Gun stock Refinishing?

Patrick Howley

Patrick Howley

Member
Hello Everyone, I was Thinking about refinishing the stock on an old shotgun that I have and was wondering if anyone could recomend a varnish remover that would be best for the job. I have been reading up on this for a while and feel it should be a fairly easy job but Im just not sure of the remover I should use.
Thanks,
Pat
 
Depends,
If the gun has collector value you might want to contact a professional. If you must try it yourself, stay away from methaline chloride strippers as they are dangerous to use and will dry out the wood.
JMO,
Harry
 
Stripping . . . easy . . . you could use just about anything, as long as you’re not getting into “dipping” (more of an industrial application and VERY bad for the wood). Anything you buy / use won’t be on the wood long enough to cause any real harm.

The greater challenge is going to be getting the build up of finish you are seeking (to replicate I assume) and the sanding and polishing in between that you will need to do to get to that end.

Just remember in the end it’s a “50 year solution” so take your time and don’t get discouraged if you put on xxx thousands of finish only to sand off all but a few thousands of smooth “leave behind”.

As for “what” to use – I’m a big fan of Spar Varnish for its outdoor durability, but as the gun should never really be in “that” kind of environment it might be a bit of over kill, but as I say it’s my favorite and the 400 grit wet sanding in between leaves a great looking buff finish and is easy to see where you need more pressure and where you’re having success.

Joe

PS – new to the forum, but not new to woodworking . . . . Hope this helps
 
hi patrick,

as was mentioned, just first be sure to ascertain the value of your gun prior to doing any work. i just finished a complete refinish of an older winchester .22 and opted to finish the wood with Butcher's wax. I did this because the wood grain was particularly pleasing and I like the au natural look. The final result is a kind of hunting lodge meets Ikea thing. The process was simple. step 1: strip the finish using....ugh- whatever was on the shelf. Zip Strip, maybe? Next, sand lightly (to preserve the dings and scars, the marks of experience) and apply a generous wax layer. Allow time to penetrate, buff excess. Then i used a simple hairdryer to warm the stock further and allow the first coat to completely get in the grain, buffed again (with a wheel- just because one was handy), allowed for a complete cooling and repeated.

The result was very pleasing to the eye. Granted, I have no idea how this finish will stand the test of time- but "repairs" are very simple.
 
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What kind of wood is it? Is it natural or stained? What kind of gun is this?
I'm assuming it's quality wood and natural, not stained, here.

I'd strip it by sanding and you're on your own for cleaning out checkering. If there's any staining form oil, etc., search the internet for how to lift or minimize them. Most methods involve heat form an iron, etc.

To refinish, I've had great success with tru-oil. Really thin the first couple fo coats, per their directions to help it fill pores, then put on a couple of coats straight. It'll be very glossy, but you can lightly steel wool it to dull, if you want a matte finish.
Best thing is upkeep. If you scratch the finish, just wet a rag with Tru-oil and rub out the scratch. It'll completely disappear.

Best of luck.
 
just a reminder, after you use any stripper, you will need to apply a White Gas (get it at any camping store, REI etc...). The White Gas will kill the stripper. This needs to be done prior to applying any finish on the wood.
 
I have refinishd old gun stock and use scrapers to take off old finish and if soaked with oil I use oven cleaner and then bleach wash with water do this several time till you get all the blacken oil out. if checkering is goog tape over it and sand with up to 600 grit paper use alcohol then sand again. for finih I use beeswax, linseedoil,turp, japan drier and alcanet root. alcannet root has to be soaked in linseed oil for a week then strained. for frist applacation heat mixture. appley dab and rub into sock every day for a couple of week.
Look up alcanet root on internet if you like darker stock add stain. Bill
 
If the old finish is still clinging tightly to the stock, I'd cut the top coat down with sandpaper, backed with a sanding block. The old finish will act as a filler, so you don't have to refill the open pores. Be sure to wisker your stock before refinishing.
 
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