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Old Winchester Stock Refinish
buddyb
Member Posts: 5,395 ✭✭✭✭
I have an old model 37 in pretty sad shape.I dont want to take a chance on losing the original Winchester color on the stock.Will it work if I clean the stock with ammonia and steel wool and use Tru-oil on it?
Comments
I would NEVER use steel wood on an old gun stock. It will remove, or damage, any remaining original finish. Why do you want to use ammonia? The only reason I can think of would be if there is a lot of gun oil soaked into the wood near the action. Even then, I'm not sure I would do it. The best way to treat old Winchester wood is to hand rub it several times with some boiled linseed oil. Maybe dilute the first time or two with a bit of turpentine to help the linseed oil soak into the old wood. An old gun like your 37 has earned some character over the years, let it keep it.
Use a piece of burlap soaked in the BLO, Scrub the stock with it, and wipe dry with a clean rag. Scrub on, wipe off. You're using the BLO as a cleaner, and conditioner, not as a new finish. Let it set in a warm dry place for a good 24hrs, then give it a coat of Johnson's paste wax.
I worked with an old time cabinet builder years ago.He would sometimes refinish old cabinets already installed and he would clean them with ammonia and 0000 steel wool first thing.It would clean all the grease,dirt and crud and not take the finish off.I did an A5 that way a couple of years ago and after a few coats of Tru-Oil it looked like new.I was just concerned about the reddish color Winchester used.
If you want to do a really good Winchester type re-finish get a $15 Birchwood Caseys Gunstock re-finish KIT and just follow the instructions.
If you want the wood to have the Winchester slightly reddish tint get a 3 oz bottle of Birchwood Caseys RUSTY Walnut wood stain. If it don't say RUSTY on the tru-oil bottle it's probably not the reddish tint stain.
When applying the tru-oil instead of using steel wool between coats get one sheet of 800-1200 grit wet dry sandpaper from a automotive store. Fold the sandpaper into about a 4 inch square and apply each additional coat of tru oil with the extra fine grit sandpaper instead of using your fingers. Keep the stock and sandpaper wet with tru-oil but not so wet that you get runs. The sandpaper levels the previous coats. Let each coat dry about 24 hours before applying additional coats with the sandpaper. If you see a dried run when getting ready for the next coat just wet the sandpaper with tru-oil and gently sand it out while applying the next coat. If the final coat looks too shiny after it dries use the stock sheen SPARINGLY (gently with caution) to remove the gloss sheen to make it semi-gloss. The stock sheen is slightly abrasive like rubbing compound so use it with a soft cloth and check often. If you get the stock too dull, let it dry and go back with another tru-oil coat. Each coat of tru-oil makes the wood more glossy. The tru-oil now days dries faster at room temp of approx 70 degrees or warmer than the old style tru-oil from years ago. little bit of slow warm air moving from a remote located fan across the wood also aids in drying.
(just follow the directions in the kit) Have a place to hang the stock after each coat. Get a pint of mineral spirits (do not get the odorless type) and after each coat clean/soak your piece of sandpaper with the spirits.
The stain that comes in the kit is not the RUSTY Brown stain. The Rusty Brown is a Winchester reddish on purpose tint. Also if the wood has been subjected to water or heat or if it's new wood it's normal for the first coat or two of tru-oil to have places that appear dull. It is soaking into the wood and will eventually seal and all will be same appearance in later coats. (called seal coat)
Do not use steel wool at all. If the old stock is really beat up and oil soaked You might have to use a towel/hot water and a mild detergent. (you can review such online about how to get oil/grease out of old gunstock. Do not use acetone, Lacquer thinner etc. You will have to let the wood dry for few days.
Hint about tru-oil. Just punch a small hole in the tin foil seal and after each coat put the lid back on snug tight and turn the bottle upside down. The aggravating thin dry skim coat that forms will be at the bottom of the bottle next time you take the lid off.
I use disposable nitrite rubber gloves when doing the stock re-finishing and clean-up with mineral spirits.
Old stored tru-oil will thicken over long term storage and sometimes can be thinned with little bit of mineral spirits in a shallow container. (tru-oil don't like the white odorless mineral spirits and the odorless mineral spirits does not store very well long term)
When doing rifle stocks that are on Deer hunting rifles (of my own) I try to do them 6 mo's before season due to the lingering odor from the tru-oil.
What is nice about tru-oil finish is if you scratch the wood or see a dull spot just do a touch up with tru-oil. No major complete wood re-finish required.
Patience is your friend for a good finish.
Sounds like good advice. Thanks
Tung oil was like magic on my old Winchester and a couple others but only fantastic on all the rest.
Fairtrimmers XO has always worked well for me. Blends well, doesn't strip. Not sure if it's still being made though.
Fairtrimmers XO is no longer available and hasn't been for several years unfortunately. It was a very good product to use for stock cleaning. The owner fell seriously ill and could not recover to bring the company back.
Best.
for what it is worth, this is the process i follow with blo when a refinish is not appropriate, dont care all that much for the tru-oil
follow up for a scratch or something is the same, as it does not create an "edge" like some other finishes