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enyaw · December 22, 2013, 12:07 PM

JSPAPPAP........What type Hawken ya finishing? Hawkens are my favorite.
I like the Laurel Mountain stains. Not water based so they don't raise the grain again after whiskering. Brownells has some nice stains. The Nitric acid with disolved iron works like used way back in the day and even today.
Aquafortis is the commercial name from Track of the Wolf.
Instead of the oils I recommend Permalyn Gunstock sealer and finish. Waterproof fer a huntin gun that might spend time in downpours or wet snows all day or all week. Good fer sealing in the woods moisture content in dry climates and sealing out moisture in humid climates. More stability to the wood. Less shrinkage over the years.
It penetrates anywhere water would and hardens there to waterproof. No sticky in humid weather and no disolved finish in a really wet hunting environment.
Oils like linseed can be as water proof as polyurathane but only after lots and lots of thin coats after two or more years of regularly applying. Oils can disolve to a degree in wet environments. Fad the colors ect.ect.
Oils look really good though. If usin oil like linseed then the last coats done with Linspeed or oils with a dryer added works fairly well. Not as durable as Permalyn Guntock sealer.
Build the sealer to a finish or go to the actual Permalyn Gunstock Finish.
There's always the Spar-urathane(polyurathane with a sheen and not a shine). Used for sail boat masts and the like where waterproof is needed.
If you don't want the shine with oils you could use little oil and hand rub in really light coats. I call it,"rub it dry" since the thin coat seems almost dry once rubbed in. Cuts down on the shine for a sheen without the rubbin it with an abrasive like rottenstone or steel wool.
The Permalyn Gunstock sealer can be shiny or rubbed dry for the sheen by applying and then using a lint free cotton cloth just barely moist with mineral spirits and rubbing. Puts light coats so needs plenty of them but...easy to do.
The gunstock sealer has it's coats attach by adhesion coat after coat lays one atop the other like polyurathanes.
The oils have the coats bond on the molecular level all forming one continuous single coat.
The most waterproof is polyurathane and the second most or equal is the boiled linseed oil only if applied properly with lots and lots of coats over at least a two year period.
The oils are a never ending application needing reapplied ferever.No biggy. Gives a feller the excuse to rub and fondle his prized firearm. Keep it well maintained.

December 22, 2013, 12:07 PM	#11
enyaw Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2008 Posts: 134	JSPAPPAP........What type Hawken ya finishing? Hawkens are my favorite. I like the Laurel Mountain stains. Not water based so they don't raise the grain again after whiskering. Brownells has some nice stains. The Nitric acid with disolved iron works like used way back in the day and even today. Aquafortis is the commercial name from Track of the Wolf. Instead of the oils I recommend Permalyn Gunstock sealer and finish. Waterproof fer a huntin gun that might spend time in downpours or wet snows all day or all week. Good fer sealing in the woods moisture content in dry climates and sealing out moisture in humid climates. More stability to the wood. Less shrinkage over the years. It penetrates anywhere water would and hardens there to waterproof. No sticky in humid weather and no disolved finish in a really wet hunting environment. Oils like linseed can be as water proof as polyurathane but only after lots and lots of thin coats after two or more years of regularly applying. Oils can disolve to a degree in wet environments. Fad the colors ect.ect. Oils look really good though. If usin oil like linseed then the last coats done with Linspeed or oils with a dryer added works fairly well. Not as durable as Permalyn Guntock sealer. Build the sealer to a finish or go to the actual Permalyn Gunstock Finish. There's always the Spar-urathane(polyurathane with a sheen and not a shine). Used for sail boat masts and the like where waterproof is needed. If you don't want the shine with oils you could use little oil and hand rub in really light coats. I call it,"rub it dry" since the thin coat seems almost dry once rubbed in. Cuts down on the shine for a sheen without the rubbin it with an abrasive like rottenstone or steel wool. The Permalyn Gunstock sealer can be shiny or rubbed dry for the sheen by applying and then using a lint free cotton cloth just barely moist with mineral spirits and rubbing. Puts light coats so needs plenty of them but...easy to do. The gunstock sealer has it's coats attach by adhesion coat after coat lays one atop the other like polyurathanes. The oils have the coats bond on the molecular level all forming one continuous single coat. The most waterproof is polyurathane and the second most or equal is the boiled linseed oil only if applied properly with lots and lots of coats over at least a two year period. The oils are a never ending application needing reapplied ferever.No biggy. Gives a feller the excuse to rub and fondle his prized firearm. Keep it well maintained.