What to do to strip varnish off Walnut stock?

[Clark]

This is a 1950 Winchester M70 stock that has been varnished and cut for a recoil pad. Other than that, it looks good.

I hate to start sanding if there is a chemical solution.

[knifemaker]

paint stripper will remove it. Some guys even use oven cleaner to remove old varnish.

[Multigunner]

Any paint and varnish stripper will work but Homer Formby's does a very good job on antiques.

[GhostHawk]

I like Citristrip, it is a citrus based stripper. Smells good, use gloves, protect your hands.

Cleanup with warm water.

I have a couple of stocks that I have refinished. Including my old Yugo SKS, and my Racine Wisconsin Sheridan Blue Streak. Citristrip, then steel wool and true oil.

I did not sand any of the dings out of the SKS stock. I wanted to keep them, protect them. Including a name carved into the stock, a couple of burns and a deep gouge or 2.

All tell a story to my eyes. If only she could talk.

[Mr Peabody]

Any paint and varnish stripper will work but Homer Formby's does a very good job on antiques.

I'll second that. It doesn't raise the grain like some products will.

[Clark]

OK, I ordered the Homer Formby' for $20 and the Citrastrip for $10.

[pietro]

.

I only use Citristrip on epoxy stock finishes, as I found Formby's works better on removing other stock finishes (less work, etc).

I just follow the directions with the Formby's Furniture Restorer can/bottle, then let the wood dry overnite B 4 starting finishing with TruOil.

I use pads of new OOOO steel wool for the main portion of a stock, and an old or Dollar Store toothbrush to work the Formby's into checkering.

Formby's evaporates very rapidly in the open air, so I learned to pour a little bit into a non-plastic bowl & quickly re-cap the container, repeating as needed until the stock is done.

.

[RG1911]

I've had good luck using Minwax Antique refinisher on old M1 Carbine stocks. It does not raise the grain.

Richard

[Genecockrell]

If it's original varnish from that era (esp. with Remingtons) it may actually be shellac and alcohol will take it right off

[Genecockrell]

Denatured alcohol (or everclear), rubbing alcohol may not work....

[aspangler]

You might want to try brake cleaner. The spray kind. Just don't get anywhere you don't want stripped of finish such as on the car. Ask me how I know. LOL.

[waksupi]

I found at Sherwin Williams a stripper for boats and aircraft. It has removed every finish I have put it on, including Weatherby's.

[M-Tecs]

I found at Sherwin Williams a stripper for boats and aircraft. It has removed every finish I have put it on, including Weatherby's.

They have several. Which one did you use?

[waksupi]

They have several. Which one did you use?

Goldurn it. I KNEW someone was going to make me dig into the back room to get the name~!

Savogran Super Strip.

[waksupi]

This is a 1950 Winchester M70 stock that has been varnished and cut for a recoil pad. Other than that, it looks good.

I hate to start sanding if there is a chemical solution.

Ya know, if you just don't care for that shiny surface, take some OOOO steel wool to it, and make it a satin finish.

[salpal48]

There is a Lot of Talk about shripping. . I know 2 stock makers in Pa . and both never strip stocks with any Chemical. Both Only scrape Them . using Razor Like Exacto Tools. . Both says scraping does a Better Job and leaves a small amount Of Finish In the grain and sand
Even In the Checkering they Use small soft wire wheels Just enough to remove The finish

[No Blue]

There is a Lot of Talk about shripping. . I know 2 stock makers in Pa . and both never strip stocks with any Chemical. Both Only scrape Them . using Razor Like Exacto Tools. . Both says scraping does a Better Job and leaves a small amount Of Finish In the grain and sand
Even In the Checkering they Use small soft wire wheels Just enough to remove The finish

They must be good to pull that off. Scrapping a flat surface isn't too hard, but nothing on a stock is flat. Most of us will make facets on the curved parts with a scrapper. Then have to sand them out.

I've been using Aircraft paint remover on lots of stuff, but never on a stock; should work. But the water rinse will raise the grain. More work!

[Hunter2506]

When I see that checkering, I see hard work.
If you do get down to bare wood, what is your plan?

[brstevns]

Acetone would also work.

[BigEyeBob]

Ive used pieces of a broken glass beer bottle to scrape stocks in the past. I refinished a Savage 24B combination gun many years ago , I would have been around 15 or 16 years of age , broken glass to scrape the old finish, sanded lightly ,and oxblood boot polish for a stain , then hand rubbed boiled linseed for the final finish. Amazing what you can do when money is tight . My Son now has that gun and the finish is stii very good.