refinishing wood stock

[madmax]

Remember, this takes time. Really 1/2 hr of time once a day. A rifle stock will a take week to a month. Dry time is key

 

[etrain16]

Take a minute to read this guys take on Tung oil.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiZgObH1ILNAhVD62MKHalWBNsQFghaMAc&url=http://www.woodcentral.com/russ/finish6.shtml&usg=AFQjCNGUKzm8olQConJb2XIgiKs5FrHWng

His point about taking time to dry properly is well made. I consider refinishing projects something that are going to take time, usually at least a week, even longer. The first coats tend to set pretty quickly, the later coats need time - and how much time depends on the temperature and humidity as well. Humid days will take much longer to dry/cure than dry days.

I've had good luck with Tung oil myself, still a product I like to use.

 

[Koda]

personally I like a tinge of red in my stain, like winchester used.

I was actually thinking about this but most of the colors at the store were various shades of reds and browns. I do have a can of Minwax "Sedona Red" (from another project) that leaves a beautiful color and I'm tempted to use it except I think its slightly too red for a gunstock. I wonder if I can darken it up with the dark walnut stain... ? colors really hard to tell until you just do it and see how it turns out.

 

[Koda]

His point about taking time to dry properly is well made. I consider refinishing projects something that are going to take time, usually at least a week, even longer. The first coats tend to set pretty quickly, the later coats need time - and how much time depends on the temperature and humidity as well. Humid days will take much longer to dry/cure than dry days.

well technically I have until hunting season to get this done, however.... I also put a brand new scope on it and so I also need to spend some time sighting it in. I meant to do the stock last year but summer easily flies by with projects, I need to take care of this now. Good tips on the latter coats...

 

[Ura-Ki]

I have found Minwax Spar urethane spray works very, very well. Presand your stock down to 400 grit, chase with fine steel wool, then "wash" with Isoprop Alcohol and let sit in a clean dry place for a few days. I built a wood box that can take a full size wood stock on a coat hanger, and it has a 80 watt lightbulb in the bottom, I wash with Isop again and get the stock warm in the box for an hour or so, Then spray the Spar Urerhane in one thin coat and let sit for 24 hours in the hotbox. Steel wool once over and re spray as needed. The Urethane can be had in flat, low gloss (my fav) gloss, and high gloss. It is very tough, easy to touch up, and soaked in the grain deep. With the clear, it really brings out the grain of a stock with out changing colors. You can add a base coat of dyed Urathane in what ever tint you like and as deep a change as you wish. For stocks like my M-1 Garand, I pre stain with a Mahogany Red first, before I spray the Spar finish, This gives the correct color and looks correct when done!

 

[orygun]

A while back I bought a wood stocked rifle for my nephew. It was pretty beat up and it looked like someone fit the buttpad with a hatchet. First I sanded the butt and the pad to where they had a nice fit. Then I stripped the stock of it's factory finish. Being lazy I didn't want to go thru the extended time frame of using linseed oil or something similar, plus I wanted a nice, matte finish.I went to the local hardware store and looked thru the wood finishes and found teak wood oil. I'd never heard of anyone using it, but I thought I'd give it a try. I think I put three coats on it.
Honestly, I think it's the best looking Savage I've ever seen. (FYI, it ended up with a better scope on it when I gave it away for the graduation present. These BSA "Sweet XX" scopes are nothing to be proud of...)

 

[erudne]

Back in the day I had to buy expensive books to obtain the stain formula for pre-64 Winchesters, a darn popular stain and finish. Today you can find it online. Having said that Brownell's can provide a ready mixed finish for any taste. The Teak wood oil finish shown on the Savage above is fantastic considering that the stock is likely Birch.

 

[coop44]

Good job! Personally I have been meaning to try a hand rubbed shellac finish. Not what the russians did to the mosins with a wallpaper brush. What all the finest furniture had prior to the advent of factory furniture around the turn of the twentieth century. Not really all that hard shellac is non toxic fast drying and comes in a variety of col o rs

 

[Tillikum]

Does the stock currently have an oil or poly finish?

If poly, sand gently. And no fine sand paper. Fine finishes clog the wood pores with sanding dust and cause blotchy and uneven finish.

If oil, soak the stock for several days in denatured alcohol. The oil will dissolve into it. Then dry the wood for several days, preferably in a warm area. You will then have dry wood to sand on. Steam out any dents. Test the stain on an inside piece of the stock first, to see whether you have the color you want. Then apply stain. Spirit stains are fast, and should be blended with alcohol. You can build up color with several coats, but removing too much is a pain. Oil based stains are easier, and can be soaked out with alcohol if you don't like the color. Then tung oil. It's tough and can be touched up easily. Formby's has a semi-gloss that looks fairly flat, although the stock will become glossy with too many coats. Go slow, let everything dry at each stage and you will avoid disasters.

 

[Tillikum]

Oh...

1955 Danish contract Beretta. She cleaned up nicely!

 

[Koda]

I like the colors in the photos both Orygun and Tillikum provided.
the hardest part is deciding which color....

 

[Tillikum]

For restoring American military stocks, Brownell's 500-104-003 Vanderhave Formula VIII stain is the best. It's a spirit stain, so you should cut it liberally (there's that damn word again!) with denatured alcohol and build up the color gradually. It will look rather rust brown, but once oil is applied for the finish, it takes on a distinct red tone. Too much stain will make the stock too red. Works great on Winchester's, too. Especially since Winchester used the government developed stain for it's stocks.

 

[2506]

Speaking of stocks, does anyone know of anyone who does checkering work?

 

[Ura-Ki]

Speaking of stocks, does anyone know of anyone who does checkering work?

Try the Custom Gun Builders Guild! There used to be a nice couple in Oregon City that did awesome work, Bit I don't know if they are still around. Any way, try the guild!

 

[Koda]

Tung oil is my new woodworking favorite but I'm not so fond of the finish removal process. Took a couple evenings to get all the old finish removed, Jasco works well enough but its just a messy process. The sanding and staining went nicely and in the end I really enjoyed the Tung oil finishing process... (ok, except for the 6-8hr dry time). That stuff works very well and produced a beautiful and smooth finish, I called it good at 4 coats.
I appreciate everyone's tips, I read them all here and put them to use and very happy with the results.

 

[Tillikum]

Pictures?

 

[madmax]

Tung gets in really deep. IMO you can't get it out all the way to refinish. I've tryed.... its not the same

 

[Koda]

Pictures?

shure, a quick look at what I started with....

^this was what was left of the original finish. The major scarring was from the cocked and locked hammer of a holstered 1911 when the rifle was slung while hiking. It took many years to get that bad and I still need to figure out how to remedy that now as Im not going to let it happen again...

now here is the final result....



(sorry I dont have a close up detail of the major scar repair but I sanded and blended it well it no longer shows...)

and then viola, ready to rock and roll with brand new scope...

4 coats of Tung oil hit with 0000 steel wool. I used a dark walnut stain on the bare wood after sanding. Note the little grey spot on the shoulder pad is an epoxy repair where it broke from a mishap....

 

[Koda]

Tung gets in really deep. IMO you can't get it out all the way to refinish. I've tryed.... its not the same

that's good to know, I am ok with that though... unless this job doesn't hold up well it will be many years before I plan to refinish the stock again and I would just strip, sand and use Tung oil again. I probably will fine sand and apply a coat every few years if needed.

 

[etrain16]

shure, a quick look at what I started with....
View attachment 295982
^this was what was left of the original finish. The major scarring was from the cocked and locked hammer of a holstered 1911 when the rifle was slung while hiking. It took many years to get that bad and I still need to figure out how to remedy that now as Im not going to let it happen again...

now here is the final result....

View attachment 295983

(sorry I dont have a close up detail of the major scar repair but I sanded and blended it well it no longer shows...)

and then viola, ready to rock and roll with brand new scope...
View attachment 295984
4 coats of Tung oil hit with 0000 steel wool. I used a dark walnut stain on the bare wood after sanding. Note the little grey spot on the shoulder pad is an epoxy repair where it broke from a mishap....

That looks really nice!