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Eucalyptus and ebony finishing help
- Thread starter Scott Bradley
- Start date
For ebony, the way I have always done my gun stocks is with tru-oil and finish with #0000 steel wool to cut the gloss down. To speed drying between coats I do a rub down with ArmorAll which catalyzes the tru-oil. I can do 10 coats in one day this way. The last two coats I don't use armorall to deepen the finish.
-Xander
-Xander
Steve Worcester
Admin Emeritus
Really, you can out finish over Armorall? I can't spray a finish within a mile of Armorall without fisheyes.
Yeah, that's typical around the stuff. But I found it does work very well with Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil. Here's how I do it.
Smooth, "de-whisker" your piece, and wipe clean. Stop there, check it again. Now spray on a coat of ArmorAll and rub it over the entire piece, wipe off the excess. Now take a small amount of Tru-Oil and rub it in ALL directions, but initially across the grain to fill the pores. Working in section at first is easier because you can see where you have been. Rub briskly with your palm and fingertips until the surface looses it tack and feels like glass. It will be a little dull, but after more coats it will begin to shine. It may take 5-10 minutes at first, but things will speed up as well.
I use as many coats to make a nice flat surface. Don't rush the coats or thickness application or you will be rubbing longer.
Once the sheen has been built up, buff between coats with #0000 steel wool. Don't forget to use a tack cloth or magnet to get rid of the steel shavings.
ArmorAll, Tru-oil, ArmorAll, Tru-Oil, get how it goes?!
Now for a deeper shine, like I mentioned before the last two coats I don't use ArmorAll and let it dry over night (at least) between coats. For satin I rub down gentlywith furniture polish on #0000 wool with the grain, buff it off, add pure wax then buff again. You can use rottenstone for a real hand rubbed satin finish, or just leave it after the steel wool.
This one I later decided to cut the shine back on, so it is now a satin finish. Wood is unknown but speculated to be sapwood walnut or some sort of mahogany. Manufacturer lists it as "American hardwood." Go figure.
I know it doesn't sound like it should work, but it does. Now it wont make Tru-Oil work on super oily woods or anything it wont work on by itself. Why you would want to oil finish an oily wood I don't know, but I had people tell me it doesn't work.
-Xander
