If you have refinished a sks or Mosin, please share.

smelly pete said:
This?
I got overzealous pouring boiling water down the pipe on my SVT40, and the shellac bloomed:(. Tried the hot iron trick, but the white cloud is still there. I've read that I can wipe on denatured alcohol to soften the finish and this should take care of the milky look, but I don't know what to recover it with?
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Try a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 1 part olive oil. Put it in a jar and shake the bejezus out of it. Dab a rag in and then rub it in. Let it sit, then rub it down again with a clean rag.
I will clean up wood furniture and just about all of my stocks with it. The coffee table downstairs gets hot pizza boxes set on it and will get that cloud to it. Works better than pledge.
 
verminaard said:
Try a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 1 part olive oil. Put it in a jar and shake the bejezus out of it. Dab a rag in and then rub it in. Let it sit, then rub it down again with a clean rag.
I will clean up wood furniture and just about all of my stocks with it. The coffee table downstairs gets hot pizza boxes set on it and will get that cloud to it. Works better than pledge.
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Thank you!
 
verminaard said:
Try a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 1 part olive oil. Put it in a jar and shake the bejezus out of it. Dab a rag in and then rub it in. Let it sit, then rub it down again with a clean rag.
I will clean up wood furniture and just about all of my stocks with it. The coffee table downstairs gets hot pizza boxes set on it and will get that cloud to it. Works better than pledge.
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plus you can use it on your salad
 
Here were my steps for an SKS:

I followed some bad advice, and put the stock in the oven. That bubbled the lacquer, and I ended up stripping it.

1. http://www.rona.ca/en/gel-remover
2. steel wool, 100 grit, 200 grit, then 400 grit sanding
3. http://www.rona.ca/en/premium-gel-stain-p03305310 (blood of the bourgeoisie works too for that nice red)
4. http://www.basspro.com/Birchwood-Casey-TruOil-Gun-Stock-Finish/product/47259/
applied oil by hand, lightly scuffed with steel wool between coats, Looked like this

http://tinypic.com/usermedia.php?uo=bpRy0IYlPgO3vwj0Zzqvxoh4l5k2TGxc#.WKklp_KWypc

It looks redder when physically looking at it, and with four coats of oil the laminate wood rings look metallic, with the whole finish looking two inches deep....the stock looks like an expensive desk.
Some guys don't like a shiny stock - There are other ways to achieve a satin look with scuffing and other hardener-free oils just google them. Also, I would advise against canned spray lacquer like that outdoor clear coat wood protectant - LOL. Yeah, I F'd up the first time.
 
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Even though the can says that it will eat through glue, my stock remained strong, useable and intact after a few hundred rounds. If you find another stripper that is more safe for glues, then by all means use that, I would not want anyone wrecking their laminate over something I told them to do...However I think that it's possible that some varnish, lacquers and glues contain the same elements and that's what these strippers are formulated to react with, but I'm not a chemist.
BTW I used 3/4 of a can for 2 full stripping sessions.
 
I have it stained, waiting for it to dry. I have some rattle can varathene in semi gloss. Will this spray can work good or should a guy use a brush out of a can? I plan to wet sand between coats.
 
Update: lightly steel wool the stock to smooth it out a bit and I put the 4th coat on. This should do it. It will be ready to pew pew pew.
 
As far as I've read, this is probably as close as original that you'll ever get to the original Soviet shellac:

https://www.shellac.net/seed_shellac.html

Seed or button shellac is "waxy" shellac....very tough finish and heavier than dewaxed shellac. I can only assume that the Russkies had something similar to the old shellac you'd see on turn of the century furniture, floors, etc. Modern dewaxed shellac....I don't know. I'm going to order a pound of Thai seedlac and dark jethwa button and see how it looks.
 
Irons78 said:
As far as I've read, this is probably as close as original that you'll ever get to the original Soviet shellac:

https://www.shellac.net/seed_shellac.html

Seed or button shellac is "waxy" shellac....very tough finish and heavier than dewaxed shellac. I can only assume that the Russkies had something similar to the old shellac you'd see on turn of the century furniture, floors, etc. Modern dewaxed shellac....I don't know. I'm going to order a pound of Thai seedlac and dark jethwa button and see how it looks.
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Giver and remember to post pics how it turns out.
 
The best method of removing shellac is probably sitting in your medicine cabinets...rubbing alcohol...
Most methods I've read are based on hydrocarbon finishes...shellac is not , it's a whole different ball game.
Now lets not all jump up and start using up first aid supplies ...go to the paint store , CTC , Home depot... ect and get a bottle of Methyl Hydrate ( alcohol )
This blends in and literally melts the shellac . Using a scotchbrite pad dipped in MH , simply rub the finish off .
I've turned away from using sandpaper and steelwool so instead I use " vibrapads " which are very similar to scotchbrite pad but more of an industrial strength , so to speak . These can also be used for shellac removal , by the way , and will smooth out the wood like no other and is also unobtrusive to stampings.
As far as final finish , I prefer to go old school.... Marine Varnish.. but I'll thin it out 3 parts thinner - 1 part varnish and rub it into the wood with a clean rag...thin coat , make the wood look "wet". This will soak into the wood fibers deeper than straight up varnish ( Urathane will work as well ) . 3 coats is all I need to finalize the project .
 
2wrherr.jpg


...Finnish capture, last 6" of barrel was badly rusted inside and out so had to remove it, recrown it, and remounted sight

...bbl is Sestroryetsk 1905!

...circa 1850 stripper w steel wool, then Swedish Pine Tar, and several coats of boiled linseed oil after

...and not done yet

...still in the process of whittling her down and fabricating steel stock fore end

...$200

...shoots very well with reloads

...am happy
 
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