dents and tiny gouges

[Thad]

I have a few marks on wooden stocks any product I should look at instead of stain to help hide them? One is on a gray laminate stock. Dropped my pistol from the shelf in the safe Not a happy camper

 

[jbunny]

I have a few marks on wooden stocks any product I should look at instead of stain to help hide them? One is on a gray laminate stock. Dropped my pistol from the shelf in the safe Not a happy camper

u can steam the dents out more or less. put a wet washcloth on the spot and a hot clothes iron and it will raise most of the dent out.

 

[colinjw]

As jbunny said, if you get the wood damp & then apply some heat, the steam from the hot water will expand the wood & the gouges will vanish.
You may have to lightly sand the wood to make an invisible repair.
It works well.

 

[sunray]

Use an old wash cloth. Soak it then wring it out. Put the cloth on the dent and apply a regular iron set on cotton until it dries out. If the whole dent doesn't come up, repeat.
This does nothing for gouges though. Those you'll have to fill in with epoxy, then sand a bit. Epoxy dries clear, but shiny.

 

[Can-down]

Hot air gun works well in place of the iron for less then flat surfaces and small areas.

 

[spi]

I have been told that steaming out dents can be done on wood stocks and this may well work for you if the dents are not too deep. I have never been particularly successful at it.

You cannot steam out a gouge, or a dent in a laminate stock (laminates are impregnated with polymer). Re-contouring might be your only option.

 

[mcgyver]

I have an old enfield that had some really bad inch long and 1/8th wide dents smashed into it .It took me maybe 6 hrs but I eventually was able to get the wood to swell and pop back into place . I was amazed at how well it actually worked