Stripping finish.

MilitaryCollectorMark

MilitaryCollectorMark

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Hey all!

What would be a good product for stripping finish from wood gun stocks?

Something that would be low odor right now and maybe stronger stuff for when it warms up and I can do it out side.
 
I have had best luck with Circa 1850 "Heavy Body Paint and Varnish Remover" - can not really comment about odour - I work in garage, not in house. I have had multiple used rifles with stocks that somebody sanded or scraped - don't do that!!! Butt plates, other metal no longer fit because wood was removed - wavy where it should be dead flat - rounded corners that should be square - square corners that should be rounded. Just nasty to take sandpaper or scraper to wood to remove finish!!!

Depending on the stock, a rough terry rag liberally sopped with acetone works well to then try to scrub out any oils that were in the wood, underneath the old finish - or in the barrel channel, in the magazine well, or under the butt plate where finish was often not applied, but oils found their way in there. Is a bleaching product - oxalic acid - works great to pull any stains from wood caused by rusting iron - is the active ingredient in "BarKeepers Friend" - but leaves wood cleaned, but bleached looking - usually needs some staining to cover that.

A bit of Red Mahogany Minwax oil stain mixed with boiled linseed oil - 50/50 is pretty strong - works very nicely as first coating to even out various bruises and old mis-colours on elderly walnut. Most that I have done have then received multiple very thin Boiled Linseed Oil - very thin - like two or three drops rubbing in with fingers and palm - dip finger tip into container of linseed oil - that is enough for an entire stock's coating. Normally is dry to the touch in 6 or 8 hours - ready for another very thin coating. Repeat until totally bored with it - 5, 10, 25 coats. Others may prefer something more shiny - follow that product's instructions, I guess.
 
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A lot depends on what sort of finish too. What works best on a rubbed oil finish might not be the same needed on a super thick multi layer varnish finish. ESPECIALLY if it's a two part catalyzed polyurethane. And faced with that option your best bet might well be a cabinet scraper since not many chemicals you'd want in the house would work.
 
BCRider said:
A lot depends on what sort of finish too. What works best on a rubbed oil finish might not be the same needed on a super thick multi layer varnish finish. ESPECIALLY if it's a two part catalyzed polyurethane. And faced with that option your best bet might well be a cabinet scraper since not many chemicals you'd want in the house would work.
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The finish is on a remington 788, probably lacquer?
 
I did up one Remington 788 in the late 1970's - the wood used was very white - whatever finish that Remington applied was like a paint to cover the wood, then a covering. That was the stock that I discovered how hard to stain what I think is birch - some type of hard wood - does not come out very nicely, for me, at all. Was not at all like walnut or other darker woods.
 
Potashminer said:
I did up one Remington 788 in the late 1970's - the wood used was very white - whatever finish that Remington applied was like a paint to cover the wood, then a covering. That was the stock that I discovered how hard to stain what I think is birch - some type of hard wood - does not come out very nicely, for me, at all. Was not at all like walnut or other darker woods.
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Found some nontoxic stripper today at homehardware. I'll see how that goes.
 
I have some here that I found at Home Hardware - or at least has Home Hardware price sticker on it - is "Natura" brand - "Safe Strip" - "Interior Paint and Varnish Remover" - described on the label as "safe and effective, gel formula, ready to use, non-corrosive" My impression was it works about 20% that the Circa 1850 will do - takes multiple coatings, and more "soak time", to get same amount crinkled up to remove, but it does eventually get that finish lifted and crinkly to scrape or brush scour it off.
 
I used Circa 1850 stripper on a Remington stock and it crinkled up the finish very nicely and easy to remove. Not sure what I’d use on an oiled stock though.
 
A 788 may be stocked in sycamore. Interesting experience trying to sand it. Tends to fuzz. Apply a coat of TruOil, varnish to get the fuzz stiffened up, then sand it off. Repeat as necessary. The wood will need a stain or tinted finish.
 
If you know how to use a scraper that is the best even if you strip the wood first. Tru Oil kind of works but sinks into the wood after a number of years. I have some guns that I had done TO on. Currently I am using polymerized tung oil and sealer which is easy to get a superior finish with. I have unused WW2 made stocks and the linseed oil is still not hard so I am not a fan of it. For walnut I soak alkanet root in sealer to make a red sealer which makes walnut look a bit warmer.
 
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