanding did you have to do on it after receiving it?

And of course, the ultimate question for any rifle, but even more so for a benchrest gun: How's she shoot?? Pic of target??

 

[4runnerman]

Hey Smokey.. Thats a nice stock on yours. Now you did that all yourself?. I have not got the stock yet It just says in the description that it comes sanded and ready for me to finish. It is already Blue in color(man i like that color).I want to finish it in a very very high gloss finish. That is why i was wondering about min wax or polyurathane finish on it.

 

[GURU1911]

Attention: Mr. Forerunner

Your question regarding stock refinishing, should have been posted in the "smithy" section of this forum. Lots of guys hang out there who can help you with anything pertaining to rifle stocks. Thanks !

Guru1911

 

[4runnerman]

Thanks Guru i posted it there to now..

 

[Smokey Joe]

My stock...

4 Runner Man--It was a Boyd's "unfinished" stock--Boyd-speak for all machined and rough sanded (very rough in spots!) and almost a drop-in fit for the rifle action.

I had to do a VERY little carving with a Dremel tool to fit my action into the stock, and had to relieve the bbl channel a bit (which, frankly, I overdid--oh, well, live & learn!) after which I relieved around the action tang some more, and the recoil lug & receiver ring, and glassed those areas. Also made a very few shape-changes to the stock.

Couldn't have done any of that had I ordered a finished stock--well, could have done the glass bedding & bbl inletting, but then would have had to varnish the results anyhow.

Color of the stock is just the way it comes from Boyd's. They have 2 standard colors, which they call Pepper (more grayish) and Nutmeg (like mine, more brownish.) You can have all sorts of fancy colors on special order and for extra $$ of course.

But yeah, as to the finish-sanding, what Paw Paw correctly calls "Feathering," and the varnishing, that's All My Own Work. Glad you like it.

Agree with you--that blue stock IS pretty! Will yours be for a bench gun as in the pic?

If you want yours shiny, I'd use High-Gloss Spar Varnish. You get it in spray cans @ yr local hdwe sto. 5 or so coats and you'll have shiny like you wouldn't believe. BUT--and this is a big but--the finish you use is nowhere near as important as the sanding for this, just the same as for any woodworking project. Whatever you do, DON'T SPARE THE SANDING!!! You say it comes sanded and finish-ready. Forgive my skepticism, but I don't believe it. Sand the thing some more!

Good luck, and again, please keep us posted!

 

[4runnerman]

Thanks for the tips Smokey. Ya i just did my 223 in a Stockey Stock. I did have to sand the barrel inlet a very little bit. The action and all fit like a glove. I was going to get the action bedded ,but one of the comp shooters in my leauge said to shoot it first with the piller beddding job i did first and see what it shoots like. I got their custom long range thumb hole stock. After i messed a little with the 2 screws (which is a biggy i guess). It now shoots one ragged hole at 100 yards and best so far is .487 at 200 yards.So i don't know if i will do any other bedding on that one. This one will be for my 308 that i use in the leauge. Im the new kid on the block there and have so much to learn. My 308 (as almost all 308's) is just a tack driver right now. She will shoot 4 inch groups at 600 yards right now,but that don't cut it with the boys i shoot with,so im looking for every edge i can get.. They are a great group of people there and are willing to offer all the advice i need. I was really scared to join this year ,but between the wife and a few others i shoot with they talked me into it. Glad i did now it's very fun and a heck of a learning expirence. Will post pics when the job is done.