Many thanks, this brought back memories of doing a stock under my fathers direction, I got the stocks to a mirror finish with the same system and methods that you use, I had forgotten over the years and now it has come back to me. Also the times spent with my dear departed Dad. As I am back into the hobby of restoring old 303 lee Infields and Lithgow's here In Australia after 45 years, as the children have left the nest and my youngest son got me into Military shooting, We do the Anzac Day shoot and the Remembrance Day shoot, as the shoots do follow the old military way, when they fought as conscripts & volunteers of the days gone by of the 1914-1918 and the WW11 era's. Thanks again my friend.

That's a whole lot different from the way I learned when I was a kid, some 60-odd years back. Back then, the refinishing I did involved a process called "whiskering" that involved sanding the stock, then exposing the smoothed stock to steam from a teakettle - just enough to dampen it slightly and raise the grain (the fibers of wood that came up to the surface) and make them curl up. The "whiskered" wood would then feel like a half-day old beard, and you'd sand again. You'd repeat steaming and sanding with progressively finer grit until all the fibers that would lift had been sanded away. Even without the finish, the wood was like glass. Generally, after the first coat of thinned varnish, there would be a whisker here or there, that you'd take down with either very fine sandpaper or a pumice or rottenstone rub, followed by another coat. It made for a beautiful finish. The other thing we always heard was that you should keep the sawdust down if you were working with walnut, because walnut sawdust can be toxic to some people. It is a gorgeous wood, though, so it is worth taking the trouble to work on, staying "upwind." Never saw the technique of leaving the sawdust on and rubbing it into the pores; interesting.

Growing up my Dad showed me how to do an oil change, swap out brake pads, clean a car the correct way and other things like crabbing and fishing and cooking. He passed away when I turned 21, which is 15 years ago. I recently bought my son a 870 and he needed a shorter stock so I got a cut but not finished bastogne walnut stock and forend and we are sanding it and finishing together. This video helped me teach him how to do this and we are on our 3rd coat of sanding and finishing. I really appreciate this video and forever thankful for allowing me to have a father son moment like back in the day.

This dude is a boss, could listen to him explain any aspect of gun care

Amazing video as usual. I applied his methods to both a Mosin Nagant with a laminated stock and a yugo mauser M24/47. Both came out smooth as glass and look great. I didn't have a man of this experience or knowledge to touch base with so I appreciate you both for taking the time to teach so many. Maybe in 50 years we will see wood stocks done the right way in a few more collections.

Great video...I remember watching this years ago, and had to re-visit, now that I'm refinishing another Mosin stock. Great tips, and entertaining video....

kurt's work is True Craftsmanship. you are the Godfather of Beautiful/Gunstocks.. Wish I had Your skills. from a uk Fan

I'm restoring an 1861 Bridesberg that had been Sporterized way way back and this is exactly the information I needed. Thanks!

Now I know what goes into making a nice gun. This was truly needed. Thanks

I've heard many people describe this technique but this is the first video I've seen showing it. I've tried it now and the results speak for themselves, much better than the brush oil on, wait and brush off technique. Excellent video thank you.

Simply the best how to video on stock refinishing. Thanks for creating and sharing this.

God I've never seen such a plain riflestock look so exquisite before. Very very nice work.

I just started refinishing the stock of my Springfield 87a using this method. I’m on day 3 and it looks incredible and smooth as silk.

I really enjoyed your video. I have a Remington 510 target master. It was given to me last year after sitting in a gun safe for about 40 years. It was a shame to look at. Thanks to your video it looks a whole lot better! Thank you, Semper Fi!

After listening the master, I will apply those techniques to my new K31. Thank you for the sharing!

I had a rough SKS stock I had sitting in the corner somebody gave me. I have never done any kind of wood finishing. I did this guy's method with Tru-Oil and it turned out to be the best stock I have ever seen and compliments from everybody that see's that stock.

Yep. The right way. The best way. In 1963, a group of us took a crate of 03 Springfields, c1917, out of the original wood crates, stripped the cosmoline with a solvent, steam-cleaned, dried, hand-sanded, and finished with linseed oil rubbed-in by hand. The end result was just like this video shows. I have a rough and weathered, left-in-the-barn-too-long, Ruger 10-22 Sporter stock that is going to get this same treatment. It will take some time, but will look great.

My cookie stained shotgun stock came out great, I only used 1/2 cup of coffee and 16 Keebler M&M cookies. The wife loves it, always smells great too.

Great video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world.

Old skool, love the gentle cigarette smoke flowing upward....very good information, thank you!

That was the best lesson in stock finishing I've ever seen. A couple of things not mentioned: You sand and do the oil all with the butt plate on! Also, TruOil and Linspeed oil IS NOT LINSEED OIL. That stuff is just like polyurethane. Do not try what he did in the video with TruOil or Linspeed oil! Oh, and you can add driers to the oil if you want to make it dry faster.

This video could send me to sleep and that is a compliment of the highest order. Wow this is soothing

Great method used on my last 2 stocks took a while but great finish thanks for posting.

I just wanted to thank you for your video. Bought myself a new walnut stock for my garand and really took my time watching your video, maybe 100 times, and now I'm down to my last coat. I have never seen stocks more beautiful than yours and I feel honored to have watched a master craftsman at work.

I just started this process on my new (to me) Garand stock. It is looking so good already. I think I will do this to my very old and beaten up Winchester model 1904.

Loved the coffee chocolate chip cookie finish! Yum! Excellent video.

Thank you for this! Going to try your technique tomorrow!

Thanks Tibo appreciated. I am going to do this on my Thomson 50 cal stock. Please keep making this kind of content.

That gentleman stock craftsman is an excellent teacher..!

Glad I found y’all, I’m gonna do this to my Yugo sks stock

Wish I had seen this technique years ago ... such great information.

Beautiful. Work of art

Thats the sign of a master craftsman, when he can do work like that and have a cigarette in his hand at the same time lol. Great video!

Excellent! Thanks Rex.

Wow, now that's grade a American craftsmanship. That kind of work would go into a show piece rifle or a pass down to your son type rifle. Beautiful.

Just taking down an old CZ 452 stock which had coat after coat of stain and gunk.... close to wood now but the last stains are being stubborn. Great video and one that I have book marked for future reference.

Thank you for making some of the trade secrets a bit less secret. Great stuff.

Great looking Stocks!!!

Thank you sir for your very informative video, I found it very useful.

Very informative video. Thanks.

Coffee stain wood with cookies!!!! Nice video sir. Thanks for sharing!

Youre amazing, you got hands of a angel

wow im going to refinish my stocks with food and drinks to bring out the colors that's a good 1

nice video. I just cut a shotgun stock from a block of walnut and found your video very helpful. thanks!

Very helpful, thank you Kurt. I just inherited a Lakefield-Mossberg 500 from a family member, I am assuming it is maybe from the 1980s. The stock has the manufacturer varnish and is a bit chipped, so I am hoping to refinish it over the winter but definitely want something matte, or matte as possible, so it doesn't shine in the blind. Will definitely be employing some of these tips. My shooting partner has a beautiful Winchester semi-auto from the late 50s that he redid years ago with only gun oil and it has such a beautiful, dark, matte finish, the kind of look I'm going for.

A true craftsmen , great work ---- now dump the smokes, we want you around for a long time .

What an awesome guy.

Awesome! Thanks for the great knowledge and I'll make sure to use the cookie crumb method 👍🤣

I like the look of that door behind him..

It actually exactly the same as doing body work on on car. I can’t wait to do this myself!

I bet scissors dull up pretty quickly when your cutting sandpaper. Thank you for your time and efforts. :) Your ashes, your ashes...... update, just watched again and it's sinking in, thank's so interesting.

Thanks a lot for sharing this revival 'till detail-method!

Thank you for this very informative video! Question...do you apply the BLO to the inside of the action cuts and barrel channel as well or something else in there?

Brilliant man

Any addition thoughts on finishing those wood composite stocks? I seem to be constantly hitting rough grain edges no matter how much I sand it.

I want to finish my Baikal single shot this way! Russian Beech... beautiful!

very informative thank you

Love the Krag.!

I've heard of Kava instant coffee being used to stain wood. I've used goth purple hair dye to make faux purpleheart

Hello kurt, can I do this method but use ballistol balsin oil or walnutoil instead?

That’s just great advice... got me a 22yr old Zoli 12gauge and the stock is a little dry... going to do this... so the checkering use a toothbrush? Thanks in advance.

Would you want to sand the entire length of the stock then add oil, or do it in small sections at a time? My thinking is if you sand the entire length, the more you handle it the more saw dust will fall off and won't seal the wood as well. Thanks for this series! It is awesome.

I followed these steps to the T. 5 coats of boiled linseed oil on a chinese "Chu" wood SKS stock. You have any tips, or anything I should know before I put on a low gloss polyurethane finish?

Did you seal the butt before you installed the recoil pad? Do you also make sure to seal the areas inside where the action and barrel rest? I've watched wood floor guys do the same thing you do with the dust but they save up dust and sprinkle it on with the stain. Would it benefit you to use dust along with the oil on the first coat?

I see some tru oil on your bench....what projects do you like to use that on? Could you use LS oil for the rich color tone and then seal with tru oil for a bit better protection?

Hi TiborasaurusRex, I see that you leave the butt plate/recoil pad on while you put on the linseed oil. My question is, how do you get the finish off the recoil pad when you're done?

Now can I darken my already existing linseed oil stock by lightly sanding and applying more linseed oil?

Very nice, Kurt! Like everyone who finishes gunstocks, I'm still looking for that "holy grail" of finishes, but keep coming back to Tru-Oil time after time. Got any tips for getting an authentic finish on a revolutionary war-era musket?

AHH tx so much just learned my past mistakes i made.

My kind of guys, Thanks

What's the advantage of linseed oil over tung oil. I've got the Max version of this rifle and I'm new to this sort of thing. Thanks!

I know this is an old video, but if you get some extra pieces of scrap wood or a damaged stock, I'd actually love to see how brushing black coffee into the raw wood would affect the finish. Obviously you're the expert, but I'd imagine you'd finish your sanding, brush black coffee into the raw sanded wood, let completely dry, maybe do a couple of coats, and then oil like normal. Maybe experiment with different roasts? Sumatra vs blonde vs espresso (Made in an espresso machine, of course, not the 'espresso' beans). I have a Savage Mk2 .22LR bolt in wood that I just am not in love with the finish on and wouldn't be entirely dismissive of the possibility of some coffee black marbling in the refinished product, but I'm too chicken to just wing it.

How would you compare the boiled linseed oil to tru oil ?

The end part of this video is the funniest thing ever it’s worth watching.

Is there a difference in the boiled linseed oil?? I have the sunny side brand available where I’m at.

How does Birchwood Casey Tru-oil compare to boiled linseed oil for finishing?

Thoughts on pine tarring a stock?

Great video. What grid sand paper you use to sand the oil in? Anders from Sweden

Can we use linseed oil or boiled linseed or on new gun stocks

Of my rifle action has been glass bedded and i remove the action to sand and refinish the stock will i need to have it glass bedded again when i reinstall the action? Assume i do no sanding/scrapeing on the inner part of stock

Hello sir, great videos!! Instructional. entertaining and pleasant!! Plus you have one of those voices that one can listen for hours and whatever you say gets done hehehe So here's my question; any difference in application between the boiled and the raw linseed oil? Thanks ahead !!

I emailed you about working on a Krag stock for me but, never received an answer? Can I wet sand with tongue oil?

I have a question. When applying oil to the checkering, should it be thinned to avoid tackiness?

What about coloured laminate stocks. I have a laminate stock from Browning that is varying shades of tan grey and green. It was on the A Bolt Camo Stalker in the late eighties I'm worried sanding will spread different colors of sawdust to areas of different color.

Doing it with pure Tung oil. Hope it works out well!

Any opinions about adding beeswax to act as a drier?

What are your thoughts on Watco "Danish" oil?

This has been a very helpful video. My question is could you use BLO over a stock which has been cleaned sanded and restained?

where is Kurt are you just sharing his video, I have some questions for him I have two Turkish walnut air rifle stocks I am going to be doing. I made a mix of red alkanet root & turpentine, waited a month 1/2 then added the boiled linseed oil and that's been sitting gees three months , this is all knew to me, I am using this blend from some one else guide..and mix ratio. Question. I wanted to know what could I add to another batch of boiled linseed oil to do the other stock to make the tiger stripe pop and jump out the best, any tint suggestions. I have yet another stock that's walnut probably non Turkish with a lot of tiger striping and I just want it to look the best and pop. in your video @ 1533 shows your rifle stocks in the case what color is that, just brownish tone it was hard to see the way the videos were shot on those. love the long in depth videos Mike

Sounds like John Goodman

Great series Rex....Does Kurt recomend the use of Boiled linseed oil for laminate stocks also?

How do I remove a butt plate with no apparent fasteners on a mannlicher stock?

What grain sandpaper?

I have a few antique mausers. But one of my recent purchases looks as if the stock may have been refinished a few decades ago. Is there a way to tell if it has been refinished? I generally like the look of these old guns but I'm sometimes torn as to refinishing or not.

I see that is a 30-40 Krag.... I have one that I am trying to redo.... 120 years of crud and stain that is slowly coming out. Would like to have a custom stock made for it.

Rex, not sure if you are still in contact with Kurt, his FB page doesn't seem to have much action in terms of recent posts, but I was wondering if you could pass on a question to him. I have some larger projects, furniture actually, chairs and tables, that I would love to continue using this finish on. I've followed his steps to refinish/revive numerous wooden stocks since I first saw this video c. 2014 when you first posted it. Everyone who handles those rifles and shotguns remarks "man, what kind of finish is this, it's so soft and natural(or similar to those words)". However, with the volume of projects that I would like to use this technique on, including some rather large, flat surfaces, I'm wondering if there is a way to use a power sander with a leather pad to simulate the hand-rubbed part of the process? I have made my own DIY pads for other processes before, using both random orbital, linear-action sanders and regular vibratory sanders to grind/polish glass. I can't see why a natural, soft leather pad couldn't replace the manual action(and heat) of repetitive hand motion. If you'd be able to pass this question along to Kurt, it would be much appreciated. To Him be the glory, forever and ever, Amen. God speed brother!

Cookies and coffee laminate to draw the bears in.

Great video, where can I get my hands on one of these 80% stocks?

Kinda reminds me of doing auto body work.

Did he mention anything at all about disposing of any rags etc with the linseed oil on them? Great video and those finishes were stunning.