stock finish (calling Dfariswheel)

[publius]

dfariswheel, you seem to be the man when it comes to wood. I used your Minwax procedure with great results. I've been given an old Superposed that is in horrible shape and am trying to keep the costs down refinishing it, already going to have to send it to Midwest for blueing and French gray. I really need to keep the wood b/c a new set is awfully expensive. I'm afraid it has the old "salt wood." I am hoping that the Remington 'bowling pin" epoxy finish will seal it good so it doesn't cause rust again? I know it is almost a sacrilidge to do that to a Superposed but I have to save money where I can. I have no idea what product to use and how to apply it and hoped you could help. Thank you very much.

[T. O'Heir]

"...doesn't cause rust again?..." No wood finish causes rust. Moisture does that.
"...what product to use..." Walnut? I'd use tung oil,but the stock must be stripped to bare wood. Epoxy or polyurethane just doesn't cut it for fine wood. Oil finishes have the added advantage that if it gets scratched, you just apply more oil and the scratch goes away.
Pure Tung Oil(Minwax does sell it. Don't buy their Tung Oil Finish. Isn't the same thing), when properly rubbed in, gives a hard, waterproof, shiney, finish that brings out the grain of the wood really well. The more coats you rub in, the shinier the result.
Goes on in light coats with 24 hours drying time between coats. Five coats gives a nice sheen.
Use a clean, lint free cloth to apply it and rub it in until the wood is warm to the touch. Then put it somewhere to dry and repeat until you get the shine you want.

[publius]

T, the salt leaches out where the wood contacts the steel. Well known fact with some of the old Belgium Brownings. They used salt to age the wood quicker until they realized the problem. The only finish I can think of that would completely seal the wood from coming into contact with the steel is a hard epoxy finish. The pretty oil finish that Browning used won't work.

[oneoldsap]

I'd put the Permalyn sealer right to it and finish with Pro-Custom Oil . A dust free enviroment is important for a good finish ! I have a plywood cabinet that I dry stocks in , a 25 watt bulb in the cabinet shortens drying time to about eight hours !

[Scorch]

publius-
I redo a few old salt wood" Brownings a year, and have had great luck with the Brownells Acra-Seal epoxy wood finish. It is an aerosol epoxy product, and IME it completelys seals wood. Easy to use and looks good, too. Comes in Satin and Gloss. I believe you can completely seal the salt wood using it, I have not had any issues or any come-backs.

For screws and stock escutcheons, I have them coated with bake-on GunKote (not air cure).

[publius]

Thank you Scorch, that sounds great. The wood itself is in good shape, no cracks or major dents, checkering just needs to be lightly chased. Salvaging the wood will save me $700.00 or so.

[Dfariswheel]

I'd use an epoxy to coat the wood where it comes in contact with the metal and an original type of oil finish on the exposed wood.
The epoxy will seal and prevent any salt from leaching out, but the exposed wood will have an original type of finish that just looks better than a poly or epoxy surface coating.

Browning used some sort of oil finish on their wood, but it was an "English" type that totally filled the grain of the wood and left an "egg shell" luster.
The finish I posted using Minwax Oil Finish replicates the original finish only in a more modern, more durable finish.

The trick is to seal the wood in contact with metal. The salt can't harm the metal where it doesn't touch.

[publius]

Dfariswheel, I dd use your Minwax method on an old Savage 24 that had been in Katrina and it turned out great. I sanded all the rust and pits out of the metal and had it parkerized and did your stock finish, it looks really good now. The perfect rabbit & squirrel gun.

[dahermit]

T, the salt leaches out where the wood contacts the steel. Well known fact with some of the old Belgium Brownings. They used salt to age the wood quicker until they realized the problem. The only finish I can think of that would completely seal the wood from coming into contact with the steel is a hard epoxy finish. The pretty oil finish that Browning used won't work.

I have a Browning T-2 .22 that has saltwood. I came with an epoxy finish and has caused rusting despite the epoxy.
The salt was used to "suck" the moisture out of the wood to speed drying time. Anyone with an interest in the problem would likely benefit from search with google for information on the subject.