mauser06

after hunting with my muzzleloader the last 2 days i decided i can make her perdier....the finish almost looks fake......and where the woods been dented by me or the guy before me a clear coat is cracking and flaking.....not really bad yet but i dont like that looks of it.....and the winter hasnt even begun here so its gunna be a long one....i can strip the stock down to the wood in about 2 mins....so i think i want to refinish it and make her look better......first off..how do i get the old finish off? i have no idea what it is....it almost looks fake.....in the patch box i can see really nice wood....but the finished wood doesnt look that way....its a t/c hawken if it helps you at all....so what would you do to get that old stuff off? just sand away at it? how would you refinish the stock? sand it then tru oil it then clear it? or could i stain it then clear it? i never used truoil but have some here...any advice? this will be my first stock so im kinda worried.....almost to worried to not even think about it....but it doest look too great right now so i cant hurt it.....thanx alot.....

young_gun

i would just sand it, and then if the wood looks nice just put a clear coat on it. thats what my friends dad did for his rifle and neither of us new that and thought that it looked pretty cool.

338-06imp.

IF it were me I would use a good paint remover and then sand it smooth with a fine sand paper 180 to start moving to 220 and so on I use wet or dry sand paper . I would use tru oil for the finish I put it on by hand and just rub it in and lightly sand between coats. To get my final finish I use 0000 stell wool.
good luck

eldeguello

Agree with this on the stock finish. Then use some fine emery cloth to take all the finish off the steel parts, and polish them to a high shine. Then get some Laurel Mountain Forge Browning solution from Dixie Gun Works, follow the directions that come with it, and put an old timey brown finish on the steel parts (including the barrel!!) KEEP THE STUFF OUT OF THE BORE!! USE A WOODEN PEG FOR A BORE PLUG!!

mauser06

thanx guys.....how many coats of tru oil and clear should i put on? and how do i go about sanding between coats?? ive never worked with clear or tru oil...ive finished wood...probally not properly....just sanding it and rubbing in stain.....i can sand and rub stain in pretty good i think...my wood always turns out nice....just never actually sanded between coats or anything.....any advice on that?? im not sure if i want to do the metal.....my blueing isnt too bad at all.....one day ill get to it....but i just want the stock done now....never seen a rifle upclose with a browned finish...they are supposed to look really good though...so maybe one day ill have to think about that one....but can you guys fill me in on the rest of the finishing for the stock....sorry i just want to do it right and have a great looking stock...i know the wood looks great when i take out the barrel and everything.....but i hate the finish on it now....thanx alot guys....ill be starting it real soon....within a month....soon as the seasons over ill start it.......thanx alot