Preserving/Maybe enhancing 870 EXP stock

mrschmitt · August 27, 2002, 05:37 PM

I was curiuos if there is something simple that I could be doing to help preserve the wood stock of my 870 Express? Is there anything simple that you people have done to enhance the look of your stock without replacing it?
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated,
Matt

9mmMike · August 27, 2002, 09:25 PM

I could not find any way to make those crappy Express stocks look good. I wound up buying some rough police stocks and refinishing them. They were cheap and the work was fun and not too hard. I know that's not what you're looking for but it was the only solution that I could find.
Good luck,
Mike

HSMITH · August 27, 2002, 11:12 PM

You can take a micro-torch and burn them in a tigerstripe pattern after sanded, it will look somewhat like birch when done well. Take a raw pine board and practice a little. Even sand and stain the board to see what you can get. With a little practice it actually looks pretty nice. You can also take some glass bead (shafting beads for re-shafting golf clubs work well) and put it in your poly in the grip and forearm to aid in grip when wet. Have fun with it and see where it takes you.

RHarris · August 28, 2002, 01:08 AM

You can try rubbing some linseed oil directly on top of the original finish if it is still in decent shape. It will add a little luster to it and certainly aid preservation. It might darken the finish slightly. It can be done periodicly, only takes a few minutes, and is cheap. Just don't apply it to the checkering or it might gum up in those tiny spots. Try this before doing something more aggressive.

Dave McC · August 28, 2002, 04:31 AM

Even a "Tool challenged" type like me can refinish a utility grade stock and have it look good.

However, why not just try some Lemon Pledge or similar furniture polish for now? Even some Tru Oil or linseed oil oughta add a bit of gloss. Low cost, low risk...

JohnPL · August 28, 2002, 06:11 AM

I used Strip-Eez to get rid of what was left of the original finish and used Minwax stain (Special Walnut) as the wood was fairly light in color, and then put on 5 coats of Tru-oil. My express stock has an "interesting" grain pattern, somewhat swirled and mottled, and it came out pretty good. Also, check e-bay for used Wingmaster stocks. They are relatively cheap.

August 27, 2002, 05:37 PM	#1
mrschmitt Member Join Date: July 26, 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 18	Preserving/Maybe enhancing 870 EXP stock I was curiuos if there is something simple that I could be doing to help preserve the wood stock of my 870 Express? Is there anything simple that you people have done to enhance the look of your stock without replacing it? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, Matt

August 27, 2002, 09:25 PM	#2
9mmMike Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2000 Location: SE PA Posts: 1,049	I could not find any way to make those crappy Express stocks look good. I wound up buying some rough police stocks and refinishing them. They were cheap and the work was fun and not too hard. I know that's not what you're looking for but it was the only solution that I could find. Good luck, Mike __________________ "Freedom is not free" Visit TheRallyPoint.org TheRallyPoint at LRGC- Saturday August 26th IF YOU LIVE IN PA AND DID NOT VOTE, YOU DESERVE TO LOSE YOUR GUNS!

August 27, 2002, 11:12 PM	#3
HSMITH Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2002 Posts: 2,019	You can take a micro-torch and burn them in a tigerstripe pattern after sanded, it will look somewhat like birch when done well. Take a raw pine board and practice a little. Even sand and stain the board to see what you can get. With a little practice it actually looks pretty nice. You can also take some glass bead (shafting beads for re-shafting golf clubs work well) and put it in your poly in the grip and forearm to aid in grip when wet. Have fun with it and see where it takes you.

August 28, 2002, 01:08 AM	#4
RHarris Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2000 Posts: 416	You can try rubbing some linseed oil directly on top of the original finish if it is still in decent shape. It will add a little luster to it and certainly aid preservation. It might darken the finish slightly. It can be done periodicly, only takes a few minutes, and is cheap. Just don't apply it to the checkering or it might gum up in those tiny spots. Try this before doing something more aggressive.

August 28, 2002, 04:31 AM	#5
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Even a "Tool challenged" type like me can refinish a utility grade stock and have it look good. However, why not just try some Lemon Pledge or similar furniture polish for now? Even some Tru Oil or linseed oil oughta add a bit of gloss. Low cost, low risk...

August 28, 2002, 06:11 AM	#6
JohnPL Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2001 Posts: 105	I used Strip-Eez to get rid of what was left of the original finish and used Minwax stain (Special Walnut) as the wood was fairly light in color, and then put on 5 coats of Tru-oil. My express stock has an "interesting" grain pattern, somewhat swirled and mottled, and it came out pretty good. Also, check e-bay for used Wingmaster stocks. They are relatively cheap.