Recently (a year or two ago) I found the easiest and best looking finish I've ever seen. A 10 year old kid could get good results.
I had a Remington 597 heavy barreled laminate stock that just didn't feel as smooth as I'd have liked. I didn't want to go nuts on the usual oil finish with 10 or 15 coats of finish and dry times in between.
Water based finishes have been giving me fits, I just haven't found stains and finishes like the 70's varathane type stuff.
I decided to try MinWax wipe on poly just for a down and dirty finish. After sanding well with 320, 500, 800, and 1200 I used a smooth cloth pad and dipped it into a small bowl of the wipe on poly (I set up two nails in a board to hold the stock upright).
This stuff wipes on so smooth you can't believe it. I went light figuring that's easier to get consistant and planned on a second coat. It's dry the following day, I figure if a second coat is going on you want to do it at an early stage so the two coats bond with each other. It didn't need a second coat but I did one anyway. Let that dry and take 1500 or 200 grit and lightly go over it, it doesn't take much because that surface pretty much matches the satin sheen anyway.
This is a good enough finish I'd use it on just about anything. I've got a 597 with the factory finish and it feels like crap compared to this, friends feel the difference between the two and are amazed. It's hard to describe how easy this is, I even redid my 1517 MPR Anschutz with it as it looks like the best of the best oiled finishes on their higher end rifles.
I'll get a picture of the 597 up soon.
My advice would be to try it on a beater and it will give you the confidence to redo really nice rifles.
I had a Remington 597 heavy barreled laminate stock that just didn't feel as smooth as I'd have liked. I didn't want to go nuts on the usual oil finish with 10 or 15 coats of finish and dry times in between.
Water based finishes have been giving me fits, I just haven't found stains and finishes like the 70's varathane type stuff.
I decided to try MinWax wipe on poly just for a down and dirty finish. After sanding well with 320, 500, 800, and 1200 I used a smooth cloth pad and dipped it into a small bowl of the wipe on poly (I set up two nails in a board to hold the stock upright).
This stuff wipes on so smooth you can't believe it. I went light figuring that's easier to get consistant and planned on a second coat. It's dry the following day, I figure if a second coat is going on you want to do it at an early stage so the two coats bond with each other. It didn't need a second coat but I did one anyway. Let that dry and take 1500 or 200 grit and lightly go over it, it doesn't take much because that surface pretty much matches the satin sheen anyway.
This is a good enough finish I'd use it on just about anything. I've got a 597 with the factory finish and it feels like crap compared to this, friends feel the difference between the two and are amazed. It's hard to describe how easy this is, I even redid my 1517 MPR Anschutz with it as it looks like the best of the best oiled finishes on their higher end rifles.
I'll get a picture of the 597 up soon.
My advice would be to try it on a beater and it will give you the confidence to redo really nice rifles.