1969 Model 94 stock

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newfrank

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Hey all,

I just bought myself a 1969 model 94 in 30-30. The gun itself is in good condition, but the stock is too light in my opinion. I've never refinished a gun stock before, so I just have a few question.

-What kind of wood is the stock from that year? I'm assuming it's american walnut as most stocks.
-How exactly should I go about doing it?
I've done a few searches to figure it out. It's like refinishing furniture, so strip the varnish and re-stain to the colour I want, right?

Thanks for the help.
Frank
 
More or less yes. I use circa 1850 stripper to remove varnish from gun stocks I get. I don't stain, but you could stain at that point. I finish all mine with walnut oil, the first couple coats thinned with natural turpentine to make it soak in deeper.
 
Phantom Power said:
More or less yes. I use circa 1850 stripper to remove varnish from gun stocks I get. I don't stain, but you could stain at that point. I finish all mine with walnut oil, the first couple coats thinned with natural turpentine to make it soak in deeper.
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Oh I like the sounds of that better. That'll get it darker and closer to normal winchester wood colour eh?

Got me a project. Sweet!
 
Strip the stock as suggested by previous posters then hit it with Schaftols gun stock oil **reddish brown**. That will give the original old fashioned Winchester red look. If unhappy with the results, just apply the darker brown Schaftols afterwards.
They are warm subtle colours and not harsh stains or dyes.

Pic of the finished gun posted here please:D
 
If you remove the wood to refinish it, make sure you sand so carefully that you remove zero wood from any area that touches metal. Rounding the corners where the buttstock meets the receiver is the best way to ruin the stock.
 
Yes, be mindful of that as Kilo Charlie says. I generally don't use any sandpaper on stocks I'm re finishing if I can help it. If I need to, I'll go over the stock with some 600 grit wet/dry lightly. But if the stock isn't damaged mechanically, the 1850 stripper will take off all the finish without altering the wood at all. Just apply it liberally with a paintbrush (that you plan to throw away) and let it sit on a pan covered in foil. The old finish will turn into a snotty jelly in a few minutes which you scrape off with a popsicle stick.

Just wipe it off carefully and thoroughly with shop cloths afterwards. Wear PVC gloves when working with the stripper. It eats through nitrile or latex gloves in a few seconds. Ask me how I know. Don't get it on your skin. You'll know it if you do. Rinse it off fast if that happens.
 
Looks like Schaftol is an oil finish, not a varnish. It won't build up in layers like varnish so you can do as many coats as you like since it'll soak into the wood.

Since it has a colour type to it it'll probably get darker with each coat.

As I said, I use walnut oil now but I used to use tung oil. My usual regimen is the first couple coats thinned out as I mentioned before and on a warm day you can do those a few hours apart. Then I do one additional application a day for a week. Then every other month or so I'll rub in another coat for the first year. After that once a year is fine as the wood will be holding the oil as well as it can.
 
Phantom Power said:
Looks like Schaftol is an oil finish, not a varnish. It won't build up in layers like varnish so you can do as many coats as you like since it'll soak into the wood.

Since it has a colour type to it it'll probably get darker with each coat.

As I said, I use walnut oil now but I used to use tung oil. My usual regimen is the first couple coats thinned out as I mentioned before and on a warm day you can do those a few hours apart. Then I do one additional application a day for a week. Then every other month or so I'll rub in another coat for the first year. After that once a year is fine as the wood will be holding the oil as well as it can.
Click to expand...

wise wordS Phantom Power!
I'll add that oil finishes are easy to maintain, allow you to steam out dents or dings and make scratch repair easy. Remove the butt plate and try some test spots. Gotta see those before and after pics here too :p
 
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burnsy56 said:
wise word Phantom Power.
I'll add that oil finishes are easy to maintain, allow you to steam out dents or dings and make scratch repair easy. Remove the butt plate and try some test spots. Gotta see those before and after pics here too :p
Click to expand...


Yeah I will post pics for sure. I'm away at work so it'll be a while though :(
 
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