O/U Woodstock job suggestions

Grendeb

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Location
Quebec
Hi
I bought an Ithaca 600 a year ago, did some polishing and now since it is at the doctor for a cleaning I would like to do a woodjob on it. The stock has some scratches/dent and the finish starts to peal off at some places.
I have a preference for mat finish but would like either brown chocolate of subtile cherry red.
What do you guys think considering the receiver is silver plated and the barrels mat black.
I like cherry red but maybe it would make too much contrast or eye catching...or the black barrels, silver receiver and mat brown would fit better.
Mainly looking for pictures of similar guns with final results to use as reference so I can make up my mind ;)
Cheers!
The gun

Color similar to what I have in mind for cherry red



Brown mat I have in mind
 
Just use Tru-Oil and let the wood dictate the colour... 6-8 coats and buff with 0000 steel wool until you get the sheen to where you want it.
 
I agree with above. Let the natural color show. The more gun stocks I refinish the more I lean to natural color

In addition... staining can be a risky affair and ALOT of work to reverse... test the colour on the sanded inside of the forend, and then do a few coats of Tru-Oil over top... it often leaves you with a deep regret that you didn't leave well enough alone... ask me how I know...
 
rubbed with water to show the woods natural colour and any finish that I may of missed.



First coat



Second coat



Using extra dark oil finish. This gun will need about 4 - 5 more coats. Leave the checkering for the last 2 coats.
 
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If you must use stain, I would suggest birchwood casey walnut stain. Its water based so you can easily dilute it if you are working with darker woods or use the concentrate if your working with lighter woods. With the BC walnut stain, you can achieve a broad spectrum of colours. I have successfully achieved nice subtle browns to vibrant reds depending on the piece of wood you're working with.
 
You will have to strip the old finish off that stock before you know what you have to work with. Take a very close look at the dark streaks of wood "grain" on that stock. You mays be very surprised to find it is not natural in that vintage of Ithaca/ SKB. It will not have that kind of figured wood when refinished. That being said SKB sis stocks I have redone to get rid of that plastic like finish still have decent looking but not highly figured wood. If you have the grain sanded in, properly, with an oil finish on decent walnut you will most likely get a colour in between your brown and cherry and find it most pleasing.
 
I finally finished this stock. Took awhile but that's how long it takes to do it right. After I'm done with the oil, I did a coat of wax. You don't need to do it if you don't want to. Just after every time you use the gun, you will want to wipe it with an oil rag and try not to use it in the rain. Since its a hunting gun and will be used in the rain, I've waxed it to keep water off. Really any wax you can use but the stuff I use is called trewax.

Also someone asked what brand of oil I was using. Its Scherell's Schaftol extra dark. Its from the same company as Balistol.

Before. These pictures are when I first bought the gun at the store I got it from.





After







Unfortunately the gun isn't as dark as I wanted even with the extra dark oil. That is just the nature of the beast though since that's the woods natural colour. If I would of used a lighter oil, the stock would look more like the first picture of the wood of it sanded with water rubbed on it. It does however look a lot better than the gloss varathane finish it had before.
 
I don't have pictures but I went with color since the wood looked kinda orange only with oil.
I'll post pic soon of the final results.
 
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