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Stock "pressing" when refinishing

2K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Goatwhiskers 
#1 ·
Has anyone ever heard of "pressing" your stock with an iron when refinishing it ? If so , what are the advantages / disadvantages of it. I have never heard of it but have seen it on a couple of web sites. Is it really worth doing, or is it a waste of time?
 
#2 ·
What you may be thinking about is using an iron and wet cloths to raise dents. The heat and moisture can raise dents and gouges so those depressions can be finished level with the rest of the stock wood. Other than that I have no idea of what your talking about.
 
#4 ·
I can assure you from experience that putting a damp (not wet) soft cloth over a dent in a stock or forearm, and then using a steam iron heated for cotton, a few leisurely wipes of the iron, not pressing too hard, will raise some pretty nasty bumps. I have found it advantageous to let it dry for a day until I apply a second or even third steam pressing and especially before I start sanding it again though. Some of the wood I have done absorbs more moisture than others and sanding wet wood is not a good idea.
 
#5 ·
I do believe you must have seen a demonstration of dent-raising with steam and, yes, that works very well. Major dents may not come all the way out, but they can sure be improved.

Now, one technique you don't hear much about in stock refinishing is burnishing, which can really be a major help in filling pores and putting a fine finish on wood. After the final sanding, the entire stock is firmly rubbed with something like a steel rod or a dry bone -- realy, anything hard, rounded, and smooth will work. This compresses and polishes the wood fibers at the surface, closes pores, and provides a surface that almost guarantees a beatiful finish.
 
#8 ·
Pisgah is right, there is a very old technique known as "boning" wherein the stockmaker would use a piece of dry bone to rub the wood before putting the finish on. This was before the invention of sandpaper and other abrasives. By the way, it does produce a beautiful finish after whiskering. Doesn't take near as long to fill the pores, either. Goatwhiskers the Elder
 
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