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Refurbishing Stock


hoggysreels
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I intend on making an effort to tidy up the stock on my W&S .410 ... as some will know, they came from the factory new with a varnished finished stock. Im thinking of hand sanding the stock down to remove all traces of the old varnish. Presently its patchy, varnish missing in particular areas.

 

Is it okay to hand sand down? .. if so what grade paper should l start with, and what should l finish off with.

 

l was thinking of chemically removing the varnish, but if l can get a reasonable result with sandpaper and effort, ld sooner go that route .. advice appreciated .. cheers

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ive done a few now and i chemicaly stripped them all before sandling, one was easy.. a remington 870 as i brushed the stripper on the finish came off one my air arms was a bitch.. i used several strippers and ended up leaving it soaking in stripper wrapped in foil for a week and then working my behind of to strip it

 

as for sanding due to me getting 99% of the old finsih of with the stripper i think i started on 120 and ended on 1200 but it was last year and my memory isnt that good :lol:

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The stock will almost certainly be Beech wood that was stained and varnished originally . A lot will depend on what has been done to it since it left the factory . Has it been worked on , has it been oiled and if so what with?

I would advise that you sand /rub down with a silicone carbide paper to remove the old finish rather than a stripper going down grades from 180 to 400 . I would also suggest that you wash the stock with thinners to remove any residual oil/wax , before you re-stain and finish in your choice be it varnish or oil .

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To be honest its a W&S 410 so it will never look spectacular even in there original they were a subdued finish , what we now call satin .

Up to you of course but I would aim to making it look presentable and using one of the commercially available finishes like CCL or Trade Secrets should work OK , but please follow instructions as it is easy to be to enthusiastic when applying . Takes time but the results should be OK

Edited by Gunman
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I agree with gunman make it look tidy and enjoy having a play with a new skill.

 

Many of us that finish stock have played with lots of styles produces recipes over the years and have settled with our 'way' now.

 

The biggest secret is don't rush an oil finish it takes time if you haven't got time or patience don't start

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buy B and Q s own varnish remover its in a white bottle its cheap and does not stink. it does the same job. you may need to goes with it . wash it of . go carefull with sandpaper , you may take to much of and find when you refit the but pad it is to big. let the stripper do the work and then light sand . i tried tru oil its seems to work ok . just take your time and rub down between coats there lots on here about redoing stocks . like said take your time ... all is in the prep

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I seem to spend half my life mucking about with stocks :lol: Getting all the original finish off is half the battle. As said above, nitromors was the way to go, but they have changed the recipe and its garbage now. If I do another will be dropped off at the strippers for a session in the dip tank :good: Any residue left on the stock will ruin the finish. Sanding alone won't remove some of the varnish penetration. When you have it all completely free from anything, sand over with something like flower paper until its smooth. Then the fun starts. I have tried, true oil, CCl oil, and a few other ideas.

Absolutely the best I have achieved so far is a CZ stock I'm doing at the moment. It is Walnut, which helps, but I would do the same if it was beech.

Walnut stain first to even the colour and darken it a bit. If its walnut, don't go over it twice as it will lift the first application. Leave for 24 hours. Then wet sand sparingly with boiled linseed oil, 600 wet and dry. The paste formed from the sanding will help fill the pores. Leave 24 hours, or longer, until absolutely dry. Repeat process with 800 w/d then again 1000 w/d. Then change to hand rubbing in the linseed oil, leave and repeat until you are happy with the finish. Be sparing with the oil applications.

As Welsh Warrior says, patience :yes::good:

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Whilst on the subject of refurbishing the stock. I think lm right in saying, from new the W&S .410 bolt action came without a stock butt pad of any description. I'd like to fit one. Where there any available as an optional extra to purchase when these gun were being manufactured?

 

A plastic/bakerlite type etc .. or are there ones from other webley guns that would fit, say off an air rifle for example .. cheers

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There is a good guide to redoing stocks pinned in the craft/diy section.

 

I do mine with nitromors, light sand to smooth finish, van dyke crystal to stain if needed, usually not at all or very very lightly if walnut, then rub boiled linseed oil in with the palm of your hand, little and often for a few months then once every few months or after a wet outing.

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Options are ... stain finish, oil finish, and varnish finish ?

 

l am just after a reasonable look, the gun will be used regularly ... if l choose stain finish (without varnish top coat), is the stain waterproof etc ... sorry for what must seem stupid questions .. cheers

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stain is not a finish coat, its just a colour... if you have light wood or want a dark stock (i like them dark myself) stain it first then apply the top coat of oil or varnish.. personally i wouldnt touch varnish.. although the tru-oil ive used is varnish like with its hard coat when fully cured

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and dont worry about what gun it is and the time/money you put into it is not worth the guns value... if you have no intent on selling it you have nothing to loose and loads to gain as youll have the satisfaction every time you pick it up that you did it yourself... im not good working with wood but i have done three now and i have loved every second... ok im no where near some guys on here but i love the final finish no matter what as id did it

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Ive two to do as of this afternoon lol. ... picked up an AYA Yeoman ... varnish on wood tatty, but metal work is very good. The barrels & bores are fantastic. Really pleased with it.

 

So l better get myself organised. The Webley, l'd like darken the stock, the AYA, I'd like to refresh and maintain as close to original as best l can .. cheers

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  • 3 weeks later...

Stripped down, varnished removed, and sanded ... another stupid question@

 

Im going to stain the stock a darker colour. Does the stain need to be of an exterior weatherproof type .. dumb question l.know but heyho ! ... or is it possible to use an interior type one ? ... reason lm asking is l've some stain in the garage "Liberon" its dark in colour and its about as dark as l'd like to take the stock. Reading instructions, its states 'interior' hence me asking.

 

Or do l get hold of purpose made stain thats specifically for gun stocks and is satisfactory for outdoor usage, rain etc.

 

When lve "eventually" stained the stock, what oil do l use to seal the stock, again, is this a specific gun stock oil for exterior usage ? ... many thanks, cheers

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