Stripping stock clear coat

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Stw81

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Looking for first hand recommendations on removing clear coating off of gun stocks. Ive tried a product called super stripper and had zero luck. I would rather not use sandpaper
 
Stw81 said:
Looking for first hand recommendations on removing clear coating off of gun stocks. Ive tried a product called super stripper and had zero luck. I would rather not use sandpaper
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I use furniture stripper with fine steel wool. You can remove the clear coat and do a very fine cleanup with no scratches. This leaves the stain in place and you can add a new clear coat or add tung oil with easy results. This process does not sand or mark the stock but will remove all light marks. This also leaves the original stain which I think is important.
 
Rocket_James said:
I use furniture stripper with fine steel wool. You can remove the clear coat and do a very fine cleanup with no scratches. This leaves the stain in place and you can add a new clear coat or add tung oil with easy results. This process does not sand or mark the stock but will remove all light marks. This also leaves the original stain which I think is important.
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Do you know what brand the furniture stripper is ?
 
That's great stuff...unless the finish is an epoxy type. In that case, I think you're hooped unless you are willing to sand.
 
Kleanstrip Premium Paint Remover and Stripper Gel from Home Depo

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Note there are apparently several "types" of Circa 1850 products - I have used the "Heavy Body Paint and Varnish Remover" quite satisfactorily on several rifles - stuff comes out like a goopy gel, gets the finish to bubble - I use a plastic scraper to remove the bubbled up finish, and a small soft wire brush to clean out the chequering. Do not recall having to use sandpaper at all, although I did buff with de-greased 0000 steel wool on the areas that I used a steam clothes iron and wet rag to lift some dents.
 
As mentioned above there definitely must be different Circa 1850 products. As over the years I have found none of the standard paint stripper products will even soften epoxy finishes, and Browning, Winchester, and Remington all use epoxy based finishes. I know there must be a product that will bubble and lift epoxy finishes but I have never found one.
Scraping and sanding was the safest way. Years ago I had used a method of using a hand torch to bubble up the epoxy finish, let it cool and it turned very brittle, and scrapped off very easy. But it was a very tricky process as you could easily over heat and darken the wood. I have never shied away from sanding a stock, in fact there are very few I haven't. You just make sure you don't over do the sanding and never sand without the butt plate on or you will round the edge of the butt and it will look like hell when you put the plate back on. My opinion is the finishes that are currently used by Winchester/ Browning hide far more features of a nice piece of walnut than they enhance. Once you get that epoxy crap and it's stain off and apply a good oil based finish the grain is truly enhanced and exposed.
 
To remove epoxies you need a stripper with methylene chloride in it (real nasty stuff) which most strippers don’t use.
I found a Loctite gasket stripper still available with it, worked great but I used it on metal, I’ve never used it on wood.
For wood I’ve always had good results with 1850.
 
Stw81 said:
Looking for first hand recommendations on removing clear coating off of gun stocks. Ive tried a product called super stripper and had zero luck. I would rather not use sandpaper
Click to expand...

I use a cabinet scraper. Keep it sharp and don't let the corners dig in. It goes fast, and clean. I use lacquer thinner and a very fine brass brush on the checkering , to clean it, but not dull it.
 
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