Gunstock refinishing

S

south.texas.dead.I

New member
I have a model 70 that is being stubborn with me. I'm trying to strip off the finish and after about 5 coats of citristrip and sanding I have about 30% of the stock with finish on it still.

What do yall recommend? I did a browning over under stock about two years ago and it only took two coats.

I tried uploading a pic but it says it's too large of a file
 
It works !!!

I use the edge of a very sharp knife and scrape them down.
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I know this may sounds a bit extreme to some folks but dry-scraping is a very good technique especially if your finish is old and/or brittle. Actually, much like scaling a fish. I have found that the Browning finishes tend to be very brittle. Just make sure you maintain the proper angle so you don't cut into the wood. I have also used hard plastic, aluminum and glass. ..... :)

Feedback and;
Be Safe !!!
 
The knife scraping worked great! I have it scraped sanded and wiped down. It's drying now, I'm thinking about trying some min wax maple wood stain on it before try oiling, what yall think?
 
Get you some Formby's furniture stripper and put a good coat on and let it set awhile. Then take a scrub pad and some water and wash it off. Let it dry over night and lightly sand and apply new finish
 
Take time to give it some thought

It's drying now, I'm thinking about trying some min wax maple wood stain on it before try oiling, what yall think?
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I usually let the piece talk to me as it will let me know what it needs. .... :cool:

Be Safe !!!
 
I went through something similar with a CETME stock. It was absolutely packed with oil and grease from when the rifle was cut up, preserved, and shipped overseas. What I did, in order:

A variety of wood scrapers to remove most of tree original finish.

Whiting solution (lime mixed with mineral spirits and acetone) and several days of soaking to draw out as much oil as possible

Ironing with a hot towel to remove dings and dents where possible

Sanding up to 400 grit

Mixture of minwax walnut, moderate red mahogany and a couple drops of honey. Two applications

Two applications of hand rubbed pro oil (a mixture of finishing oil and polyurethane)
 
Glad you liked the idea.

If you run into anything else that seems to be a problem and you'd like to talk it over just e-mail me.
I have been doing this kind of thing for 48 years. I have learned a few little tricks along the way.
 
Speaking of Minwax, I use the spar urethane on my stock finishes. I makes a tough & durable protective coating on the wood and is about impervious to moisture.

Also, since you are bedding the action, I like to use the bedding compound in the barrel channel as well.

Just put a layer of black electrical tape on the barrel and your release agent on the tape and you get a neat looking barrel channel and it is still free floating.
 
Being a woodworker, I use scrapers of Swedish steel that most woodworker supply companies (Woodcraft, for instance) sell. You can use them forever, but you'd need to learn how to redo the scraper edge. It isn't hard to do.

As for stock finishes, I now use Waterlox Original in satin. Easy to apply, and 4 or 5 coats, depending on the wood's pore size, will fill the pores. It's waterproof and durable. Not cheap though.
 
Will it take a beating ???

I now use Waterlox Original in satin.
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Okay now, whenever the subject of stock finishes comes up there is literally hundreds of products that folks start listing. I've said before, we usually stop with what works for us. On any finish that may be preferred, I always ask a question that is often overlooked. ..... :rolleyes:
How does it stand up to rain, snow and temperatures of -0 ???

Even though most of the time, I do not like the high-gloss finish of Tru-Oil, it stands up to this environment, year after year. ..... :)

How does Waterlox stand up to the elements?? I just may try some ..... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
Pahoo, Waterlox is waterproof. Says so on the can, though I haven't dragged the rifle through rain, mud and snow. It's a blend, with tung oil. Like I said, I was using it for wood furniture and such, having found out about it from a professional woodworker, and it got high marks on stocks (per our trusty friend, the Internet), and I had some, so why not try it. Worked great and looked great. I hung the stock from the ceiling of my wood shop to an eyelet screwed into the butt end of the stock. I applied it with a foam brush, with one light coat per day, till the pores filled. First coat looked awful, but coats after that got increasingly better. I sanded lightly between the first few coats. The only issue is that it was recommended that the finish cure for a couple of weeks prior to hard use.

I had the satin version, so that's what I used, but they have gloss and semigloss.

Though it's called Waterlox, there's no water in it. And I forgot to mention that the pro woodworker suggested using one or two coats of Watco Danish oil or something similar as a base or primer coat - sort of. Waterlox also has their own version of that, but I had the Danish Oil.
 
Will have to look into this and I thank you ..

so why not try it. Worked great and looked great.
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Will have to look into this and I thank you for the tip. ... :)

Watco Danish oil or something similar as a base or primer coat - sort of.
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I am very familiar with this product and really like it. This what I use on my Hickory rods as they won't drag on the thimbles. Did not think that one coulsd use it a primer or sealer. Thanks again ..... :)

Be Safe !!!
 
About 14 years ago I used Minwax tung oil to refinish the stock on an old SxS J.C Higgins that has been passed down through my family.

At some point prior to my father giving it to me someone used a polyurethane that had started to yellow an it looked awful. The tung oil looks amazing and grandpa would be proud.
 
Waterlox Original is a brand of Tung oil. Way more expensive than Minwax brand. Minwax is pricey enough.
Tru-Oil is a blend of linseed and other oils.
"...haven't dragged the rifle through rain, mud and snow..." Done by U.S. Army troopies with the M1 Rifle. And a whole lot of Chinese sailors since before. Tung oil stands up to harsher conditions than rain, mud and snow.
Putting plastic(urethane)on wooden rifle stocks should be a Federal crime.
 
Waterlox is not a tung oil, though it contains tung oil. I also buy the straight 100% tung oil for use on wooden cooking utensils. The Waterlox, the Danish Oil, the Minwax Antique oil, and several others are oil/varnish/mineral spirit blends. The oils in each aren't necessarily the same. For instance, I used the Minwax Antique Oil (recommended to me by a retired wood shop teacher) on a couple of gunstocks. They looked great, felt great and hold up well. But they aren't waterproof, and the Antique Oil won't build a finish. The Waterlox builds a finish, and a very attractive finish. And I should mention that the straight tung oil won't build a finish. Maybe, over time, if you used enough coats, it might. But if so, I haven't seen evidence of it after 4 or 5 coats of pure tung oil.

So today...my first choice in finishes, be it a side table or a gunstock, is the Waterlox Original. The only drawback is the slow cure time. If you want fast, go with Minwax Fast Drying Poly. Apply light coats with a foam brush. That will look good also, but not AS good.
 
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