Scratch Repair

[mike3132]

Guys,

Ive got an old Remington 41P with a wood stock with the original finish. It has a 8" fairly deep scratch on it. Is there any way i can repair this with out re-doing the whole stock? any suggestions welcomed. thanks, mike

[Johnch]

I "fixed" a scratch in a Winchester stock the other night with a puddy stick I got from the paint store , sort of a colored wood filler stick
They had at least 100 colors
I picked a close color and added a little of a darker color to get it right or real close

When it has dryed for a few days , I will put on a few coats of stock wax

I think the sticks were $3 each
But they also get used on the hardwood floor and moulding


John

[Lloyd Smale]

the old trick of putting a wet wash cloth on it and then using an iron to heat it might raise some of it back out. Ive done it with dents but dont know if it would work on a scratch but it might be worth a try.

[EMC45]

What Lloyd said. Steam baby steam. Also depending on the sheen of the original finish you may be able to touch up the stock with some Tru-oil. After the steaming of course.

[schutzen]

I'll third Lloyd's comment about steam; it works very well on dents. Another thought is to swap stocks with a 510. Now to the real questions, do you have the original sight? Would you be interested in selling your 41P? I'm looking for one to pair up with mine so I have one each grandson.

[mike3132]

Its not a dent but a scratch that has removed the finish. Its not to deep but deep enough to scratch some of the wood too. I was trying to find a way to match up the old finish with out completely stripping the gun.

schutzen,

thanks for the offer but i don't really want to sell it. it has the original signs with two sight apertures. Someone told me not long ago the sights apertures are worth 25.00 - 30.00 and are hard to find. If i change my mind I'll keep you in mind.

[danski26]

What type of finish is it? If it is a hand rubbed oil finish then you can take down only a portion and return it to match the rest of the stock. If it is some type of polyurethane or very glossy, thick finish then i think you may be out of luck.

Let me ask you this.......how did the scratch get there?

[Bret4207]

If the scratch is into the wood you aren't going to do much more than hide it, either with a filler like the putty stick mentioned or by taking the butt plate off, sanding on an interior section to get some dust and then mixing that with Truoil or something like it to make a filer. Matching the finish is the tough part. If it's a varnish type finish then you might better go over the stock with fine (4/0) steel wool, wipe it down good with mineral spirits and then a tack cloth. Then apply a varnish furniture type finish. No recommendation on brand, I just don't know them any more. If it's oil, then prep as above and keep rubbing in coats till the finish is a close to matching as you can stand. You aren't going to get perfection without a refinish on the whole stock. But you can hide it pretty good with equal parts perseverance and patience.

[Bret4207]

Let me ask you this.......how did the scratch get there?

By accident I'll bet.

[danski26]

The reason I ask how it got there because if it was "earned" on a hunting trip or if there is a story behind it, think about leaving it. It adds character to a piece sometimes.

I have a Beretta silver snipe O/U 12 ga that I put a scratch in when I was 12 YO on my second Goose hunting trip. I got myself stuck in the mud at the edge of a plowed field and scratched it trying to get my hip boots un-stuck. I'll never "fix" that scratch.

[mike3132]

It has the original varnish like finish that Remington used by in the 30's. I'm not sure how the scratch got there but i think another gun fell over on it. Id like to hide it as best as possible. thanks for the replies. mike

[No_1]

I would check with any local company that deals with wood re-finishing supplies. There is a stain "marker" on the market. It is just what it sounds like. It is a marker. It comes in many different colors and is made for wood touch up. It is stain. Once you find a supplier, take the stock (only) into one of these supply houses and anyone there that knows what they are doing should be able to point you to the correct color shade. I have used it on funiture that the dog scratched. It did not fix the scratch but it sure did hide the raw wood. I can tell it is there but of course I know exactly where to look ;)

R.

[David2011]

OK, so the thread is a little old but this might be worth a try.

I would go with the wet rag and iron technique as described and let it dry. If it raises any fibers at all that will help mask the scratch.

Sand the scratch and surrounding area with 100 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper used dry to feather the area back and give some tooth to the existing finish. Dilute a little GOOD varnish like Captain's 50/50 with Penetrol, a Flood product. You will only need enough 50/50 thinned for 2-3 coats.

This calls for marine varnish from a boat store- not the imitation stuff from discount stores and not polyurethane. IMO polyurethane and varnish are mutually exclusive terms. Brush a little straignt Penetrol onto the sanded finish and the surrounding unsanded finish but not on the raw wood. Immediately brush some of the thinned varnish onto the sanded area including the raw wood, brushing in ONE DIRECTION ONLY. Don't brush back and forth as it will leave pull marks and dents in the finish. Work wet. Keep plenty of varnish in the brush which should be of good quality. The straight Penetrol will help the varnish blend into the unrepaired area.

After the first coat dries, at least 24 hours, sand lightly with 100 grit again and wipe the dust away with a clean cotton rag. Repeat the first treatment with straight Penetrol and 50/50 thinned varnish 2 more time, sanding and allowing 24 hours to dry between coats. Dilute subsequent coats 15%- 20% with Penetrol.

After you are satisfied with the number of coats, getting enough buildup to proceed as follows, let it dry several days and then sand the area with progressively finer grits from 240 to 600 used wet. Use the 240 to level the surface and get rid of brush marks. As soon as the brush marks are gone, go to 320, 400 and 600, using each just until you have removed all of the scratches of the previous grit. Be sure the stock is CLEAN before changing grits so you don't make another scratch. Finish with pumice and rottenstone (do a Google search or go to woodworker.com; it's not expensive) to get the desired gloss.

You might get away with rubbing compound and white polishing compound rubbed on with a soft cotton rag and water if you don't want to get pumice and rottenstone.

The wood doesn't need a particularly fine sanded finish to start varnishing and 100 grit should help blend the scratch some. You may end up with some evidence of the scratch in the form of a dark line but the finish over it can be very nice. I learned to use Penetrol maintaining the teak on sailboats I've owned over the years. It's magic with varnish. Real varnish sands easily and repairs easily. Polyurethane is very hard and resists damage but is really tough to sand and once damaged is almost impossible to repair as described.

[Char-Gar]

dents in the wood can be raised with steam because the wood is still there. If the wood have been removed by a scratch or scrape, then the wood will have to be sanded to remove it or filled.

[rmb721]

Arrow Wood Finish is the best thing I have ever used to touch up scratches. You put it on and rub it dry. Fine abrasive papers used to rub the wet finish in will produce a satin finish, while cloth or hand ribbing will produce shine.

It takes only a very small amount.

This must be rubbed to dry. If it is not , it will stay wet. An open bottle will not dry out.

I bought what I have at a gun show. Mine is a 4 oz. bottle.

Miriacle Products International
PO Box 44
Milton, WI 53563

[MT Gianni]

Arrow Wood Finish is the best thing I have ever used to touch up scratches. You put it on and rub it dry. Fine abrasive papers used to rub the wet finish in will produce a satin finish, while cloth or hand ribbing will produce shine.

It takes only a very small amount.

This must be rubbed to dry. If it is not , it will stay wet. An open bottle will not dry out.

I bought what I have at a gun show. Mine is a 4 oz. bottle.

Miriacle Products International
PO Box 44
Milton, WI 53563

The little Irishman, as he calls himself also sells it in a 4 pack with a gun oil, cold blue solution and cleanser that are all good products. gianni

[dustinfamily]

WOW! tryed the wet wash cloth and steam iron on an old beat up savage mod 24, 22long/20ga. a little Tru-oil looks brand new.
Glad I found this thread!
thanks, Mark