Rifle Stock Refinishing

[8x68]

I have had several suggestions as to how to refinish a stock that I have. I will be using boiled linseed oil. The stock I have is off of an old BRNO ZKK 601 in .223 Rem. I'm not the original owner and it's really hard to tell due to the age of the stock if it has been refinished or not. The barrel channel has been really free floated (you could sail a ship down it), and the forward swivel stud has been moved closer to the receiver. Any tricks to find out if it's an oil finish before I use Polystripper on a small area?
I have attached a couple of pictures of the stock. I refinished a stock about 30yrs ago on my BRNO ZKK 602 in 375H&H. It turned out pretty good. Problem is the "elevator" doesn't go to that floor anymore so I don't exactly remember what I did.

 

[stug]

My Brno ZKK 600 had the horrible polyurethane finish. I stripped that off and rubbed 4 coats of boiled linseed in. I just wet my finger with the oil and rubbed it in. After rubbing in the oil I sanded with 400grit wet and dry paper. I then left for a few days to dry and then repeated the process. The sanding after rubbing with oil was to fill the pores in the wood.

 

[zephyr]

I have re-finished a number of stocks but I do it as a hobby and not for a living so take my suggestions lightly..
* If you are going to use a finish stripper it does not matter what the previous finish was it's coming off... Don't forget to clean the stock with mineral spirits to remove any of the stripper...
* some of the ding on the bottom of the stock could be steamed out but there is some damage to the grain that will prevent all of it from popping out..
* You should use something other than straight linseed oil it will get dirty and water will discolor it..
* There is a product called linspeed oil that has dryers in it that will help the oil harden..
* I have used a least a handful of different products from Lin speed to True oil... My current favorite is a Min Wax product called Antique Oil Finish I think it has just enough polymers in it to keep moister at bay and if you rub in the last few coats it will give you a nice hand rubbed look.
* Mask of the checkering using masking tape from your local auto motive store I believe it is green once masked I use my finger nail to out line the edge of the checkering than cut the excess with a razor blade...
* Apply 3-4 coats before sanding, apply the next coat after the previous one becomes tacky, wet sand with 400grit after the 3-4 coats using the same oil this will make a slurry and help fill in the grain quicker
* As youu get to the end I start to hand rub in individual coats...

Ther are some many ways to re-finish stocks you can find many of them on you tube Antique Oil finish and True Oil have been my go to's the last few times
Good Luck remember if you don't like the result you can all ways strip it and start all over again...

 

[William W.]

I happen to like the polyurethane finish. I use the satin finish, lightly sand down the inevitable high spots with the finest possible sandpaper, then rub it down with 4-0000 steel wool

 

[8x68]

Thanks for the replies. Decisions, decisions......

 

[DM Shooting]

A little acetone will lift a true oil finish, it'll soften the modern fakes like truoil and most varnishes won't be affected.

 

[Rob404]

I think Iv'e tried most all finishes, the last one I tried was True Oil and really liked the results

 

[DM Shooting]

The problem I have with Tru oil is its lacquer based so will chip and scuff, it's very easy to work with though and produces a nice finish initially, but fades with time takes more maintaince and is hard to repair than a classic oil finish.

My preference is a best London hand rubbed oil finish, I make my own oil to a recipe passed to me by a retire Purdey finisher. It is linseed based but also has waxes and other oils suspended in it that produces finish that glows as opposed to being shiny, is very easy to repair and look after, but does take longer and requires more experience to use.

 

[CTDolan]

The problem I have with Tru oil is its lacquer based so will chip and scuff, it's very easy to work with though and produces a nice finish initially, but fades with time takes more maintaince and is hard to repair than a classic oil finish.

My preference is a best London hand rubbed oil finish, I make my own oil to a recipe passed to me by a retire Purdey finisher. It is linseed based but also has waxes and other oils suspended in it that produces finish that glows as opposed to being shiny, is very easy to repair and look after, but does take longer and requires more experience to use.

I agree with your statement with regard to Tru Oil.

With regard to the other, the oil you make up yourself, would you be willing to share the recipe (either via the forum, or PM)?

 

[DM Shooting]

I can't give it all away,

2/3 boiled linseed oil
1/3 pure turps
Red oil added to colour to taste
Slowly and carefully heated to dissolve bees wax and carbanu wax.

This will separate and needs shaking it will form a tacky mess on the neck of a bottle as it dries and builds up with use qualities of wax depends and wax used. The red oil is made using walnut oil and ground alkenet root is spteeped in it for 2 months it a shaded but warm area.

 

[CTDolan]

Thank you.

 

[John P.]

Ummm London's Best Gun Builders have their long guarded formulas for their oiled finishes.

Sometimes I believe the methods would make a good addition to the Harry Potter Movies: Sorcery and Witchcraft. Maybe Merlin developed the first formula?

This one I love, the gents installing my hard wood flooring used it. I retained a quart for trials on stockwood. Expensive stuff, $100 a quart. Made in Sweden. :

However I have tried my hand at making the "Purdey Finish". Ingredients below. Proportions are a guarded secret, the exact ratios taken to the grave by each stock maker that has used it:

Now, the old formula I have called for "Spirits of Wine" instead of Everclear grain alcohol. Took me a lot of searching to discover that Spirits of Wine was just high concentrated alcohol distilled from wine.

My thinking is the old time stock finishers used about half of the spirits of wine called for in the formula. The remainder was poured in a nice brandy sniffer and consumed by the finisher as he rubbed in the oil finish.

Below is a test piece of tiger stripe maple with 27 coats of the cherished Purdey Oil rubbed in:

This is what the maple looks like with no finish: Planed only, no sanding.

We call the grain in the below photos "Flame" or "Clouded". Thinking about using this one on my 400 H&H build. Again, just planed, no sanding or finish.

Below, fresh from the duplicator. Rough sanded with 80 grit. No oil or finish.

The stock on the duplicator. For my M600 Remington in 222 Rem.

 

[John P.]

A portion of the blending process for the oil.

Bubble, Buble, Toil and Trouble: