I refinised and old cheap shotgun. I uesed 000 steal wool, stained it with a cherry stain and then put a couple clear coats on it. It was the best looking peice of crap gun youv'e ever seen.
I did one years ago and it turned out ok. If you will go to richard's microfit stocks webpage they have tutorials for stock finishing. I refinished my Dad's 742 and I removed the old finish with a remover I bought from brownells. I used a calcium carbonate and methanol paste to absorb the oil out of the wood. Then I took a wet rag and ironed it with a clothes iron over the dents to pop them out. I lightly sanded the stocks with very fine grit sand paper and steel wooled them. I then rubbed tung oil in thin coats into the wood drying between coats. It left a nice dull finish but with a few adjustments to this you could have a beautiful rifle stock.
I did a muzzleloading kit last year and stained the stock and then put the clear coat on it. I bought the Birchwood Casey's kit at Gander Mtn. in NLR and just followed the directions in it. It was really simple and easy to do. It turned out looking great.
Tell us a bit more please. What kind of firearm do you have? If it's a historical piece, then some special precautions should be taken to preserve stamps (cartouches). Is it a Remington? That Rem. stuff is TOUGH to remove. I've had some success w/ Tru-Oil (a boiled linseed oil with driers added). Brownells has some good products too.... 'all depends on what you have and what you want to end up with. Sincerely, Tommy Johnson
I did a ruger 10/22 stock once. I used fine steel wool to remove the finish. I rubbed the wood with my hands until it was as smooth as glass. Then I used something to clean the oil left by my hands but I don't remember what. Then I applied Tru-Oil. I don't remember if I used two or three coats but I do remember that each coat made it darker. I left mine very light colored because I liked the grain of the wood. That gun turned out beautiful I wish that I had never sold it.
That's a good point. If it is an older or collectible gun it might be more valuable to leave the original finish on it.
remington 7400 It is a remington 7400 high gloss on the stock, it's about 22 years old, I just want to take the shine off of the wood.
OK, I've tried several kinds of stuff on a Rem. 700.... once..... even some stuff I knew I shouldn't, like mixing up some mixers and chemicals myself. NOTHING would tough that finish, except on the checkering. There, it bubbled up and came off well. Elsewhere, I had to sand the stock. That must be done very carefully to avoid mucking up the checkering, altering the stock's shape or rounding off sharp edges. Use a sanding block around edges. I'll ask around about what may remove a Rem. finish on a forum w/ some folk who do this for a living. Of course if you jsut want to knock off the shine, some 0000 equiv. "scotch pads" would do that. It's MUCH beter than steel wool. As for a finish, some purists may shriek, but I've had really good results w/ Brownells finish: http://tinyurl.com/32zjeb If you're around Hot Springs, I have an unused can of it in "satin", that I have no need for, and you're welcome to it. Tommy
I did a 700 ADL,UGLY shiney blonde colored stock. Go to wallyworld and get a spray can of 3M varnish remover, it will boil the finish off. May have to do it 2x. Use fine grit sand paper to smooth it up. 600 grit. Leave the butt plate on the stock,the only thing I screwed up on. I used dark walnut stain to darken the cheap wood. After it dries out, rub in about 25? coats of boiled linseed oil. Get the metal bead blued and it will look like a Kimber. Good Luck!!
