Stock Refinishing

[rjathon]

I have a plain brown walnut stock and would like to sand off the old finish, give it a darker walnut stain, and then hand rub an oil finish more reminiscent of Marlin stocks from the late 40’s ad 50’s.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Russ

[nawagner]

Tru-oil. A little goes a long way, it looks great, and dries hard.

[Winger Ed.]

Don't use any more sand paper than is absolutely necessary.
It is how most stocks get ruined by having their clean lines, lots of checkering and other details destroyed.
After all that work, it can come out looking like someone did it while at the kitchen table watching TV.


I'd use the chemical strippers, lacquer thinner soaks under rags, etc.
To get the loosened/swollen material out of the tight spaces- after rubbing off the easy stuff with a scotch-bright-
I never used anything more violent than the sturdy name brand 'Q' tip stems cut at a angle with a razor blade.

Then reach for the true oil or a similar finish.
Of the few I've done, I never go back with something that can't be easily repaired, or can chip like varnish does.

[rondog]

Shouldn't really need to stain it, just use a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil & turpentine. Sand it in wet with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper, let it soak in a few minutes (but don't let it dry!), wipe the excess off going across the grain, let it dry a day or two. Repeat until the pores are filled enough to suit you.

This usually darkens walnut enough to please, and doesn't hide the grain like stains can.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I use a product called "Wipe on Poly" which is better than true oil and if scratched easily repaired. I used this on an original 1885 Martini stock.

[jstanfield103]

As said, don't use sandpaper. Rounds the edges and also takes wood off. It will make the stock uneven with the receiver. I would only use a stripper. I too like the feel of the wood it's self over the coated stocks. Love the older Marlin stocks.

[JoeJames]

I wish that sandpaper and varnish had never been invented. They have ruined more gunstocks than house fires.

[Shawlerbrook]

Ditto on the sandpaper. Steel wool and a chemical stripper. Heard some good reviews about this on gun stocks.
https://www.minwax.com/wood-products...que-oil-finish

[freakonaleash]

I wish that sandpaper and varnish had never been invented. They have ruined more gunstocks than house fires.

Amen and Awomen.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Hi Russ-- have you ever refinished a stock before? There's a lot to doing a really good job like some of those show in the photos, many different techniques, different finishes.

Remove the stock from the gun, and remove all metal from the stock such as sling swivels, etc. I know that sounds very basic, but you'd be surprised at how many guys have tried refinishing the stock while still on the gun!

If sanding by hand, use a sanding block as much as possible. Just using your fingers as a backing for the sandpaper creates uneven pressure on the paper and results in uneven areas in the wood.

Sand with the grain.

Unless the stock is oversized be very careful about sanding the edges where the wood joins the metal, or the fit will be undersized after you've finished. You can't put the wood back once removed.

How to go about it depends very much on what condition your stock is in. If it has lots of dents and gouges like many ex-military rifles, you'll probably want to try to remove them with a fine rasp, raise them with steam, or in some cases fill them. If your stock is in good shape and all you want to do is change the appearance, then perhaps a chemical stripper followed by a light sanding and application of a new stock finish is all you need. As stated by several who have responded is a good choice. Apply in very thin coats and allow to dry thoroughly between coats. When the desired thickness is reached, if you so desire you can rub it back to a satin finish with 4-0 steel wool and then sparingly apply a little carnauba wax.

Good luck with your project. If you take photos, be sure to show us a "before" and "after" picture.

DG

[leadeye]

Nice looking wood on those guns pictured, I really like the Martini.

[uscra112]

Shouldn't really need to stain it, just use a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil & turpentine. Sand it in wet with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper, let it soak in a few minutes (but don't let it dry!), wipe the excess off going across the grain, let it dry a day or two. Repeat until the pores are filled enough to suit you.

This usually darkens walnut enough to please, and doesn't hide the grain like stains can.

Old stocks were oil or traditional varnish finished. You can strip it all out and clean the wood at the same time by running it through your dishwasher, set as hot as it will go, and using straight TSP in the soap dish. I've done at least a dozen old single-shot stocks this way. You will be amazed at how clean the wood comes out, and you won't have taken any wood off the way you do by sanding. It does not get waterlogged, but let it dry week anyway, then start with the traditional London oil finish.

Like rondog, I work the oil into the wood with wet-or-dry paper. First coat of oil is cut 50-50 with mineral spirits or better yet turpentine, and is allowed to cure for a solid week. Final coats I do not wipe. Let it cure thick, then come back with more oil and a mop of burlap. This will cut down the hazed surface to a fine warm gloss. After that, once a year rub it down with more oil and your bare hand.

Tru-oil and suchlike products are not magic, just oil blends expensively packaged. Buy boiled linseed at the hardware store.

[uscra112]

Sadly the above does not work with synthetic coatings. I remove those with a furniture scraper. (Study up on furniture scrapers before you dive in. It's a technique that's centuries old. All that elegant antique French Provincial furniture was done this way. They didn't have sandpaper.)

[pietro]

Don't use any more sand paper than is absolutely necessary.

I'd use the chemical strippers, lacquer thinner soaks under rags, etc.

To get the loosened/swollen material out of the tight spaces- after rubbing off the easy stuff with a scotch-bright-

Then reach for the true oil or a similar finish.

+1

I only use sandpaper to smooth out a stock repair.

I found, over the years, that Formby's (Home Cheapo, independent hardware stores, etc) was the best stripper, and E-Z-Peazy as long as the directions on the can are followed.

I use clean/new pads of 0000 steel wool to remove the dissolved old finish, and also to rub the stock down again after the wood dries a bit ( yet amother clean/new steel wool pad), before working in the Tru-Oil.

[Gtek]

As above, chemical strip/#0000 wool and NO sandpaper, unless fitting new butt plate! I can say that over the years just oiling a stripped Marlin stock set will very rarely make you happy in the end. The forearm comes from one place on one tree and the butt stock comes from another where ever, whatever, different density, grain structure, etc.. A medium stain or even darker if it is required to pull into a match, just me but a light and dark wood set does not work for me. After that protect as decided, real oil is nice but can soften and cause crushing of fibers over extended. Truoil is a good choice or the store brand Tung that usually contains polymers that fills and seals pores.

[uscra112]

Linseed oil polymerizes as it cures. That's how it works. Ditto tung oil.

[JoeJames]

Linseed oil polymerizes as it cures. That's how it works. Ditto tung oil.

I agree. Seems like folks these days want an instant finish like everything else, fast food, fast finish. But nothing beats a stock done with boiled linseed oil: put on rubbed in, put on rubbed in, put on rubbed in, put on rubbed in, and put on rubbed in.

[rondog]

400 grit wet/dry sandpaper to apply the BLO won't remove enough wood to even measure. It just creates "wood flour" to help fill in the pores. And linseed oil will darken a reddish color over time, tung oil won't. If you really want a bitchin' finish, get some of this and follow the directions that come with it.

[c0wb0y84]

As above, chemical strip/#0000 wool and NO sandpaper, unless fitting new butt plate.

+1

Sandpaper should only be necessary if you’re intentionally changing the shape or contour. After using a stripper and cleaning the stock well you can remove minor dents, dings and scratches by steaming the clean, stripped stock. If you don’t have a steamer you can wrap it in a damp towel and judiciously go over the towel with a clothes iron. After steaming the stock use #0000 to smooth the wood grain back down before oiling or otherwise finishing the stock.

I also lightly go over the stock with the steel wool between coats of oil. Just be sure to clean well afterwards so the fragmented wool doesn’t become a permanent part of your stock.

[Randy Bohannon]

Acetone is the best stripper of old finish on gun wood it will pull old oil out of wood clean finish out of checkering with a tooth brush. It will leave the finish like brand new before it was finished with its dings and ready to be sealed and final finish dries quickly leaving no residue to interfere with the new finish. I agree no sandpaper .