removing stock finish

G

greenberg86

Inactive
Hello all, what product is the absolute best for removing the finish of a shotgun stock made of birch wood. need to remove varnish/lacquer and walnut stain. Thanks
 
I use the Formby's finish remover they sell at Lowes for removing finish from furniture. Let it soak for a while and scrape off most of it and use a water hose and scrub pad for the rest. Let it dry and its ready for a new finish.
 
I use a broken piece of flat glass to scrap old finishes off, it works
well. If in doubt, try it near the butt. Hold the glass at a slight angle
with the top toward you and pull it with slight pressure down and
watch as the finish curls right off.
 
Last one I did, I used a metal scraper (woodworker type, not the crude paint scraper type) and then sandpaper, from medium to fine grit. It's pretty fast and less messy than the liquid strippers. Got to be very careful around any checkering, but a birch stock probably won't have cut checkering.
 
2 reasons. First, a harsh stripper can damage the product you are trying to restore (your stock). Secondly, a harsh stripper is dangerous to work with - requiring special protective equipment for your hands and lungs. A mild stripper that still does the job avoids both of those problems.
 
Thanks Doyle. I was told by a gunsmith out here in Texas, If it don't remove in 1 application it's no good. He recommended Marine grade stripper. well see :confused:
 
It is according to the stock, but I use the cheap orange gel stripper from Lowes and other hardware stores. However, if the stock is scratched and dinged, I just sand it all off, stain, and then refinish. I use the stripper mainly for cleaning out checkering, or removing polyurethane finishes before sanding.
 
I used boiling water to remove the oil and lacquer finishes from several walnut stocks with great results. I applied the boiling water and a little dish soap then worked the surface with a sponge or old wash cloth and a toothbrush to remove the loosened finish, then rinsed with more boiling water and let air dry. The idea is to raise the surface finish not soak the wood. This process does raise the grain a little bit but fine sand paper and steel wool knock it down in quick order. It usually took several applications to get to a surface that was clean enough and smooth enough to accept a fresh finish. I got absolutely no warping doing this and needed no toxic chemicals.
 
use water and a hot iron on a stock that has fallen and the wood fibers are crushed use a wet rag between the iron and stock ,will swell the wood back .water is a good tool
 
"...If it don't remove in 1 application it's no good..." He's paid by the hour.
Wood is wood. Use the same products used on fine furniture. Even for birch. The stain may require bleaching(Yes. Clorox that has been mixed with plain old tap water.). Sometimes sanding is the only way to remove stain though.
"...wouldn't want to use water on wood..." Why not? It's flushing, not soaking.
"...a wet rag between the iron and stock..." Wet, but not dripping wet. Face cloth soaked then wrung out is about right. Lot of this stuff is far easier to do than describe.
 
No one commented on the "stain" part...
You can't remove stain without removing the wood that it's penetrated.
Sanding...
 
Never thought of using glass to scrape with. Dislike using chemical finish removers, so basically prefer scraping off an old stock finish.....but might use an exacto long blade, sharp knife edge and etc., just depends.
 
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