Refinishing Wood Stock Questions

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  • KRC

    Active Member
    Sep 30, 2018
    615
    Cecil County MD
    I am (attempting) to refinish this old 40X stock.
    I am not good with wood.

    Two questions to wood guys:

    1) I have used a small orbital sander and have removed the deep grime, surface staining and many of the scratches and dents. I've gone down to 240 grit. I plan to use a light colored oil based stain followed by a clear coat. It will be a week or so before the 400 grit sandpaper arrives, but the stock seems amazingly smooth as it is now. Do I need to go to a much finer grit before staining?

    mAlnO4p.jpg


    2) I would like this stock to show some grain, but still be quite light in color. Although it looks very light when sanded, if I wet the stock with water, it goes quite dark. Would "Golden Oak" color stain be a good choice for this?

    (I also posted this under the "Shotguns" topic with a resurrected thread.)
     

    Balzer94

    Active Member
    Feb 27, 2011
    769
    I am (attempting) to refinish this old 40X stock.
    I am not good with wood.

    Two questions to wood guys:

    1) I have used a small orbital sander and have removed the deep grime, surface staining and many of the scratches and dents. I've gone down to 240 grit. I plan to use a light colored oil based stain followed by a clear coat. It will be a week or so before the 400 grit sandpaper arrives, but the stock seems amazingly smooth as it is now. Do I need to go to a much finer grit before staining?

    mAlnO4p.jpg


    2) I would like this stock to show some grain, but still be quite light in color. Although it looks very light when sanded, if I wet the stock with water, it goes quite dark. Would "Golden Oak" color stain be a good choice for this?

    (I also posted this under the "Shotguns" topic with a resurrected thread.)


    45367c73c20f34ae97f9a4d3cabdf8dc.jpg

    I had good luck using 2 different colors of dye to help the grain pop on this curly maple. Used a darker dye first which absorbed into the grain. Sanded down the whole stock and then put another coat of a lighter dye on top. I don’t know if the same would work for you but it was a fun project.

    As far as sanding goes. 400 grit was as high as I went.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    I used this to finish a semi-finished Fajen stock - https://www.arrowwoodfinish.com/

    I will dig out the rifle for pics later.

    But it darkened nicely. It depends on how dark you want.

    This finish, you apply and while it it wet, you sand. The dust mixes with the product to fill. You can go from matte to fairly glossy, depending on the number of coats. Later coats are just rubbed in.
     

    Ian

    Dontre member
    Mar 13, 2012
    208
    Damascus-ish
    220 for most wood stuff is a fine end point. I go higher, if I’m sanding cross grain, like a bowl, on a lathe, but anything else ends at 220, usually.
     

    GuitarmanNick

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 9, 2017
    2,221
    Laurel
    Don't forget to wipe it down with a damp sponge to raise the grain before sanding. Repeat that several times to insure a smooth surface before the finish is applied. Tung Oil will give a very hard and durable, high gloss finish.
     

    Jed195

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 19, 2011
    3,901
    MD.
    Aplly the stain and you can rub the stain lighter with 0000 steel wool. This will leave the darker grain and lighten the plain areas. Reapply stain and rub out again until you get the desired color. This worked on the pool cues I used to make. Just be sure to check for metal pieces from the steel wool before finishing the stock.
     

    byf43

    SCSC Life/NRA Patron Life
    Suggestion - wet the stock to raise the grain, and go ahead with 320 grit, then do it again with 400.

    When I refinished the stock on my first K98k, I didn't use sandpaper.
    I used different 'grades' of "scotchbrite pads".

    Applying a "wood conditioner" before you stain, will help limit the amount of stain that gets into the wood.

    When I finished my laminated stock on that K98k, I used no stain, but, hand-rubbed in several coats of 'Natural' Danish Oil, and rubbed each coat/layer with a lint free rag, about 24 hours after each coat.

    That stock is going to be GORGEOUS when you're done!!!!!!!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:
     

    KRC

    Active Member
    Sep 30, 2018
    615
    Cecil County MD
    What now?

    Here's where I am with this stock, and what you experienced guys can help me with . . .

    After sanding very smooth (240 with the oscillating sander then 000 steel wool) I first applied a light coating of oil based "Golden Oak" stain. This instantly darkened the stock more than I would have liked. I then applied a high gloss 2-part epoxy clear coat. (Many online images and videos showing awesome results with this finish.) What a mess. What this stuff did was make a very hard coating with an exaggerated 3-dimensional texture. (It seems like almost none of the online videos/postings mention wood sealant - this may have been the issue?)

    JPMhy7I.jpg


    So - I had to once again sand this crap off, and go down to bare wood.

    Then, again following many online resources, I began to apply high gloss oil-based polyurethane, first using a 50/50 dilution, then increasing the poly concentration relative to the mineral spirit thinner. No stain was used.

    This time, while not nearly as obvious, I am still getting the 3-dimensionality of the wood grain caused by the pores in the grain(?). The stock looks nice (given that is not highly figured to start with), has the high-gloss finish I wanted (still dark, but I've realized it's just a dark piece of walnut), but I would like to smooth out the finish. The image below is after 11 diluted coats of poly. The finish was LIGHTLY buffed with 0000 steel wool between coats.

    0gzG8z7.jpg


    The stock looks okay now (12 coats), and I'd be satisfied to just leave it, but I'd rather reduce or eliminate the 3-dimensionality and achieve a flatter finish. But I don't want to screw up again.

    OZjswmf.jpg


    So the questions are:

    1) Can I sand this poly finish down to flatten out the finish without jeopardizing the current ability to have a nice high-gloss surface?
    (Further coats of poly would need to be applied - no problem.)

    2) If so, would 1500 grit wet/dry be appropriate? Should it be used wet or dry? Or would scotch-brite ultra fine (some arriving Saturday) be more appropriate?

    3) Or . . . should I just keep applying additional coats in the hope it smooths out with additional layers of poly?

    Any help from those with polyurethane or a similar finish experience would be appreciated. Especially if you've dealt with this 3-dimensionality issue caused by the pores in the grain.

    And I have lots of time on my hands . . .
     

    JohnC

    Active Member
    May 29, 2019
    311
    Baltimore, MD
    I would start over and see if there is any "practice" wood you can get your hands on, a similar grain at least. Never seen a poly coat look so rough like this. Did you seal it?
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    Wet sand to take the high spots off, and reapply the poly. The surface will level out after a few coats.

    This.

    And you should have started this around coat 2 or 3.

    I would use 1000 or finer. Getting finer as you add coats.
     

    Patattack88

    Active Member
    Jan 9, 2020
    113
    Westminster
    Well since you didn’t seal or fill you’ll never fill in those pours correctly its going to take a lot of poly to get that even look. But to each his own i guess.
     

    GunBum

    Active Member
    Feb 21, 2018
    751
    SW Missouri
    Even with sealed wood, I’ve never gotten decent results with less than 5 layers of poly. With gloss, it takes more than with satin.

    If you sand too much away, you are starting over. You only want to cut the top layer off the finish, not remove everything to wood.
     

    KRC

    Active Member
    Sep 30, 2018
    615
    Cecil County MD
    Stock is done.

    Closing the story on my first stock refinishing project . . .

    The stock was purchased for $48 from Numrich’s (+$14 shipping) as part of this winter’s build project. This stock looked like crap when it arrived, with scratches, dent, chips and deeply entrained dirt and sweat. I almost sent it back. (see below)

    BuyPYHQ.jpg


    After a lot of time, work, learning, and multiple mistakes, I am finally satisfied with the result. While not nearly perfect, and even with numerous imperfections, the end result is at least as nice as my original expectations. Below are images of the stock and completed rifle project.

    TGyWGyV.jpg


    7rOI7AC.jpg


    This build, envisioned as a lower-cost-than-custom approach for 600 yard non-competitive benchrest shooting, is a 6.5 Creedmoor chambering of a Bartlein 8T 4-groove LV contour barrel on a Remington M700 short action with a Jewell Competition (3oz.) trigger. The scope is a Delta Stryker 5-50x56 on a 30MOA base. The action sits in custom 5/8” diameter shaped aluminum pillars supplemented with steel epoxy bedding. The buttplate was fashioned from 1/8” flat aluminum.

    n7y4rol.jpg


    tOIQG9c.jpg


    Epoxied into the forend of the stock are fittings which facilitate the ability to shoot from 2 different bipods (small Picatinny rail), or with the addition of a bolt-on/removable aluminum block, from a BR type front rest.

    KHroQOL.jpg


    UE2GppL.jpg


    63CgaaX.jpg


    Total project cost of the rifle as it sits (base & rings included, less just the scope) has been about $1600. (Scope cost was $1620.) This does NOT include the cost of either materials for mistakes that are not part of the final rifle or for tools purchased that will be used for other projects in the future.

    Although load development has been interrupted by the Covid-19 shutdown of the local range, limited initial range results (before stock refinishing) have been encouraging, with (ragged) one-hole 100 yd. groups obtained with Berger 140gr. Hybrids and H4350.

    THANK YOU to everyone on this forum who contributed with your constructive suggestions and help.

    Now if the range would just open . . .
     

    Brent

    #2ALivesMatter
    Nov 22, 2013
    2,656
    Amongst the Deplorables, SC.
    Closing the story on my first stock refinishing project . . .

    The stock was purchased for $48 from Numrich’s (+$14 shipping) as part of this winter’s build project. This stock looked like crap when it arrived, with scratches, dent, chips and deeply entrained dirt and sweat. I almost sent it back. (see below)

    BuyPYHQ.jpg


    After a lot of time, work, learning, and multiple mistakes, I am finally satisfied with the result. While not nearly perfect, and even with numerous imperfections, the end result is at least as nice as my original expectations. Below are images of the stock and completed rifle project.

    TGyWGyV.jpg


    7rOI7AC.jpg


    This build, envisioned as a lower-cost-than-custom approach for 600 yard non-competitive benchrest shooting, is a 6.5 Creedmoor chambering of a Bartlein 8T 4-groove LV contour barrel on a Remington M700 short action with a Jewell Competition (3oz.) trigger. The scope is a Delta Stryker 5-50x56 on a 30MOA base. The action sits in custom 5/8” diameter shaped aluminum pillars supplemented with steel epoxy bedding. The buttplate was fashioned from 1/8” flat aluminum.

    n7y4rol.jpg


    tOIQG9c.jpg


    Epoxied into the forend of the stock are fittings which facilitate the ability to shoot from 2 different bipods (small Picatinny rail), or with the addition of a bolt-on/removable aluminum block, from a BR type front rest.

    KHroQOL.jpg


    UE2GppL.jpg


    63CgaaX.jpg


    Total project cost of the rifle as it sits (base & rings included, less just the scope) has been about $1600. (Scope cost was $1620.) This does NOT include the cost of either materials for mistakes that are not part of the final rifle or for tools purchased that will be used for other projects in the future.

    Although load development has been interrupted by the Covid-19 shutdown of the local range, limited initial range results (before stock refinishing) have been encouraging, with (ragged) one-hole 100 yd. groups obtained with Berger 140gr. Hybrids and H4350.

    THANK YOU to everyone on this forum who contributed with your constructive suggestions and help.

    Now if the range would just open . . .

    Well damn! That's plain gorgeous! Great work!
     

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