Thread: What are you working on?

Originally Posted by outback

I own a model 97 Winchester shotgun, that's been past down the family generations.

Sweet Mike. Since you said cottontails I'm assuming it's a 16Ga? I know they make small game rounds for 12Ga but I would normally opt for the 410 for that. I have a Model 92 in 25-20 which I love but the rounds are like $3.00 each.

Got the 5th coat of Tru-oil on tonight. Now is when it starts taking longer to dry. Sorry. No pics.

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

Sweet Mike. Since you said cottontails I'm assuming it's a 16Ga? I know they make small game rounds for 12Ga but I would normally opt for the 410 for that. I have a Model 92 in 25-20 which I love but the rounds are like $3.00 each.

12 gauge. 16 won't cut it up here in the brush. Ya gotta blast your way thru it, when ya get a shot.

Always used 1 1/4oz of #2 or BB size shot, magnum reloads. Same as for waterfowl.

Originally Posted by Gasman

Got the 5th coat of Tru-oil on tonight. Now is when it starts taking longer to dry. Sorry. No pics.

Are you giving them a light sanding with steel wool.?

I always do a light sanding with steel wool after the first coat, then after every two.



Keeps things level, and to remove any dust that may have stuck to them. I always tent my scales after each coat.

I do hit them with Synthetic Steelwool (I hate all the tiny metal slivers) between each coating. Then at 5 coats I break out the 600 grit paper and sand them completely smooth as the wood I've been using is porous and is covered in tiny dents when dry. After the sanding, I start all over and it should come out smooth a solid. Time will tell as I just finished the next coating.

I put mine in the closet to cut down on dust.

That's why I steel wool them real good, after the first coat. Most woods have a tendency for the grain to swell up, on first coat. Let the first coat get hard, then sand them smooth, using steel wool.

After that, its just filling the grain. The light sanding between the thin coats are to remove most of the previous coat from the surface, thus just filling the open grain.

3-4 coats after the grain is full, is where I typically stop. Let it totally harden before sanding with steel wool, for the last time.
I give um 2-3 days for full dry.

Ive always done thin coats wiped on with a rag. Today after the sanding i put a heavy coat on. I will let it sit for a day or so and see how it turns out. Then go back to the light coats again. The grain should be filled. I guess Ive just went with more coats being lighter. We will see.

As long as the end results are what ya want. That's all that matters.

I'll use a rag for large pieces, like gun stocks.
But I find the use of a brush better for scales.

I'm at 6 coats. Their well tacked, and I've moved them outdoors to accelerate the drying process.

Hey, Jerry. I do cheat a bit. When inside, after it tacks up some, ( 1hr.) I turn a heat lamp on them for 10-15 minutes, every now n then. I keep the lamp about 2 feet above them, too close will soften, and make it gummy. Just enough to warm things up, and speed the drying process.

Cool. Nice idea about the heatlamp. Thanks.

Finally got around to finishing these scales. I had a couple of setbacks as a couple didn't want to cure right. But in the end, I won. I have the wedges close to size so the final shaping and finishing of those are next. If a person was to charge hourly for the time it takes to make scales like this the cost would be way more than its worth. But it's fun to do so why not.