How to add finish on a bare stock
Any advice on how to add the finish and clear coat on a new stock for a rifle? Are there kits that must be purchased, or is it done just like a piece of wooden furniture?
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Pretty much how you would do wood furniture.. Some stock wood looks better if you don't try to stain it and just apply the finish over the bare wood to build it up level... 0 -
Hi, I have had some experience refinishing several stocks. I am no expert, but here is what I have done in the past. First of all, strip the old stock of all old finish using stripper, not sand paper. Lightly sand off the wood being careful not to sand any checkering or carvings. I would then stain if you wanted the wood to be a different color. Stain with 2 coats, allowing 12-24 hours in between coats. Flood the wood with the stain and let it soak up the stain before wiping off. After this has dried 12-24 hours, I would spray on a finish coat being careful not to put it on to heavy causing runs etc. I have used a Spray oil finish from Brownells (Hunter Satin Custom Oil Gunstock Finish in a 14 oz spray can) and Minwax, satin Fast Drying Polyurethane. I think they want you to scuff up the finish a little in between coats. After scuffing up with 4 ott steel wool, I would blow off the stock or vacuum off. Then wipe off with a tack cloth to get all particles off. If you have graining holes after 2-3 coats, get some of the finish on you hands and quickly hand rub the stock all over (except the checkering which you have taped off hopefully) filling the holes. This is a messy job. You will have to lightly sand the stock to get rid of highs and lows after this application, and you might have to hand rub more than once to fill the holes. After you get the holes filled, put on about 4-6 more coats and that should be enough. Luck 0 -
I also prefer the natural wood color, in large part because when you scrape or ding the wood, fixing the damage to match is easy. IF you use stain, repairs will be much more difficult to be made to look 'as new'. (The PREP WORK and COAT SANDING are like the info bigboy posted...good info, the type product is just different.
This process is like the old " hand rubbed oil finish" It takes time, and rubbing, but you get a great reward. ( I rub bare handed/fingers,etc. but is isn't a recommended health practice.)
I'll mention steel wool for fine-sanding the finish. There are some people who do not use it, with their reasons. You can use anything else that is 0000 wool fine, like brass wool, synthetic wools, etc. Just get all the 'hairs' off after you use it with a tack rag before the next coat.
I sand the stock , working down to super smooth using 0000 or finer paper. Use a sanding block of some kind, soft or hard depending on the surface. Using your hands can leave 'finger rows' in many cases. Also, if you skimp on sanding, it will show.
When the wood is super smooth with no fingerprints, I apply a thinned coat of Watco sealer/finish (inside and out). The product takes to the wood quickly soaking in, and it will dry/harded within the wood. I use a very light thinned coat here to raise the 'hairs' in the wood surface. After that coat dries ,lightly sand off the 'hairs'. Some folks use 0000 steel wool, others use something else.
The next coat is a thin coat of pure Watco Oil, rubbed in well. DON'T leave a thick coat on. Let it dry/harden well (maybe overnite), then lightly superfine sand with steel wool , re-apply Watco, let it harden, sand , Watco...wool, Watco....wool, Watco... you get the picture. Eventually you will have a deep, smooth, very rich, very sealed woodwork finish. Top everything off with a couple of coats of high carnuaba wax (old yellow Johnsons paste is good). You will have a deep semi-gloss finish. Not super "pimp" shiney...just a deep shine.
ANY scrapes or damage can be sanded smooth, and do the watco/wool process until you get the finish back to what you had before the scrape.
I did not mention spray or brush poly finishes, just because I don't use them very much. Some people like them and they work very well. If you choose that exterior finish, use some type of oil finish on the 'inside' wood to seal it. The extreme of poly finishes is the super high gloss heavy finish on some higher-end pieces. They have their looks, but when you ding or scrape it, just seal it and leave it alone, If you try to fix it, it just gets worse.
ENJOY !!
Also, if you happen to want to re-finish a mil-surp stock, or one that had been painted, or crappy finished......Take it to a commercial furniture stripper and ask him to put it in the vat with his next batch. It will come out NAKED, and for just a few bucks. Ready to sand.0 -
Ironwood designs which makes bare wood stocks has a nice write up on how to stain and finish.
http://www.ironwooddesigns.com/1howto.html
Also Surplus rifle on refinishing old military rifles.
http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/stockfinish/index.asp0 -
Try this one:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=240961&highlight=stock+refinishing
Worked great on the walnut stock I've had since I was 10-I'm now 48. It was beat up. Looks better than new.
Pete0 -
excellent finish[url][/url] 0 -
if all your rifles were "Black" there wood (sic) be no need to refinish them [;)] [;)] 0 -
I've used every type of wood finish available, and I've narrowed it down to just one that works on every stock I've done, regardless of what finish was originally on it. It also works if you don't quite get all the old finish off, and wont stay tacky like some finishes will when they react to the old finish.
The finish I use exclusively is Minn Wax Wipe-On Poly. It's applied simply with a rag or soft cloth, then the excess wiped off. Sand after each coat dries, and after 3-4 coats the finish will be as good as any hand rubbed oil finish you've ever seen, and easily touched up, unlike some other polyurethane finishes that chip or can't be repaired.
Here's a stock I am just finishing up for my Rolling Block, with only 3 coats of WOP.
It comes in either gloss or satin, but I only use the satin personally.-Vall0
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