Dull stock

[Yazzy]

I have recently purchased a 2nd hand shotgun at an affordable price. The stock was a bit scratched up and there was a mark that had been left on the wood following the removal of an extending piece.After some wet sanding and a few hours of rubbing in some oil has brought the grain of the wood out lovely but its still very dull to look at. How do I get a bit of a sheen on it?

 

Also I have discovered the gun is a game gun and it has an automatic safety lock after discharging a cartridge, how easy is it to dismantle this lock? As I do not plan on shooting game just clays I keep forgetting to release the safety catch and dont wish to be further handicapped when shooting. Is it the extra pin I see when the gun broke?

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Guest RemmySPS]

O/U or S/S?

[Yazzy]

O/U

[Marcus]

What oil have you been using and how have you applied it?

[Guest RemmySPS]

Depends on the gun. Some models such as the old Franchi’s had a very complicated set-up where a connecting rod was used via the cocking action. Others are a lot simpler and are worked by the top lever being pushed over to the right as you open the gun. Take the action out and if it’s the latter, then just remove the little rod (or whatever) from the underside of the top strap.

Sometimes they are a little bit more complicated, but generally it’s fairly straight forward.

Personally I would leave it and practice taking it off ever time you close the gun.

 

As for the oil.............sheesh, that will take you at least a month to get a sheen on it. :blink:

[andyrpsmith]

This may help.

 

I just bought a second hand Theoben Evolution and the underside had been scratched and slightly dented by what must be the ring finger.

 

I steamed out the dents, which turned out brilliant.

 

I then used fine wire wool to smooth out the wood but it had a dull finish.

 

I tried walnut oil as I use it on my walnut stock TX200HC but it has a dull sheen and did not match the current beech stock finish of the Theoben.

 

I then tried medium brown Briwax. This was better with a good semi gloss polished finish but the surface is easily marked and dulls quickly.

 

I then tried Tru-oil (from the Bay). Wire wool back to bare wood and (I bought the aerosol version) spray the oil into a plastic cap and then dip a finger in and rub the oil into the wood. Only rub in two thin coats at a time or it will be tacky for quite a while. If you do 2 coats a night and keep them as thin as possible it will dry in about two hours, leave overnight for next two coats. As the grain fills the shine gets better and deeper. About six coats and the grain is full and the coats dry quicker, resist in using too much at once. Finish of with a quick wipe in one direction with the finger. when fully dry and hard, about 48 hours it looks great and you can tone down the gloss with fine wire wool to the level of sheene you want.

 

Give it a try, you can wire wool back to the wood if you don't like it.

 

I am really pleased with my finished stock.

 

Andy

 

ps You can buy small bottles of Tru-oil but the spry is supposed to give a fine finish, however as I was just doing a repair about 8cm by 4cm I did not spray the stock - hence the spray in a plastic cap method. Only a tiny amount is needed.

Edited June 24, 2009 by andyrpsmith

[Yazzy]

What oil have you been using and how have you applied it?

 

 

Walnut oil and been applying it with my fingers and then lots of rubbing it with fingers and palm to warm the oil up to help it seep into the wood.

[Yazzy]

Depends on the gun. Some models such as the old Franchi’s had a very complicated set-up where a connecting rod was used via the cocking action. Others are a lot simpler and are worked by the top lever being pushed over to the right as you open the gun. Take the action out and if it’s the latter, then just remove the little rod (or whatever) from the underside of the top strap.

Sometimes they are a little bit more complicated, but generally it’s fairly straight forward.

Personally I would leave it and practice taking it off ever time you close the gun.

 

As for the oil.............sheesh, that will take you at least a month to get a sheen on it.

 

Remmy

If I was to leave the automatic safety in tact its nuisance because if I miss a clay with first shot and then try and get it on the 2nd, too much time is lost de activating the safety shot.

 

A month!!!

[Guest RemmySPS]

To do a proper English oil finish takes weeks to complete , because it involves layer upon layer of oil that has to be rubbed into the wood and allowed to dry between coats. Sometimes you can start to get a sticky layer build up, which is when you then have to knock it back with steel wool, but on the whole as long as you allow it to dry properly this shouldn’t happen.

I use raw linseed oil for @ three weeks and then a mixture of Linseed and Terabine (this is sold in good paint suppliers as Dryers) which starts to dry the oil. You can also buy Chalk powder from Home Brew centres, which you rub into the oil as you rub it in. this mixes with the oil to form a thin putty which fills all the pores.

You can use boiled Linseed if you want to speed things up though.

 

Alternatively you can opt for a quick fix by using True oil which is a very good finish, but only puts a layer of finish on the surface and doesn’t penetrate into the wood like Linseed and therefore only gives surface protection and not the deep protection of a true English oil finish.

 

I can see your point about the safety and as clay guns don’t have this automatic feature then I suppose it’s best to remove it.

[Milligan]

Danish oil has a fairly shiny finish. Just re-finished an HW100 plank, came out nicely.