SKS finish retouch?

[Shandley]

Greetings,

After getting all of the cosmoline out of my stock, it has left a few spots.... lightened.

How would YOU recondition the stock without removing the existing stain/shellac. It's a solid stock from Russia (1954) numbers matching.

Thanks!

 

[fiddler]

Brown felt pen

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Everyone refers to it as a shellac, but is it really a varnish ? Shellac is pretty restricted in application. Big difference there.

Grizz

 

[bigedp51]

"Carefuly" rub the area with a lint free cotton rag and Denatured Alcohol, the Denatured Alcohol will dissolve the shellac and the rag wrapped around you finger will spread the shellac around and into the defect. Think of spit polishing your shoes in the military and rubbing with the tip of your finger. You can also just rub on new shellac over the defect and it will blend in to the old area. If varnish was used then simply rub some wiping varnish on the area and this depends on what country made the SKS.

French Varnish below using alcohol and Shellac, you can buff the sheen off with 4 0000 steel wool. I mentioned actual varnish rather than shellac because I had some Communist weapons where shellac was not used and real varnish was. You have two methods depending on the type of repair, meaning rub out the defect with just Denatured Alcohol or apply new shellac and blend in.

The Secret life of Shellac -0r- Bugs are our Friends!
http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/topic/16581/The-Secret-life-of-Shellac-0r-Bugs-are-our-Friends#.VAsz5_ldV8E

Topic: Original Stock Finish on Russian SKS
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=99474.0

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/French+varnish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_polish

 

[dimeN]

Bigedp51.... that was an Awesome post !! thank you for that info

"Carefuly" rub the area with a lint free cotton rag and Denatured Alcohol, the Denatured Alcohol will dissolve the shellac and the rag wrapped around you finger will spread the shellac around and into the defect. Think of spit polishing your shoes in the military and rubbing with the tip of your finger. You can also just rub on new shellac over the defect and it will blend in to the old area. If varnish was used then simply rub some wiping varnish on the area and this depends on what country made the SKS.

French Varnish below using alcohol and Shellac, you can buff the sheen off with 4 0000 steel wool. I mentioned actual varnish rather than shellac because I had some Communist weapons where shellac was not used and real varnish was. You have two methods depending on the type of repair, meaning rub out the defect with just Denatured Alcohol or apply new shellac and blend in.

The Secret life of Shellac -0r- Bugs are our Friends!
http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/topic/16581/The-Secret-life-of-Shellac-0r-Bugs-are-our-Friends#.VAsz5_ldV8E

Topic: Original Stock Finish on Russian SKS
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=99474.0

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/French+varnish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_polish

 

[bigedp51]

Bigedp51.... that was an Awesome post !! thank you for that info

I had a few SKSs and Noisy Magots and other milsurps so just remember this, Google is your best friend for getting information. The OP asked his question "HERE" and limited his answers to just this forum and when you ask Google the same question the answers come from all over the internet. It means reading more BUT it leads you to all the facts and all you have to do is separate the guesswork and BS from the real meat and potatoes. (and you learn along the way)

What matters is if you are a serious collector and want everything original as it left the factory or if your rifles are just shooters and you refinish the rifle with something like BLO. My favorite is Minwax Tung Oil Finish, because it contains no Tung oil at all and is nothing more than a wiping varnish with a hard durable satin finish. (wipe on, wait, wipe off, simple)

"All the information in the world is written in books and all you have to do is read"
Attila the Hun.....

 

[Shandley]

Google showed me too many ways. I was hoping to get a good idea of what to do and what not to do. I really just have some touch-ups on my shooter SKS. Thanks for the posts!!