Rejuvenating an old stock finish.

[Finster101]

Recently picked up an old Mossberg 146b. The stock is in good shape, but the finish is very dull. Could I rub it down with some 5 00000 steel wool and then apply a coat or two of JPW? I would just like to freshen it up if possible not do a complete refinish.

[country gent]

You may not need the steel wool. Wipe it down with a wood floor cleaner and a soft rag just damp with the cleaner changing areas on the rag often, it ay take several times. then reapply the wax.

You may not need to smooth the surface so much as simply clean it the protect it again. The dullness dirty look is from handling and use the finish may be fine underneath.

[schutzen-jager]

soap + water will clean finish + a few coats of quality paste wax will protect it -

[Uncle Grinch]

I have found that Mr Clean Magic Eraser pads do a very good job of removing surface dirt and residue without damaging the wood. For soap, I use Murphy Oil that is diluted with water.

[jdsingleshot]

Maybe I'm all wet, but I don't want water anywhere near a wood stock.....

[Uncle Grinch]

You don’t soak it in water. Only use enough to transfer the grime to a clean cloth as you scrub it off. I clean a small area then wipe it immediately with a towel or rag to remove the dirty liquid.

Milsurp rifles especially benefit from this type cleaning, which removes grime without harming the original finish.

[porthos]

attn jdsingleshot: before retirement i was a "stocksmith" in a shotgun shop. catering to clay target shooters. in that 20 year period; i refinished appx. 400+- gunstocks. my other task was installing adjustable combs on shotguns and a few rifles. 3500+-. getting back to refinishing. i would use a paint/varnish stripper. then water wash the wood in hot soapy water to remove the sludge. let dry for 1-2 days, then begin the finish process. been retired for 10 years and haven't had any complaints yet. those that refinish gunstocks on a regular basis most likely do the same. wood dries out after getting wet!!

[Rapier]

You really do not want to rub walnut down with steel wool, it can leave steel particles in the pores off the wood. Those particles could rust and leave black pin spots.
Remove the stock then use an un-dyed shop cloth soaked with warm water and Dawn, you can scrub the crud off the exterior of the wood for a light surface cleaning. Dry for 24-48 hours. Then to brighten the stock apply a wood stock oil, allow to dry for about 20 minutes and rub it down with a soft cloth. Gun stock oil dries hard and preserves wood, when applied to a clean wood surface it it can be sanded in to a polished stone like surface or anywhere between that and what you have now.
I use Pro Custom Oil by Brownells, it thins with mineral spirits (I use a 50/50 mix) and dries a bit faster with a couple of drops of Japan Dryer in a pill bottle, when we'll shaken. Just use lint free cloth.

[JDHasty]

Dealing with an old rifle stock that is in good shape I have a routine that has worked well for me.

I use rotten stone and mineral oil and a felt pad after using hot water with a bit of orange degreaser in it on a damp microfiber washcloth to clean it up a bit. I mix up about a gallon of the cleaning solution in a bucket, dunk the rag and wring it out. Gently clean the surface up and set it aside to dry a couple days. Gently rub it down with the rotten stone and mineral oil. Then I follow that up with a couple coats of Ren Wax. Just don’t use a lot of pressure and use a felt pad to polish it up with rotten stone and mineral oil.

[M-Tecs]

I have found that Mr Clean Magic Eraser pads do a very good job of removing surface dirt and residue without damaging the wood. For soap, I use Murphy Oil that is diluted with water.

I will have to give the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads at try. Thanks.

[pietro]

You really do not want to rub walnut down with steel wool, it can leave steel particles in the pores off the wood.

Those particles could rust and leave black pin spots.


FWIW, for the past 40-odd years, I've been using clean/new pads of 0000 steel wool to rub down wood gunstocks, totally avoiding any such issue via running a powerful horseshoe magnet all over the stock after a rub down.


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