G'Day Fella's,
Here are a couple of links that I found helpful, regarding How To apply Birchwood-Casey's Tru Oil stock finish;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ocS4F6ShNIand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKMzNfd-mXQFurther to the second video, I don't like using wood stains or wood fillers. If the stock wood already has any contrasting colour, these may hide this.
Also, as was pointed out in the second video, the dust created from sanding, will obviously be the same colour as the stock. So that is the perfect wood filler for the stock, as it is already the correct colour.
I also asked for advice from a local Stock Maker, Russell LM, about applying Tru Oil.
Russell let me know how and why he does it the way he does, and this made sense but was only a slight variation, on the methods in the two above video's.
As the stock arrived from Hatchers, it was already very smooth, with only a few area's that still had some slight machine tool marks (around the cheek piece, in the concave section, between it and it's shadow line), on the external surface.
So I got to it with some 400 grade Wet and Dry (W&D) abrasive paper, and removed these tool marks and then sanded the rest of the stock.
I used this W&D paper, wrapped around a 1/2" wooden dowl, and a square cork sanding block.
Once this was done, I didn't remove the sanding dust from the stock, as it was filling the pours in the stock surface.
I then diluted a tea spoon's worth of Tru Oil, with an equal amount of Mineral Turpentine (Turps), and painted this on both the outside and internal inletting of the stock.
24 hours later, I
lightly sand all the external surfaces of the stock, with 000 grade Steel Wool.
I then blow all the wood/Tru Oil and steel wool dust off the stock with compressed air.
I then leave the stock to sit in the sun for 15 minutes ish, on both sides (1/2 an hour......ish).
This helps warm up the stock, and this apparently helps it to absorb the next coat of Tru Oil.
I then apply the second/next coat of Tru Oil.
I did this as per the second video, by applying
just one drop of Tru Oil at a time, to in this instance, a piece of 600 grade W&D paper (wrapped around the cork sanding block), and then used this to sand and apply the Tru Oil into one area of the stock surface at a time (forend Left side, forend Bottom, forend Right side...... you get the picture..... I hope?).
What you are doing, is both sanding and applying the Tru Oil, to the outside of the stock surface.
Any dust that is created by doing this, is instantly mixed with the Tru Oil, and this is then rubbed into the stock wood.
As you do this, you can feel the Tru Oil reducing and instead of being easy to apply, it starts to become slightly difficult or stiff to move the sanding block around.
So I then check to make sure I have covered that area (lets say, forend Right side....), before I place one more drop of Tru Oil on the W&D and move onto the next area.
Like the bloke in the first video suggests, don't allow a build up of Tru Oil in tight corners, like around the cheek piece, shadow line.
If you don't, you will end up with a build up of oil in these areas and it will end up a big and darker radiused surface.
When this coat has been applied all over, I get a tooth brush (use your Missus one), dip it in turps and the shake off the excess.
I then run the brush part of it around the shadow line, to remove the excess build up of oil, from this area.
Once this process is completed, I then hang the stock in the sun and rotate it, so all surfaces get some sun on it (15 minutes....... ish each side).
I then hang the stock up inside somewhere out of the way, and let the Tru Oil cure.
At the same time, the original piece of W&D, is progressively becoming smoother/less abrasive as well, and this helps add the the finer finish, being applied to the stock. After every application of Tru Oil, I use a tooth brush and a shallow tub of Turps, to remove the Tru Oil from the W&D paper.
24 hours later, I again lightly sand the exterior surface of the stock with steel wool, untill all surfaces are again a dull or matt finish.
I then blow all the wood and steel wool dust off the stock with compressed air and start again with the Tru Oil and sanding block.
What we are trying to do here, is removing any high spots and any blemishes from the last coat of Tru Oil, and at the same time, giving the next coat of Tru Oil somthing to adhere to.
I have now applied 7 coats of Tru Oil with this method.
Here is an image of the RH side of the stock (it is rather plain but still, nice hard and dense, heart wood walnut).
- DSCN2903.JPG (601.82 KiB) Viewed 11617 times
And the LH side, which has some amount of contrasting colour to it.
- DSCN2905.JPG (467.58 KiB) Viewed 11617 times
I'm getting tired of doing this but at the same time, it is some what therapeutic.
Avagreatweekendeh!
Homer
) i've no doubt you'll sort it 
