touching up a wooden stock

nazz315430

Hello,
The other day i dropped my rifle, i had it in the bag after thoroughly cleaning it, and forgot i didnt zipper the case closed, and the gub flopped out.
I have a little ding on the side of the barrel, but the blueing is still intact.
What i am trying to get rid of is a mark on the front side of the stock, and also on the cheek pad (also wood) more like an indentation than an actual scratch. The stock is nutmeg.
Someone told me i could use a fine sandpaper to even things out and then use birchwood casey tru gun oil to finish it off.

I am afraid that i will make it worse than it is by trying to touch things up.

Can anyone help??

thanks

Nazz.

5mmgunguy

I have had some success with a moist rag and an iron. Put the moist rag on the spot and then apply heat (the iron). Sometimes the dent comes back out. The iron drives moisture into the wood and it expands. Go slow and don't try to to fix it completely it won't usually be completely fixed but sometimes it will really help. I have a great stock guy, but he isn't cheap.

nazz315430

My wife has a clothes steamer, do you think it would work with a rag and the steamer.

11b6r

Could be. I have used the damp rag and a clothes iron to "iron" a number of stocks. It works where the wood is dented- not sheared. Does a good job of getting the bent wood to unbend. Then give it a few days to dry, burnish the area with 0000 steel wool, and a couple of drops of Tung Oil.

nazz315430

Thanks for the tips,
i will try the iron and damp rag with the oil, and see how it goes.
Thanks
Nazz.