Help from our wood working experts

[JohnB]

OK, so I picked up a new Remington 11-87 Sportsman Field for my recent dove hunting adventure and I really like it BUT...the wood is not the prettiest...truthfully it sucks.

The checkering is nice and the walnut is decent, but the finish leaves much to be desired. It looks like the wood was stained but not finished. The forearm seems to take Pledge and get a decent gloss but the stock is like a sponge. The finish is flat and it will not shine up at all.

I am a fan of nice wood on my guns, and this just isn't doing it for me...what can I do to make this wood more "presentable"? Do I need to stain it?

Remington 11-87 small.jpg

[Chuck 100 yd]

I know what you are talking about on that one friend. They look dry ,like there was just not enough finish applied in the first place.
If you have used Pledge (wax) on it, I doubt if any more finish would want to penetrate the surface now without gumming up and making a real mess out of it.
I think it will need to be stripped and started all over from scratch. Possibly re stained as well.
Good luck.

[Pete44ru]

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+1 - Be sure to use ONLY a chemical stripper that works on epoxy. (no sanding should be necessary).

AFAIK, that finish is the "satin" version of Remington's gloss RKW epoxy finish - which is a bear to remove any other way.

As an alternative to stripping/etc - the wood can simply be sprayed with a polyutherane gloss, after the "Pledge", etc, is cleaned off with denatured alcohol & dried, to obtain the gloss you desire.

If the poly overcoat doesn't turn out as desired, then it's back to the strip & finish job.


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[JohnB]

OK. Thank you for the information.

So, I should use a chemical stripper (which one?) to prepare the wood and then apply 2-3 coats of clear polyurethane to achieve the desired results, agreed?

I looked at the Minwax website and I will research other wood finishing products.

If you have suggestions for prep or application, please let me know.

JB

[7.62 Precision]

So what is the finish exactly?

There are some stains that will penetrate some finishes and can be applied over an existing finish BUT you have to know what this finish is and if it would work.

If it is a finish like a polyurethane or epoxy type, it will likely be pretty resistant to anything short of a strip and refinish. If it was applied too light and it is soaking up the pledge, then it might take a stain, or it might take it all blotchy, I don't know.

[7.62 Precision]

If you are going to do a full refinish, and want a varnish-type look, you might think about using Deft Lacquer. It is not as tough as a polyurethane finish, but is easy to apply, works with stains nicely, and can more easily be touched up. Polyurethanes are tougher, but dings and scratches often look very white, and it is harder to touch up with good results. For really hard use, where you know it is going to stay pretty beat up anyway, Poly finish will be more durable. For keeping it looking nice, the Deft Lacquer is easier and looks good.

I prefer an oil finish over anything else for hard use, since any surface finish allows water to soak in once it is damaged. Oils block the water and keep the wood stable.

Lowes sells Deft products - you can get Deft sanding sealer in a pint or quart can, and matte, semi-gloss and gloss Lacqer in cans (brushable) or in spray cans with a really nice spray nozzle.

[FatJackDurham]

Maybe Sixgun will chime in here, he has a kitchen chemicals way to do it with oven cleaner. I used a comercial finish remover that was called "Finish Remover" oddly enough. I am about to try Stripease on a couple of stocks as well.

Keep us posted.

[FatJackDurham]

Also, check this out:

http://sparetimeactivities.net/StockStain.htm

[Pete44ru]

So, I should use a chemical stripper (which one?) to prepare the wood and then apply 2-3 coats of clear polyurethane to achieve the desired results, agreed?

Nope.

If you want to poly-overcoat the stock(s), they don't need to be stripped - only cleaned of all the wax/Pledge/etc (that you can't readily see) on top of the old finish, since they will effect the poly if not removed.

The stocks would only need to be stripped (I use CitriStrip) if a complete staining & refinishing is desired.



.

[7.62 Precision]

Maybe Sixgun will chime in here, he has a kitchen chemicals way to do it with oven cleaner. I used a comercial finish remover that was called "Finish Remover" oddly enough. I am about to try Stripease on a couple of stocks as well.

Keep us posted.

Apart from what the OP decides to do, I would like to know about this. I have seen people show (with photos) that oven cleaner give the wood a green tint. I have seen other photos that show really good results, but no one mentioned specific products or techniques.

[FatJackDurham]

I'll look back through my posts. He described it for me in one.

[FatJackDurham]

Next time you get a stock with lots of dents and all greased up, spray it down with oven cleaner and let it sit overnight, spraying it down every now and then. You would be amazed how many dents disappear. The next day, wash off the oven cleaner with hot water with a brush or steel wool and while the wood is still hot and wet, then steam out what dents are left. Get some steel wool, soak it in pure bleach and give it hell. Rinse with water and let that sit a half day or so or blow out the water with compressed air. That wood will look like it just came off the stock making machine. ------------Sixgun

It was in my Project Lemonton: Buttstock Post.

I will probably have to do this since Stripease aint getting it done for me right now....

[mark08]

Shellac is the universal finisher. It will adhere to any other finish and any other finish will adhere to it. Don't know what a finish is then clean and remove all oils, dirt, wax etc, with alcohol, mineral spirits( paint thinner), acetone, lacquer thinner etc. If you are going to put on a spit coat of shellac then use alcohol to clean since it is the solvent for shellac. There are two kinds of shellac, clear and orange, The orange will add some brownish orange color to the final finish which will bring out any pink color in walnut wood. That's good..
A can of shellac at the hardware stove is normally a 3 pound cut of shellac(3# shellac flakes dissolved in one gal of alcohol). A spit coat is a 1/2 pound to a 1 1/2 pond cut. Just enough of a coat to bond whatever to whatever. Shellac dries as fast as alcohol. DO NOT USE SHELLAC FOR THE FINAL COAT. it ain't water friendly. White rings where it gets wet.

I would scrub it down with alcohol , use OOO 0r OOOO steel wool to abrade whatever is on there. Put on one or two spit coats (1/2 # cut) of shellac (also seals the wood) steel wool again after each coat. Then spray poly at the luster ( gloss semi-gloss, satin or flat) you want. Three to five coats of poly sprayed and sanded or steel wooled between each coat should have you in business.

Shellac is almost a trade secret today. It was the only finish for a few hundred years but forgotten today except by wood finishers. "French polished" was the very best one could get. That is shellac mixed with tons of elbow grease.


You will have no trouble with this procedure.

[geobru]

I had some kitchen cabinets that were really dulled out and dry. I put on Watco Danish oil stain and it livened that wood up immediately. You will know in about 30 seconds if it is going to work. I haven't seen it fail myself. I wouldn't use any of the poly finishes on a gun because it is hard to repair scratches. A good oil finish is easily repaired by adding more oil.

[JohnB]

So, I did a bit more research last night, I think I go with the following plan -

1. Clean with the denatured alcohol.
2. Clean with 000 steel wool and clean up with tack cloth.
3. Apply Tung Oil (2-3 coats depending on sheen)

According to Minwax, the Tung Oil can be used with or with out a stain/finish on the wood. Each application adds more sheen, so 2-3 seems to be about right.

Does anyone see any issues with this plan? Anything I should be aware of?

[FatJackDurham]

So, I did a bit more research last night, I think I go with the following plan -

1. Clean with the denatured alcohol.
2. Clean with 000 steel wool and clean up with tack cloth.
3. Apply Tung Oil (2-3 coats depending on sheen)

According to Minwax, the Tung Oil can be used with or with out a stain/finish on the wood. Each application adds more sheen, so 2-3 seems to be about right.

Does anyone see any issues with this plan? Anything I should be aware of?

Tung Oil is great stuff, but when I used it, it lifted the stain a little. It doesnt add any color like a Linseed Oil does. Also, Tung comes in both Satin (duller) and gloss. I used Satin and thought I was doing it wrong till I scrubbed it with Steel wool. Then I was amazed at how nice the finish was. Its like worn wood. The gloss probably is shinier.

Anyway, if you want color, you'll probably need to stain a little. What kind of walnut is it?

[7.62 Precision]

Tung is good. Different brands are different. It can be ordered from various makers, but if you want something you can easily find locally, I have had good luck with Formby's as it might not have as much drying agents in it as some other brands.

I have never put it over another finish, and I'm not sure how well it will work. I expect that it will kind of leave a tacky residue on top of a surface finish. Generally with oil you are trying to get it to sink as deeply into the wood as possible. So what you are asking about is outside of anything I have tried before, so you have scratched through the surface layer of my knowledge and exposed the depths of my ignorance.

Maybe someone else has done this type of thing before?