Need to repair a stress crack in a stock....

[R.L.]

Bought a A++++ French walnut stocked Cooper #22 rifle.

Up top left front of the comb I found a stress crack approximately 1/64" in width and about 1-1/2' long .......GRRRRR!

Called Cooper and Tru Oil is the original finish.

Trying to decide what finish to use. Yea I know I could use Tru Oil but I need to explore all products.

Back in the day all I used was Lin-Speed , but that was back in the Jurassic period.

It worked great, but in high humidity/rain it starts to soften and come off.

Things have changed quite  bit over 50 years.

Here's a list of the top notch products I found;

Jim Chambers Oil finish

Wahkon Bay Tru coat

Brownells/ Gun Sav-r (Chem Pak Inc)

Pilkington

Ostermayer Jagd (made in CH, really inclined to try this one. Have never found a thing made in CH that was bad)

Tru Oil

Lin-Speed

Problem is which one to use.

Would appreciate some input from board folks that know gun stock finishes and have used any of these products.

Cheers,

R.L.

[Ryo]

Don't you need to fill in the crack first? Some sanding with linseed might work too fill it in. I'm not an expert but filling it in with the original wood is best. 

[GUNBUGS]

I use outdoor oil based Varathane for a lot of touch up and refinish work on stocks. Blends well with most other finishes, and dries faster than linseed oil finishes. I can rub it in by hand, let it dry, and hit it with another coat. Same finish I use on my Remington Custom Shop 375H&H, that I've hunted moose with for the past 20 years or so. The stock looks like it came out of the factory.

[R.L.]

On 11/9/2022 at 11:40 PM, Ryo said:

Don't you need to fill in the crack first? Some sanding with linseed might work too fill it in. I'm not an expert but filling it in with the original wood is best. 

Sanding or using 0000 steel wool and  applying a finish on wood is ok for repairing a bump or scratch in wood. It's different than a stress crack in wood. Stress cracks go quite a way in side the blank, or even all the way.

Trying to sand that type of damage out will not lose the crack in most cases. Plus sanding too deep takes out the parent stain if there is one and now you have two things to match up, tint and finish.

The crack in my stock is very narrow. Applying multiple layers of oil finish then hand rubbing with "wet" 0000 steel wool in between coats, and air drying is the best way to fill and close the crack.

Just need to decide what product.

 

R.L.