refinish wood

[brucew44guns]

Can anyone suggest a kit perhaps that would contain what I need to refinish the wood on a couple old 336's I have? Never had time up till now to mess around a little with this work, but would like to spruce up a couple rifles. Don't care about values up or down, but don't want a butcher job either. Havn't looked on line yet, but have seen you guys work on a few good looking refinish jobs. My guns are in fair shape, no big dings or bad areas, just worn real bad. Bought them that way long ago.

[Pete44ru]

I don't use a "kit", nor sandpaper (anymore).

I strip all finish (even in the checkering) with Formby's Furniture Refinisher (WallyWorld) applied with a pad of OOOO steel wool (ditto W-W), as per the can directions.

If I want to stain the wood, so the forend & butt look the same, I mix a little Black Walnut with Red Mahogany(50-50)- both MinWax Stains, and apply it, following the can directions.

After overnight drying, I start applying the oil finish - usually Tu-Oil (W-W,too). There's another way that I apply it, differently than most - but a satisfactory finish is possible by following the Tru-Oil directions, too.

[Dave]

I am in the process of refinishing the wood on my 336. There wasn't much original finish left on it. I used the Minwax equivalent of Formby's Refinsher with steel wool and am going to some back with Tru Oil. No sanding at all. Almost exactly like Pete44ru. I'll put up some pics when I get finished.

[C. Cash]

Pete can you splain your tru-oil process? Thanks. I also do as Pete does with the Formby's. Actually just got done with the process for the 2nd time with my Stevens 311 Double about 10 minutes ago.

[edsguns]

Bruce, There is obviously many ways to redo the finish on a stock. I used to refinish furniture and have used the same basic steps to refinish several stocks as well. Using a commercial finish remover, in a well ventilated area, remove all the finish you can using steel wool and some good old elbow grease. You may want to remove the remaining "goop" with some water (warm) and a plastic bristle brush. Let the stock(s) dry completely. You will need to sand now starting with moderately fine working to very fine sanding paper or pads. At this point you can whisk the stock, wet it a bit with water and place in a warm oven to raise any broken surface fibers of wood...resand to a smooth finish and you're ready to re-finish. I prefer to allow the beauty of the walnut show through and rarely add stain to color a stock. Perhaps using a yellow or orange shellac for the first few base coats will add all the color you'll need. Cut shellac 50/50 with alchohol and paint on with a brush. It dries quickly and you may get 3 coats on in one day. Sand in between and after the last coat of shellac and now you are ready for the topcoat, either verathane or polyurethane in a spray can, I recommend, satin finish. 2 or 3 coats of it, drying 24hrs in between will give you a LONG lasting very durable finish, fully waterproof. I've refinished rifle stocks over 20 yrs ago using this procedure and they today look as good or better than some new finishes on today's rifles.

[oldgerboy]

If your Marlin has the non-walnut hardwood stock, don't be surprised if it all but refuses to take the stain. I've had to revert to shoe polish and/or water based stains to get some color on those woods.

[mescalero1]

edsguns,
sand with what and how vigorusly between coats of shellack

[marlinman93]

I never use kits, and I don't use any heavy sandpaper, but I do sand lightly with 400 grit, or finer.
I also rarely stain, unless I get wood that's way too light when stripped. For stripping I use Kleen Strip found at Home Depot. For finishing I use Wipe-On Poly, which is easy to use since it can be applied with rags, and takes a number of coats. This allows me to determine when it's reached the gloss level I want and stop. Anything from satin, to high gloss can be easily achieved. Additionally, it can be easily touched up, unlike other poly finishes.
For those impossible to stain woods, use chromium trioxide! It's about $5 a bottle from Dixie Gun Works, and I guarantee it will darken any bare wood you put it on. Once applied it can take extremely blonde wood to nearly black, if you let it sit on the wood long enough! I apply it, and wait. When it's as dark as I want, simply wipe the wood with a water dampened cloth, and it will stop darkening!-Vall

[Win94]

I am a fan of hand rubbing tung oil for any refinishing jobs i do.

[brucew44guns]

Thanks for all your input. I'll look for that stuff at Wally World. Bruce

[LeverBar]

Tung oil here too.

Once in a while rub in a coat just to make the wood happy. On my Blackhawk grips also.

[awp101]

Will the strippers mentioned work on whatever Rossi uses on the Puma 1892s?

Mine is REALLY dark and I want to see what's underneath it...

[Pete44ru]

[can you splain your tru-oil process]

OK: I start after the stock has dried overnite, from any stripping and/or staining, etc.

Find or make a draft/dust free box/area/closet/etc, big enough for hanging the oil-wetted stock(s) while they dry overnight again (and again, and again, etc).
I hang mine from a cellar floor joist with a wire coat hanger twisted into an s-hook.

What I do, to finish a stock with Tru-Oil, is basically apply three (3) to five (5) coats of the oil, one at a time, cutting each coat back down to bare wood (barely) after an overnite drying/hardening time between coats.

The trick I've found, in applying the oil, is to use the one-finger method.

I dip the tip of my index finger into the Tru-Oil, wetting my fingertip, shake off any excess, and start by putting a spot of oil about the size of a US Quarter on the wood.
I then rub that single dollop of oil into the wood, rubbing my finger in circles and back/forth - gradually expanding the original small area to an area the size of a dollar bill (no bigger).
I rub that dollar-sized area with my finger until the oil starts to dry from the friction - your skin will start to drag/"squeak".

At that point, I get a new fingertip of oil, and start on an adjacent area of the stock the same way.
Repeat as required, until the entire stock is oiled - and hang it to dry overnite.

NOW, the fun begins.

Using a clean/new pad of that OOOO steel wool for every coat, lightly rub off all the dried oil from the surface of the stock, down to bare wood - but no further.
When done, I use a magnet & a tack rag to clean the steel dust from the stock & it's nooks/crannies (so "stuff" doesn't get in later coats of oil).

Start Tru-Oil coat #2, let dry & cut back, as above.

Do a 3rd coat -but before you cut it back - look at it good.
If the finish is good enough for your tastes, then you're almost done.
If not, then cut it back & do another coat, etc, until the finish is where you want it.

Now for the "almost done" part. Whenever you do stop, the oil's surface is imperfect and a little shiny. Now is the time to decide exactly what you want the finshed product to look like.

If you want a "matte" or satin finish (no sheen), then gently cut down the oil surface, as before, to an even finished appearance. I then apply a good paste wax.

If you want a slight sheen (but not a shiny), then very, very slightly buff the oil surface (OOOO steel wool) to remove any dust pips, etc - and apply paste wax.

BTW - I also apply as much oil as the wood will take, w/o cutting down, in the unseen areas of raw wood - like the inletting, under the buttplate, inside the forend, etc - to help equalize wood moisture, possible warping/rain damage.

I have finished stocks, using this method, that resulted in finishes ranging from dead flat to Weatherby bright - depending upon what was desired.

[C. Cash]

Wow, Thanks Pete for the detailed reply. I might try that with the Stevens. I have it stained(lots of coats because of the blonde wood) and am starting to finish it. Appreciate the info!

[gary rice]

i just bought a stevens 311 h. tell me, how does the reciever come off the buttstock?

Wow, Thanks Pete for the detailed reply. I might try that with the Stevens. I have it stained(lots of coats because of the blonde wood) and am starting to finish it. Appreciate the info!

[C. Cash]

Ha! You've delved into one of the true mysteries my friend. Will PM you in just a few. Chris

[C. Cash]

Whoops sorry Gary...misunderstood. It should be a simple bolt holding it on....the kind that will turn with a flat head screw driver. Take off the butt plate and use a flashlight to look down the hole. Sears will have a screw driver long enough to get through the length of the buttstock to get at it. You'll need a long one. Easiest thing in the world to get off. Oh and the rear trigger gaurd screw comes out too. The forearm/barrel assembly is a different matter entirely. Still scratching my head with this strange system that they have set up though I was able to get the forearm off for refinishing. PM sent about the latter.

[gary rice]

Hi Chris, i sent a message regarding the other. mine must be a little different than yours. thanks for the info on the other.

Whoops sorry Gary...misunderstood. It should be a simple screw holding it on. Take off the butt plate and use a flashlight. Sears will have a screw driver long enough to get through the length of the buttstock to get at it. Mine was a simple screw. Easiest thing in the world to get off. The forearm/barrel assembly is a different matter entirely. Still scratching my head with this strange system that they have set up though I was able to get the forearm off for refinishing. PM sent about the latter.

[Gene Dip]

In the early days of my Win M88, I used a car jack handle with the screw driver type end to remove the slotted screw that held the action to the stock. It worked for several years until I got the long screw driver.

[C. Cash]

In the early days of my Win M88, I used a car jack handle with the screw driver type end to remove the slotted screw that held the action to the stock. It worked for several years until I got the long screw driver.

I thought I was the only person to have done that!!!! Improvise: using the wrong tool for the right job!

[geobru]

In the 70's I made it a personal mission to spruce up the guns that I owned at the time with a Tru-Oil finish. I still remember how proud I was of a 22 that I had put about 3-5 coats of oil on. It shone like a brand new nickel. I showed it to a friend who asked if I had any steel wool. I brought out a pad and he proceeded to buff off all of the shine. At first I was heart sick! He told me to keep doing that after each coat and I would wind up with a nice finish.

I did that for I don't know how many coats. At first, the buffing dulled the shine, but as I put more coats on, the steel wool buffing no longer dulled the shine, but it brought out the depth of grain in the wood. The shine remains on the wood, and the grain looks awesome. I never put any surface coat on top of the tru-oil and those guns look good to this day after many years of hunting use.

One advantage of an oil finish is that you can rub oil over scratches and return the stock to its previous condition without having to completely redo the whole thing.

[Win94]

With me its a toss up. On some rifles i like the shine/sheen and others i buff them out.