I have read the acetone bath thread, but that got me thinking...what next? I would like to refinish the stocks on my gun, mainly to show the figure better, but what after getting all the old finish off? I have heard that you can use a wet washcloth and an iron to raise dents, but what about scratches? will they mostly come out in the wash, so to speak? Whats the best way to re-cut checkering? What kind of finish do you use?
I refinished (butchered) a Stevens 311A (its now my "Coach Gun"), but I learned very little about stock refinishing. I know that 10 or 12 coats of Frombys tung oil will give a very nice finish, but its really light....
Is there an all inclusive stock refinishing thread that I've just missed? The search engine on here leaves alittle to be desired...
Dents can sometimes be raised if the wood fibers are not broken. Scratches(that are in the wood, not just the finish) would need to be filled or sanded out. The search feature leaves a LOT to be desired. The nutty limit on one search.
Put the sandpaper down...right now!
Don't use terry cloth to raise dents. Use a cotton t-shirt folded over several times to get a uniform application of steam into the wood fibers. I wouldn't use Formby's on a stock that's been stripped and cleaned up. You can add some color with Watco Danish Oil (various tones available) or with a hardware store product called Restore-A-Finish that works well on old stocks that are still in good shape but need a little TLC. If you have a shellac finish on the old stock, you can remalgamate it with a gauze and cotton pad dipped in denatured alcohol, then pad on some additional finish as a mix of alcohol, shellac and boiled linseed oil. This leaves some of the old patina. Look for articles on french polishing for the detailed how-to.
To be truthful I like the dings and scratches on that NID. And it's hard to get that warm glow of old finish in a refinished stock.
Pfrommer did excellent work but it doesn't look like an 80 year old gunstock. We all have our own ideas, mine would have been to raise the dents and touch up the scratches. But it's an excellent job and I'm glad you're pleased with it.
To bad about that NID losing it's nice red color!
Rob has invited one of the small heresies from the Wonko "nuke it" school of gunwood refinishing to enter, so I'll take up the invitation at my own peril. Perhaps because of my supreme laziness, I shoot for retention, amalgamation, smoothness, and whatever degree of reflective sheen is available from the existing finish. I think a lot of us here are buying/shooting "vintage" (not made yesterday) guns which retain 80-90% of finish metal and wood. Aren't really clunkers and the chemical scrub approach only removes what originality they do have. Currently my spruce-up kit for wood is composed of nothing more than Diggory Hadoke's "slacum" formula with double the proportion of carnauba, rotten stone on a felt rubber, and Simichrome motorcyle polish. I just finished with a 1947 (about an hour of work on two successsive nights) skeet grade model 12 which had some of that wristwatch and vest buckle squiggle burnishing on the large faces of the stock. I'll be darned if I think I have the patience, time, discipline, and knowledge to strip it, steam the dents, and refinish to that characteristic Winchester red. I don't present this as standing in the way of those who do, but as a caution to those asking for the first time for "the" technique, "the" finishing schedule, "the" approved method. As does Rob, I like the color saturation and the "character" blemishes of the "before" NID stock. I also admire the faultless surface and enhanced wood figure of the pro-produced "after".
Please, if you must use abrasive refinishing, back up your paper with a block to keep the surface fair and true, mask the receiver (or better) don't sand areas of the wrist and head at trigger guard and tang mortise or at the abuttment with receiver, stay away from presentable checkering, don't remove the buttplate or pad to ensure at least the best pad or plate fit you will ever get, and don't start with a grit more aggressive than 150-220. Most of the wood of a decent gunstock is already truer and smoother under that old finish than can be improved on by a time-intensive process of destruction and recreation. If I want a river biscuit or driftwood, there's a convenient little stream not far from my house.
jack
This thread raises the question of how many of us acknowledge belonging to the conservationist/originalist school of gun maintenance and how many of us don't but maybe should.
jack
I didn't believe it would turn out so well. As a first stock refinish performed for me it was amazing to see what can be done. Best of luck in your pursuit of a fine finishing and I hope you get learned recipes.
