Refinishing a family heirloom

[tt11758]

thought that the last one was about the perfect pic  (foot and pet included)

Obviously a graduate of the Hazcat School Of Gun Photography.     

[PegLeg45]

Nupe, there was some really nice grain hiding under there.....great looking work.

[m25operator]

Nupe, you got going quick, I was going to give you a few things to watch out for that may not occur to beginners. The first is when sanding the butt around where the butt plate go's its real easy to slope the edges going toward the butt plate if sanding parallel to the stock and after your finished and put the butt plate on, the plate will stick out, its ok, if you have already done it, just means more blending later. Also around the bolt handle cut out, real easy to round the edges, use an ice cream stick to wrap the sandpaper and go slow to keep the edges square. The far end of the forestock is real easy to get rounded off the original shape, I use a ruler or something similar to wrap the sandpaper around to keep the original shape, once you get to fine steel wool, your not going to round off things any more.

I did not see it mentioned, but after initial sanding, wipe with a water wet rag and let stand, that will raise the fibers from the initial sanding that are laying flat but are basically very small splinters, do that about 3 times, of course using finer paper or steel wool as you go. The wood will just get slicker and slicker.

Now tricks. 1) Tru oil is fine, but I like good old Tung oil, I think I use formby's , and the more coats the better the protection.
2) when you get to finishing with the oil, 1st and second coat, apply with 600 grit sandpaper, this allows the oil to mix with the wood being removed and act as a pore filler, and as it is the original wood, it matches perfectly. Rub down afterward by hand until it gets too sticky, and wipe with a clean cloth until it is smooth, let dry and go again.

[nupe]

Nupe, you got going quick, I was going to give you a few things to watch out for that may not occur to beginners. The first is when sanding the butt around where the butt plate go's its real easy to slope the edges going toward the butt plate if sanding parallel to the stock and after your finished and put the butt plate on, the plate will stick out, its ok, if you have already done it, just means more blending later. Also around the bolt handle cut out, real easy to round the edges, use an ice cream stick to wrap the sandpaper and go slow to keep the edges square. The far end of the forestock is real easy to get rounded off the original shape, I use a ruler or something similar to wrap the sandpaper around to keep the original shape, once you get to fine steel wool, your not going to round off things any more.

I did not see it mentioned, but after initial sanding, wipe with a water wet rag and let stand, that will raise the fibers from the initial sanding that are laying flat but are basically very small splinters, do that about 3 times, of course using finer paper or steel wool as you go. The wood will just get slicker and slicker.

Now tricks. 1) Tru oil is fine, but I like good old Tung oil, I think I use formby's , and the more coats the better the protection.
2) when you get to finishing with the oil, 1st and second coat, apply with 600 grit sandpaper, this allows the oil to mix with the wood being removed and act as a pore filler, and as it is the original wood, it matches perfectly. Rub down afterward by hand until it gets too sticky, and wipe with a clean cloth until it is smooth, let dry and go again.

Thanks for the tips m25.  I was carful around the buttstock and the cutouts, but I was still trying to figure out how to finish it.  I was thinking either a good stain or an oil, but your right the oil just brings out the best in the wood.

[m25operator]

I do believe oil does bring out the best in the wood, if the wood is light and you don't like it, then stain comes next, and stain is tricky, try it out on the butt, under where the butt plate would go and make sure you like the color, and the wood accepts it well, sometimes yes and sometimes no. For very light colored wood, a maple stain looks good, trying to make it look like walnut is sometimes tuff, and you will have to experiment. Good luck and it lucks like your doing good.

[Sponsor]

[Timothy]

I do believe oil does bring out the best in the wood, if the wood is light and you don't like it, then stain comes next, and stain is tricky, try it out on the butt, under where the butt plate would go and make sure you like the color, and the wood accepts it well, sometimes yes and sometimes no. For very light colored wood, a maple stain looks good, trying to make it look like walnut is sometimes tuff, and you will have to experiment. Good luck and it lucks like your doing good.

Benny, would you think that the original finish was oil?  I do.....and I think that keeping as close to the original finish would be historically correct.....you have obviously had some practice in refinisihing.  All great information!

just a couple cents worth...

Really, really old firearms are better left untouched, IMO....

[m25operator]

Really, really old firearms are better left untouched, IMO....
[/quote]

Timothy, I tend to agree with you, unfortunately or fortunately, 22 rimfire bolt actions aren't worth much, unless they are target models, Win 75's or 52's, Rem 513T, etc... the 510, 511, 512 remmies have some value, but not like the aforementioned. So they give an opportunity to to practice refinishing. The Marlins, Stevens, Savage and house brands won't bring you much, but are probably great shooters. So refinish them and make them look great. I do have a 1940's Marlin 39a, that has great metal, the stock was so so, and I did refinish it, but back to original, and took great pains to make it look so.

The wood finishes of old were oil based, and mainly because nothing else was available, except paint, and the wood was traditionally Walnut, and there was plenty back then, hardwoods really did not come into the picture until WW2, when the demand went up, birch usually for the US Govt. Most production civilian arms were still American Black Walnut and nothing takes oil better, and looks so spectacular.

As to 2 recent posts, the Savage, our poster wants to restore, does have some value as a pump, but not enough to sell it, make it pretty and get some experience in bluing and wood refinishing. If it does not come out perfect, you still have a great working firearm. Right now I have a Remington model 81, to make work mechanically, the magazine is bent and won't take rounds or feed them, 1st one I've ever worked with, neat project. Won't be a money maker, but how many smithies have worked on one of these in the last 50 years??? Challenge = fun in this case, I hope.

Now would I refinish a 1892, 1895 Winchester, probably not and if I did, I'd turn it over to Doug Turnbull, where it will come out traditional but better than original, with his color case hardening technique.

Honest Patina, on the metal to means, well HONEST, a war map if you will of the guns heritage, and I like that.

[deepwater]

thinking about refinishing my MN 91/30. it has varnish on it now but wanted to finish it in oil. I thought about tung oil because I've used it on furniture before and liked the results. I just wasn't sure about wear on a firearm. the furniture on the 91/30 is fairly dark so it should turn out nice no matter what kind of oil I use.

[Timothy]

All good points m25....

BTW, the Savage .22 Pump is my rifle and though it could use a blueing job, I'll probably won't touch it.  It's questionable in function and more a member of the family nowadays.  Even at 106 years old, it's still not a really, really old gun and if you saw the pictures I posted, the lumber is in really fine shape.  Maybe a good cleaning and blueing job would be sufficient to make it purty again but I think it's quite purty already.

As you mentioned, 1890's and older I would check their value before I tried any refinish work and then, like you, leave it to a pro...I will however, pay close attention to all the sage advice you've given.  I've already copied all your notes and pasted them into a word document for reference.

Thanks....

[nupe]

Well after several months just being able to check in here and there, I finally have some free time.  I was able to complete my refinishing on the stock anyway (yes pics will be up soon), and I have to say that after months of sanding and 5 coats of tungoil the stock looks pretty darn good.  I was also able to work at a buddy of mine's class 3 shoot.  first chance I've had to see that many class 3 firearms at one time and to be able to shoot some of them.  All in all it's been an exciting last few months and hopefully I can have a few more chances to drop in a couple of cents here and there