Refinishing Mil-surps. Can you help me?

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

Well, as most of you know, I am the proud owner of a MN44 and a K-31.

And both of these have seen better days. I need to know quote a few things.

1.) How should I strip the stocks from their previous oils/stains/finishes/what-have-you?

2.) Will I be able to find an exact to a near exact finish in todays' market?
(Will post pictures to make stain color idetification easier.)

3.) What is the best method to removing dents? I know there's steaming out the dents with a damp rag and an iron, but I'm unsure about how to go about with it.

4.) What should I do with the recievers/barrels/all parts while the stocks are getting refinished, and how do I take of the metal pieces along the stocks?
(The springs that hold the barrel bands in place on both mosin and the K31, and this part that is on the top-piece of both rifles.)




5.) And how many coats should I put on?

Here's the K-31. I chose the best pictures that's showing the dents.



And here's what the K-31's stain looks like, can you match it?


Here's the MN44, which generally needs a refinishing. It's shellac is starting to rub off, so I wanna refinish now instead of later. The original color is the darker areas. It's almost like a cherry finish. Can you match it?


I thank all of you in advance, and both these rifles need it.

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

seriously? No suggestions or tips? I would've thought a few of you would have an idea.

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

Well I think it's about time to find another forum then...

[Darren007]

Well, as most of you know, I am the proud owner of a MN44 and a K-31.

And both of these have seen better days. I need to know quote a few things.

1.) How should I strip the stocks from their previous oils/stains/finishes/what-have-you?

2.) Will I be able to find an exact to a near exact finish in todays' market?
(Will post pictures to make stain color idetification easier.)

3.) What is the best method to removing dents? I know there's steaming out the dents with a damp rag and an iron, but I'm unsure about how to go about with it.

4.) What should I do with the recievers/barrels/all parts while the stocks are getting refinished, and how do I take of the metal pieces along the stocks?
(The springs that hold the barrel bands in place on both mosin and the K31, and this part that is on the top-piece of both rifles.)

1. You should be able to find paint and stain stripper at any home do it yourself store. If you really want to go all out, you can just sand the stock down. This would also take care of some of the really minor dents.

2. Maybe...maybe not. The best thing to do would be take the handguard with you (before stripping it) and check out the various colors of stain. Word to the wise though, if your going to strip it of its originality you may as well go ahead and use any color stain that tickles your fancy. If you do a good job itll come out looking great (though not original) regardless.

3. You can sand them out (not recommended except really minor ones). For the larger ones the wet towel and an iron works wonders. Just get a wash cloth get it wet wring it out and lay it over the dent. Take the hot iron and press directly on to the wet cloth layed on the dent. Its a process that takes some trial and error and reapeating but the small dings should come out completley. As for the really large and serious dents, dings, and gouges, your just gonna have to live with them.

4. Im not sure exactly what you mean by "what should I do with them"?? If you mean refinish wise....you can cold blue (but I wouldnt recommend that either as it never comes out looking all that great) Or you can just take it and have it professionaly hot blued. Again itll look great, but not original.

Im not sure about removing the band springs as I have never bothered too. Nor the piece attached to the K31 handguard. Your on your own there.

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

Okay thanks. I'm not re-bluing the barrels on either. the mosin is 99% bluing and the K-31 is around 94%. Since I don't plan on ever selling these, I just want to fix them up and make them look nice. Or I could just fork out the cash and have duplicate stocks made. who knows. Question #4 is how should I store the removed parts. Should I soak them in some sort of oil or???

[DoctorXring]

Here are some K31's that I have refinished. I strip them with paint
stripper, sand them with an orbital sander (deftly), hand sand them
with a block with 220 and 320. Then I finish them with flake shellac
that has been dissolved in denatured alcohol at a 1 pound cut. I pad
it on with a 4 inch square of t-shirt that has been folded up, dipped
in the shellac and quickly applied. Let try for 30 minutes between
applications for 4 or 5 applications. Let dry over night. Then apply
a couple of more coats with 45 minute wait between coats. Keep
this up until it looks "right". Then let it cure for 2 weeks, then put
your rifle back together.

One good thing about shellac is that if you goof it up, it's easy to strip
it off with a denatured alcohol soaked rag. Good wood preparation is
the key to a good refinish job.

dxr

[Darren007]

Question #4 is how should I store the removed parts. Should I soak them in some sort of oil or???

Nothing special there. Just wipe all the metal parts with an oily rag and they shoud be fine.

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

Okay thank you for the suggestions. Another Question. Howdo I take off the springs on the fore-end holding the bands together on both rifles, and the metal piece indicated by the red'd out pic?

[jsmaye]

I can't tell you what is the "best" way to re-finish your Mosin, but I can tell what I did with very good results. I disassembled everything that I figured I could re-assemble, which meant leaving the metal pieces on the upper wood barrel cover. I then stripped the old finish off with Formby's remover/re-finisher - not the high-strength paint stripper. I washed everything in mineral spirits and began to sand the wood with increasing grits until it was smooth. My 91/30 had no dents large enough to try to steam out, so everything looked good after only sanding. The wood had no grain to speak of, so I chose the Minwax maple stain and applied 8 coats, let it dry for 48 hours, and then applied 6 coats of Minwax Spray Satin Polyurethane. After a couple of days I buffed the finish with 0000 steel wool which gave it a furniture-quality finish. On the afore-mentioned upper barrel cover, I finished it the same way but masked the metal pieces.

For the metal parts I painted the parts that would not get much wear (barrel bands, retaining springs, butt plate <- I have a recoil pad - metal pieces on the barrel cover) with a high-temperature semi-gloss spray paint. Either bbq grill or engine block paint will do. I re-blued everything else with Birchwell Casey's Super Blue, using several application to get the color deep enough to match the ugly arsenal patch job.

Check out theboxoftruth.com for more info - that's where I learned how easy it is

[Swampghost]

Lots of good info. I'll add that when working with varnish you want to use gloss for all but the final coat. The flattening agent used in semi-gloss, satin, flat, etc. is commonly zinc oxide and a buildup of coats can become hazy or milky.

Here's another idea. I 'marinized' this old Krag, most of the metal was Tefloned and the stock was done in marine varnish inside and out (only two coats inside). It shrugs off rain and salt air.

[carguychris]

...and how do I take of the metal pieces along the stocks?
(The springs that hold the barrel bands in place on both mosin and the K31, and this part that is on the top-piece of both rifles.)

When you say "this part that is on the top-piece of both rifles", I think you mean the handguard... no?

The barrel band retaining springs on a Mosin-Nagant have an integral pin underneath them that is pushed into a hole drilled straight through the stock. If you look on the other side of the stock, you should see 2 little holes which may be filled with shellac; these are the holes for the retaining pins.

My removal method: Find a small nail that is slightly smaller in diameter than the retaining pin hole, cut off the pointed end, and file the end so it's slightly rounded rather than jagged. Insert the nail into the retaining pin hole and gently(!) work it into the existing hole with your fingers until it bumps against the end of the pin. Then use a small block of wood to push on the head of the nail and push out the pin. Once the pin has been pushed out by 1/8" or so, you can grasp the retaining pin end of the spring with your fingers and remove it by rotating it and gently(!) pulling it upwards.

DO NOT pry up under the spring with an instrument such as a screwdriver. You will snap off the retaining pin and ruin the retaining spring. (I learned this the hard way.) Never put any kind of leverage on the pin. The springs seem to be made out of fairly brittle steel that breaks easily. Push or pull on the pin, but do NOT attempt to bend it.

DO NOT hit the nail with a hammer at any point in the process. The nail may jump off the retaining pin and damage the wood. The trick is to apply gentle pressure so you can feel when the nail is starting to slip off the end of the pin.

I have never attempted to disassemble a K31, so I can't help you there.

[jsmaye]

DO NOT pry up under the spring with an instrument such as a screwdriver. You will snap off the retaining pin and ruin the retaining spring. (I learned this the hard way.)

Nor twist in any way. I too learned this the hard way. The best way is to back it out with a punch.

[SP Shop Foreman]

http://www.arizonaresponsesystems.com/
Click on "Notes" and then on Stock Restoration. None better for militaria.

Allen
SP

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

Thanks again for the help. The metal piece on the top piece, and the retaining springs is what I wanted to know how to remove. They are indicated by the first pic.