Staining old model 92 stock

M

mikepos

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
43   0   0
Location
NB
Hi, I'm looking for advice on staining a circa 1906 model 92 stock. I just removed an old coat of stain using "Circa 1850" furniture stripper and I'm pretty much down to the original wood. This is the stripper used for antique furniture, I'm told it's safe and it claims to be one step, no cleaning afterward, it isn't like Easy Off...
Anyway, I'm not going to try to get the minor handling marks out but I would like to bring the grain out more. Is there a proper stain to use, any suggestions of brand/colour? Also, I'm considering tung oil, how would that be with or without stain? What is the closest to original?
I posted quite a while back, this was given to me after sitting under unheated stairs for many years, wrapped in a blanket, so please don't blame me for the condition...
Thanks, any suggestions or information appreciated. It isn't for sale btw.

Pics:

IMG_1225aLarge.jpg


IMG_1226Large.jpg


IMG_1229Large.jpg


IMG_1230Large.jpg


IMG_1231Large.jpg


IMG_1232Large.jpg


IMG_1234Large.jpg


IMG_1290Large.jpg


IMG_1291Large.jpg


IMG_1292Large.jpg


IMG_1293Large.jpg
 
So far so good, but before putting any finish on, I would try and steam out some of the dents with a steam iron and wet towel. After that, you should be able to get more of the scratches out with sand paper, starting with 120 grit, then working to finer grits before tung oil.
 
I wouldn't sand it down with 120 grit... it will not fit the metal correctly when you are done... Wood is supposed to be a bit "proud" where it meets the metal.. I think it will look better if you leave some dings and dents... Can you imagine how weird it would look if you had new perfect wood on that metal?

I would not have refinished it at all...
 
Do a web search for Bits and Pieces who are in the lower mainland of B.C. . Order a small bottle of Schaftol red oil. Put some on a small cloth and rub it in. Keep it even on the wood. It looks deep red (wine) when applying it but when absorbed does a nice job of high lighting wood grain and will look much like the color Winchester used in the era. That is the only redaily available oil based stain I would even consider for gun stock work. Don't use common furniture stains as they will not come out evenly on the variuos end grains, slab grains etc. The color in Schaftol is carried in the oil as a solution. After a couple days drying (absorption) time apply several coats Tru Oil over it following the instructions for use. I would also steam out as many dents as you can. 120 grit is too coarse to start with and will leave a lot of deep scratches in the wood. I suggest 220 initially and for not too long, then switch to 320 and 400 grits. Always use sanding blocks and avoid reducing the edges of the wood where they would meet metal.
 
guntech said:
I wouldn't sand it down with 120 grit... it will not fit the metal correctly when you are done... Wood is supposed to be a bit "proud" where it meets the metal.. I think it will look better if you leave some dings and dents... Can you imagine how weird it would look if you had new perfect wood on that metal?

I would not have refinished it at all...
Click to expand...


Guntech, the stock was BADLY scratched on the sides, and it wasn't the original finish. It has dark walnut stain on the inside and had the creamy redish stain on the exterior facing portion. When it was redone whoever did it didn't take the wood off. I've been told it looked like a homemade tobacco stain but I have no experience with that so have no idea. The scratches are visible in the pictures btu thankfully weren't deep. The wood shows a bit more dings than the pics show but I won't sand it for reasons stated above. I don't want to risk ironing 100 year old wood to get out the other dings either... the wood is actually in remarkably good shape and what marks are there add charactor IMO.
I would really like to know what the original finish was though, I'd like to approximate it. I'm leaning toward tung oil as I won't be hunting with it, it will be a keepsake/occasional shooter. It has ties to a friend of my wife's and she's excitited to see me restoring it. It catches her interest and brings her closer to my gun collection, which makes this rifle worth far more than the monetary value.
Thanks for the help so far guys, I'm weighing all opinions. Please keep the info coming, I'm very interested. This is a fun restoration, especially where my wife is exctited, and the gun was given to me, with a few other less interesting ones.... I'll never forgetthe velcro sound of peeling the blankets off this old girl when I liberated it from its stairway purgatory ... :runaway:
 
Last edited:
The original finish was most likely a varnish. Possibly spar or bar varnish. You can do an excellent job with quality varnish provided you rub it out just as you would Tru Oil.
 
Varnish.. ugh. Maybe I'll split the difference and use Tru-oil, I've seen that recommended a lot here. Any opinion from the purists?
 
I have done a few of these, The stripper you used is great stuff,
usally takes a couple of coats to get all the finish of and last coat
I rub it all off lightly with 0000 steel wool and it is done.
I have never had muck luck steaming out dints,but have not tried it
very often. I would not sand at all if possible, if you sand at all
you have to do the whole thing and take enough off to get all the dints
and gowges out as if you leave any , when you stain or finish , the marks
will stand out like and look like hell.
True oil will work ,and I like toug-oil, takes longer.
Good luck
 
Thanks marshall. I've been researching how to do this for a while, and so far things are looking good except I can't decide what to use for finish, I want the grain to stand out but I'm afraid to stain.
No sanding, as already stated, and you brought up a good point about consistency of the handling marks. I think I'll just leave all markings alone, the gun was used as the meat getter by my wife's friends father years ago, so there is a bit of personality to them, and they are minor anyway.
It took 3 coats for me to get the wood clean, but I scrubbed the first coat with a cloth rather than steel wool, which did not work. When a toothbrush failed, I used toothepicks to clean out a few deeper scratches (not visible in pictures), which was tedious but did finally get the job done without increasing damage to the wood. This is the same stripper they use at the Provincial legislature building.
 
Truth be told there is little difference between a high grade wiping varnish and Tru Oil. The method of application is what makes varnish look the same. The first thing you do is throw away the paint brush and apply the thinned varnish as you would Tru Oil. Either by hand or with a lint free cloth (I actually use a type of strong, white paper towel that is available from auto supply stores. No lint, cheap and throw away each small patch after use. Also good for bore cleaning patches). Each application has to be very light as you would Tru Oil and it should be worked up between coats with a light rubbing with a Scotch Brite pad (blue works fine) to give the surface some teeth for the next coat to bond to. Just like Tru Oil you will eventually have to cut back a glazed finish to level it and fill the pores and then apply a couple more light coats and rub out with rotten stone. Done properly you can't tell the difference.
 
stocker said:
Truth be told there is little difference between a high grade wiping varnish and Tru Oil. The method of application is what makes varnish look the same. The first thing you do is throw away the paint brush and apply the thinned varnish as you would Tru Oil. Either by hand or with a lint free cloth (I actually use a type of strong, white paper towel that is available from auto supply stores. No lint, cheap and throw away each small patch after use. Also good for bore cleaning patches). Each application has to be very light as you would Tru Oil and it should be worked up between coats with a light rubbing with a Scotch Brite pad (blue works fine) to give the surface some teeth for the next coat to bond to. Just like Tru Oil you will eventually have to cut back a glazed finish to level it and fill the pores and then apply a couple more light coats and rub out with rotten stone. Done properly you can't tell the difference.
Click to expand...
i agree with u completly. i may add that walnut in it's clean and sanded state is kaki color. i like to use double
boiled lineseed oil mixed %50 turpintine for the first coats.
the more u put on and let it soak in the darker the wood gets. now if there is white wood in your stock, that means
sap wood and that will not darken . u can enhance the grain with steel wool disovled in phospheric acid, toilet
bowl cleaner. that is an art that i can not explain as i'm
still learning. se pics
100_0373.jpg

the stock on the left is from the same peice of wood as
the 3rd from the left. the one on the left i messed with the looks and lots of oil on the first coats. u can't let the oil dry between coats to get the dark color. the 3rd one
from the left is just 3 heavy dripping coats of oil. let dry for a week. i like to mix true oil 50-50 with linseed oil
and a dash of japan dryer to make the finnish tougher.
the stock in the middle is natural grain for my 07 351sl
win. the 3rd from the left is for my other 07 351 sl win.
the one on the left is for my martini 44mag project.
sorry about the long rant as my one typeing finger is getting sore.
 
Never touch the woods with "SANDPAPER"...only use the finest steel wool you can get . rub the woods down with it and tru-oil. the wool will create a fine sawdust to fill the scratches and will protect the woods. Do not over scrub the action edges. After a few wool and oil preparations, you can use a min-wax and rub it in good. I did with a few of my early 1900s and they are looking great. Do not try to remove all the "history" marks on the gun,Originality keeps them wantable. A reblueing is certainly in order but til then fine steel wool and gun oil will not harm the steel surface any more than it is when removing the rust.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom