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So i came into this Winchester 94 the other day. No doubt its not the original stock. I only want it as a shooter.
Can i salvage this stock after removing the tacks or do i continue my hunt for a new stock set?? I have successfully "steamed" out dents but i am unsure that technique will work here. I have some feelers out for a new stock set currently. However, i have refinished quite a few stocks in my time but nothing like this:
"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyways" - John Wayne -
I'd give steam a try first.
wood was probably not removed.
The wood grains were just separated from the tack being
pushed into the wood.
The steam may swell the compressed grain back into place.
I would go with Cabot wood filler, then sand flush, pre stain , stain then either a satin clear or some rubbed oil finish.
The wood filler will be wood flawlessly with the stain --as it is a wood stain system that is used for furniture and fixtures like wood doors. Will work fine with a gunstock.
casastahle wrote:I'd give steam a try first.
wood was probably not removed.
The wood grains were just separated from the tack being
pushed into the wood.
The steam may swell the compressed grain back into place.
+1. No cost, not too much work, It's worth a shot.
Bob in Friday Harbor
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-Leroy "Satchel" Paige
If it's just a shooter, why not leave it as is? Actually looks pretty nice, IMHO.
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a Vet! COMNAVFORV, Vietnam 68-70
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Of all the tack decorations I have seen, that one is the most subdued.
Try laying on it's side trickle hot water into the hole with an eye dropper, see if the water will swell the celluose and how much so.
Remove tacks and steam using a boiled cloth that is wrung out then laid over holes. Be prepared to sand and refinish after. Steam it first to prevent sawdust or debris from getting in holes.
"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance." Declaration of Independance, July 4, 1776 11B30
I actually like the look of the crescent butt & especially the patina that age has bestowed upon it.
If it were my stock, I'd drill a few small holes under the buttplate to obtain some sawdust from the stock, and mix it in with some Elmer's waterproof glue to pack into each hole with a toothpick after the tack(s) were removed.
If done carefully, it's most likely the stocks wouldn't need to be refinished.
I have always used Brownells Accra-Glas or Accra-Gel for such things. It comes with die that can be blended to match the wood. Strip the old finish (do not sand), steam, fill (and make flush) and then refinish.
As noted above, I'd steam them out first. The holes were not drilled, the tack just pressed the fibers aside. It won't get it all the way back to normal, but it will reduce the magnitude of the problem.
If you then re-finish with Tru-oil, tung oil etc, you can basically wet sand the stock over the remaining but now smaller diameter holes with the oil finish. That will mix the sawdust you generate in the light sanding with the wet/tacky oil and fill the grain and the holes in the wood. The advantage of this over a toothpick, or a walnut plug or sliver, or Accraglass to fill any remaining hole is that the grain orientation (or lack of any grain at all) won't be an issue (as is the case with any kind of plug or with Accraglass) and it will finish the same color as the rest of the wood and be a lot less noticeable. Getting a perfect match is Accraglass is very hard, and you need different colors depending on the grain of the wood and were the hole occurs.
If you are handy with a fine line pen, and the stock has some dark streaks in it, you can add ink as needed to match the dark streak in the grain that should have passed though the now repaired hole. That will also make the repair look much less obvious.
Here's something way outside the box...remove tacks, and sink some small, 1/4' ebony dowel....sand flush...refinish...You'd have the nice design, without the "tacky" look....
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Do what Pete says, leaving it a little high..............let it dry for a day.........get some masking tape and punch tiny little holes in it and position the holes in the tape over the patched holes.........very carefully sand..........get some matching stain to match the rest of the stock.............stain and re-oil the wood.--------------6
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It looks okay as is. I used to fool around with cedar canvas canoes that have this problem to deal with. One technique that might be ok if it appeals to your eye is to drive in small brass or bronze nails or pins. This way a little decorative dot remains.
One thing, I built a cedar strip canoe and actually filled all the staple holes with toothpicks. It was tedious but worked fine. Be aware though that the wood picks are end grain as opposed to the stocks long grain. They will darken a lot when finished. A light toned wood might end up closer to the stock colour than end grain walnut will.
If it was me I would consider flat headed bronze boat nails to tone down the impact of the tacks and match that butt plate. I really treasure my guns that are shooters as we call them. Theyare by far the most fun to own because we shoot them a lot.
casastahle wrote:I'd give steam a try first.
wood was probably not removed.
The wood grains were just separated from the tack being
pushed into the wood.
The steam may swell the compressed grain back into place.
+1
I would try steam first then, Birchwood Casey's walnut tone wood filler.
It does a beautiful job on walnut.
If you want to try making your own wood putty, use hide glue instead of PVA glue, it blends in better under the oil. Gunstocks were not often stained from the factory before WWII, as far as I can tell.
If it were mine, I would probably refinish the stock after trying the steam. Lately I've been using pumice and oil to fill pores, makes a nice finish, though maybe would look a bit too high end for the average 94. Any of those holes left after steaming would pretty much disappear though.
