Stripping Stock Varnish

[surg_res]

Has anyone here ever stripped the factory varnish from a stock?

I've got a rifle stock with the orginal varnish that has lifted at several places, mostly around the edges, presumably from previous moisture exposure. As the varnish lifts, it creates light-colored spots. I was wondering if anyone knows a trick on how to repair this phenomenon or if it is easier to simply strip all of the varnish and then re-finish the stock.

The stock I'm talking about was made in the 60s and I'm not sure what finish it is (i.e. shellac type, etc.). Anyone know what they might have used about that time? Thanks.

[Trapp]

When I redux my AK stocks, I use orange stripper, a stiff plastic bristle brush, and scrub as I apply. After scrubbing and rinsing (comes off VERY easy), I soak it in a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 4 parts water?) overnight. The stock is then ready for any possible finish you want.

[surg_res]

Thanks for the advice. Have you found a good finish that is similar to the heavy and dense varnishes used at the factory? I would be tempted to use an oil finish, otherwise a polyurethane.

[Unclenick]

If you bleach the stock, you will need to stain it. The water will also swell the grain, so if any inletting is close around the receiver, you may find it no longer fits after a soak. The grain will definitely be raised. You didn't say whether the wood was good and whether it was worth preserving the grain and color? Also, if moisture in the wood is changing its size enough to shed the finish, I would worry about it splitting in water. This depends on how absorbent it is? With the military stocks, they usually aren't tight fitting and raising the grain helps to get birch and some other woods to take stain and finish better. Also replacements are usually easy to get hold of.

I use a different method: I take the stock outside and use a conventional paste stripper. When the finish loosens, I use those plastic paddles sold for applying body putty or fiberglass as scrapers to get the bulk of the old finish off. Steel wool gets much of the rest, and I use a natural bristle brush in a wood handle to work out any softened finish stuck in the checkering. I usually make at least one additional application of the paste. To remove the last of the paste, I switch to a liquid remover and dip steel wool and the brush in it to wash the residue away completely. Wear disposable Nitrile gloves and eye protection and do this outdoors.

Let the stock dry (I wipe it off outside, let it sit an hour, then hang it in the garage for a day). Next I put the stock in two or three layers of heavy trash bags together with a large container of fresh desiccant and let it dry out for a month.

To finish, start in the morning of a pleasantly warm dry day. I do this over newspaper in the garage. Sand everything with 240 grit paper, then apply Deft Danish Oil using 320 grit wet/dry paper as the applicator. Get a colored version if you need stain. Keep the surface wet half an hour by reapplying it with a brush to any dry spots that appear.

After the half hour, wipe it down well with a rag. An hour later, wipe down again, then apply fresh Danish oil, this time using 400 grit wet/dry paper. Same routine. Keep wet half an hour, wipe it, dry one hour. The third application is made using 600 grit wet/dry paper. Same routine. This time after wiping, check every hour for the rest of the day for the reappearance of wet spots and wipe dry again. Check again the next day, and rub it well with a rag.

It should go without saying that checkering cannot withstand all the sanding. Just use a brush. The sandpaper application makes a smooth satin finish, but checkering masks that anyway. If you need to, you can fold the wet/dry in half, abrasive side out, and use the edge this creates in the bottom of the checkering grooves, but beware it is easy to go overboard and hurt the checkering.

Deft and other companies make polyurethane final finishes to go over Danish oil if want gloss. None will penetrate and make the wood as weather resistant as this approach does. The only better method I am aware of was the one used by the AMU on M14 stocks for match rifles. That involved baking the stocks dry in an oven (the desiccant is kinder and gentler) the puting it in a container filled with epoxy finish and pressurizing it to 100 psi. Lot of bother and expense for the amateur.

Nick

[Pointer]

If you strip it...

Do not leave remover on the gun... it will swell the grain of the wood...

It is probably better to scrape more and "remover" less...

It will be a whole lot of work... so make sure it's a labor of love...

You can give it up and get a new stock anytime along the way...

Or you can sand it well and paint it with black or gray or camo.

Use only checkering tools on that part of the gun or you will ruin the checkering.

Be very patient... you can take wood away but you cannot put it back.

[Foxman]

+1 on unclenicks method, up to the putting in bags. All strippers are caustic based to some extent and the safest and easiest way to stop the action and make ready to re-finish is to wipe it down 2-3 times with a rag soaked in white spirit ( turpentine, dont hold back on the spirit), then allow to dry naturally ( about 48 hrs in a dry reasonably warm place) and then follow unclenicks refinish scheme, you will have a nice stock with a durable finish then.

[surg_res]

Thank you very much for the excellent instructions and tips: Unclenick and Pointer. This is certainly a library-worthy thread, and excellent resource for future searchers.

As for the specific guns, I'm glad you asked. Two are chinese SKSs, on which chunks of the varnish have chipped off (the practice). The last is my dream gun, a '66 Mauser, with a perfect barrel and action; h/w, with the stock damage described above. Could I let the stock have the swells and light marks?, yes. Does it bother me at night when I try to sleep?, a little. Do I want to fix it?, yes. I do have a fair amount of experience refinishing furniture, but not gunstocks. Would it add value to the gun, probably about six to eight-hundred dollars.

The stock is a fine-grade European walnut with rosewood forend and cap with white oak diamond inlays. With that said, and after reading this thread, I should seriously consider having it professionally refinished, as the stocks are virtually irreplaceable. Further complicating things is my upcoming graduation and subsequent incarceration (aka internship).

Again, I greatly appreciate all of your input and advice. Such responses are what make TFL a library and not just a chat room.

If anyone could recommend a wood-worker in the Houston, TX area, pls let me know.

[Trapp]

Wow!, That's way too much crap to go through. Well, at least for a laminate AK stock.....

[adk]

-- A question: How do you harden soft wood? I stripped the finish from my Winchester Trapper stock and forearm and found that the wood is soft and now indents and scratches too easily. The factory finish protected the soft wood, apparently. Thanks. adk

[cntryboy1289]

I would buy a new stock myself. There are ways to harden wood, but most will obscure the grain. Let me ask you this, will it dent when you push in with your thumnail? If it does, I would replace it because no surface finish will make it firm enough to be worth the trouble.

[adk]

Yep, it dents really easy, just with the thumbnail. Guess I'll look in Brownell's catalog for a new stock, and search it on Google, too. Would appreciate any suggestions for where I might get a new stock that would be of good quality.

Seems like I saw composite stocks for the Trapper in Cabelas. Maybe get the composite for when I'm using the gun, and the wood for dress-up. Thanks.

adk

[adk]

Found this "wood hardener" on Google:
http://www.minwax.com/products/woodmaint/hardener.cfm

Has anyone used this?

Thanks.

[cntryboy1289]

I have seen some good hardeners before, but each one uses an epoxy which most of the time will obscure the grain. I would check out Boyd's myself and see if they have a replacement stock myself. That one may work for you though. Most of the wood hardeners I have seen have been designed to be used on wood that has rot in it.

http://www.boydboys.com/default.htm

[brickeyee]

Minwax is acrylic resin in solvent. It soaks in completley and does not hide grain in any way.
A good epoxy will do the same. It is not thick like the typical epoxy at the coner hardware store, but much thinner to allow penetration. 'West systems' is one, and there are plenty of others.
A new stock will likely be cost efective. Epoxy is expensive stuff.

[Unclenick]

2nd Brickyee. West Marine and the other boat boys have a lot of good finishing toys.

Pointer,

The mineral spirits are fine. The purpose of the bag and desiccant are to get moisture from deep in the wood. Otherwise you don't get maximum absorption of the new finish. It's why the Army Marksmanship Unit baked their M14 stocks before finishing.

Nick

[adk]

I looked at Boyd's for stocks and it looks like they have everything. Good prices. I'll call them about a new 2-piece stock for the Trapper. Thanks for the help.

adk

[Foxman]

Unclenick, sorry I thought you were waiting for the stripper to go dry, my apologies, I agree 100%

[Harry Bonar]

Dear Shooter:
I'm not even going to comment after Unclenick! He's given fantastic instructions.
I'll do mine like his sometime!
Harry B.

[ulflyer]

MedStudent: You said the stock was only bad at the edges. Unless you want a super nice stock; that is if its a working gun that you simply want to be more presentable try this: remove stock and use some 4"O" steel wool, or really fine sandpaper to feather the areas just enough to remove the existing varnish. Careful not to sand the edges to point of rounding them off, or taking off wood. Then rub on a little walnut or dark oak stain, depending on what matches the stock best. Prob can pick up a brochure of Minwax stains to compare color. Might need several applications of stain. After this drys overnight, use a fine artist flat bristle brush to THINLY layer on some poly or varnish, thinned slightly with mineral spirits. Might even rub an bit on with your finger instead of a brush. If you don't like the results, then strip the entire stock and go from there. I've used this procedure on my wood airplane propeller that gets worn thin on the edges.

[El Barto]

I started the same way. Bought older shotgun and the stock was a little chipped. I took off old finish and noticed the wood is white, bone white. Not pretty enough to make a "blonde" so i started to stain with a color I liked, a light oak.

Started good, but on parts of the neck the stain turned black, other parts of the stock were fine. Tried again with different brand and color. Same results. I finally opted for paint with a nice clear gloss poly. If I remember, I'll post photos of the results.

*Paint was a last resort. I got tired of messing with it and anyway, I'm not too concerned about ruining the value of my $50 Stevens.

[surg_res]

Ulflyer,
The original varnish is very thick and very glossy. When I return home in a couple of weeks, I'll post some pics for you to look at and you can tell me what you think.