ironing out a stock ding

[kcajeel]

Hello, I bought a new CZ rifle that had a small ding on the side of the forearm. It isn't much but I didn't see it until we were home and it bugs the crap out of me. My gun buddy came over and looked at the new acquisition. Showed up like a big red pimple on the end of your nose. I gotta fix it. They say you can steam it or iron it out. Anybody have any suggestions.

Thanks, Kcajeel

[Blanket]

wet washcloth and iron

[RickinTN]

Actually a damp washcloth and an iron. You are steaming the dent out. Don't be afraid to do it but go slow. You can always apply a bit more heat but tough to take too much away.
Good Luck

[Sam Casey]

If it is too deep to steam out, try filler and stain. I keep a variety of shades of walnut stain and some scrap wood to test before application to stock. More work than steam, but worth it for good pieces,

[LAGS]

I take it , you are not going to refinish the whole stock.
Then just use a wet towel and iron to try and get the dent raised as far as it will go.
In a lot of cases , the finish won't be disturbed too bad, but may still be noticeable.

[22cf45]

I do a lot of stocks and my luck steaming out dents is pretty sketchy. Sometimes I can get small dents to come out but not big ones. Sure haven't had any success steaming dents until all finish has been removed. I have a lot better luck sanding the small area then adding a puddle of oil finish in the dent. After it dries, I sand it down level, then if there is still a depression I add another little puddle. I keep doing it until its dead level, then use the oil finish to bring the luster up to a match. You can add oil finish on top of lacquer, poly, or whatever, but you can't do the reverse.
FWIW
Phil

[Shawlerbrook]

Also if any grain is cut due to the dent, if won’t steam out. Much easier to steam unfinished wood as the finish sometimes prevents the steam from penetrating the grain if the wood. Personally on a field gun, I just let that be the first of many character marks, but everyone is different.

[Mk42gunner]

It also heavily depends on just what type of finish is on the wood.

A permeable finish such as linseed oil, and you can raise dents every day.

A non permeable finish like the old Remington or Browning bowling pin type finish, not so much.

Robert

[DonHowe]

Good advice here
i have experience at this successfully and unsucitcessfully, for all the reasons given. Don't pick and choose from the various comments take all the responses as a whole then assess your stock, finish, etc before you start.
I have raised dents to flush with surrounding wood when fibers were broken but in that case the repair will never look the same without some hiding. Also you want damp cloth, not wringing wet cloth. On bare wood often moisture alone will do the trick with out heat (sometimes a little spit).
Be cautious with the type of filler you might use. Any Filler will fill a dent but some are impervious to coloring.
As was mentioned the finish on your stock can be a determining factor.. It could make the wood resistant to moisture (steaming won't work). If you remove finish to steam-raise the dent then you have to repair the finish. Some finishes do not repair well (the repair may be obvious). Simply filling the dent with a lacquer stick of matching color may be your best bet (no finish repair required). Something I have learned late is that clear delayed shellac as a sealer can be your best friend-it will stick to about any finish and about any kind of finish can be put over shellac (as in use the shellac to seal an area the use whatever finish over the shellac to blend in with the stock finish.
If all the factors make repairing the dent impossible, it is not. Often the least drastic approach is best in the long run. Pick your method on that basis, do the repair then look at your targets, not the repair. You may be surprised how things can grow on you.

[kcajeel]

Thanks all for your advise. A lot of good information and advise here for me to ponder. I just wish I'd looked at it better in the store. With this virus stuff going on, it just took so long to get anything accomplished. It took me an hour to get to the gun counter and at least a half an hour with the sales clerk before I bought the gun. He took me to another room Then I had to wait another 2 hours to get to the girl to turn call the Feds for approval. I've got a concealed license, it used to mean something with long guns. It really worries me with what we are going to have to go thru in this next administration. But back to my rifle.
It is a very small ding on the left side of the forearm right below the front swivel or bipod bracket. I tried to measure the depth and it came out only .002 or .003 so very shallow. Its a Boyds stock with a paint finish to make it appear to be a laminated stock so I dare not try to refinish it. It has not broken any grain of the wood just very light impression of what was hit. I'm going to try the slightly dampened cloth and iron method. I'll take it easy with this and if it doesn't raise the wood I'm going to learn to live with my beauty mark.
Thanks a lot all and hopefully we all can have a great year.

[Texas by God]

After going through all that hassle to get that rifle, I would leave that dent alone to remind me of that day. And I would add to it by using that rifle to hunt with, CZs are great guns.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[Wayne Smith]

If it has a hard water resistant finish simply take a pin and puncture the finish in the dent multiple times before you steam it. This allows the steam to penetrate the finish.

[higgins]

The only stocks I've steamed were military walnut stocks with the original oil finish. The steaming left a dark spot in the wood where the dent was, I suspect because of the dirt, grease, and oil associated with military stocks. You may not have a dark spot but consider if the small dent is worse that a possible dark spot.