Refinishing a gun at home.

[220swift]

I am looking to refinish one of my uncles guns. It’s a Savage model 840E .222. So it’s not worth a whole lot. I want to reblue the metal parts and refinish the stock to the point you can still see the battle scars a bit but still be protected. Any help as far as kits or products would be appreciated.

 

[svnmag]

IMHO TruOil gives a beautiful finish.

Thinking of a reblue on an old cutoff Savage SXS. Found this:



Good TruOil watch:

 

[Retired Educator]

Don't know the difference between TruOil and Linseed Oil but a top-notch stock builder I know swears the Linseed Oil is all you need and the stock he did for me looks great with the Linseed Oil. Once a year I do give it a light coat to keep it perfect.

 

[riverview]

i like an oiled stock, any damage just oil it.

 

[svnmag]

T-oil is mainly linseed with added polymers. Straight linseed provides ZERO water resistance and looks no better than TO. TO itself is like a treated windbreaker. This is why bbl channels should be sealed with Thompson's etc and even "sealed" wood will not match the "zero-point" integrity of these "new" ugly-assed rifle stocks: Laminate or "plastic".

IMO. That is all.

 

[svnmag]

i like an oiled stock, any damage just oil it.

Same with TruOil.

 

[riverview]

I been carrying a Benelli ultra-lite for a couple years and the finish is wearing only to find the wood grain is painted on with light wood under it.

 

[Zogman]

Yup, TruOil. You will be very happy.

 

[svnmag]

I been carrying a Benelli ultra-lite for a couple years and the finish is wearing only to find the wood grain is painted on with light wood under it.

Then you can re-paint it:

 

[Allen]

Linseed oil doesn't protect wood from water, ehh...whut?

I would use TruOil if wanting to get a "new gun" kind of finish. If it's an older gun, motor oil is all you need if you are looking to preserve the wood without really changing its character.

ANY, and all oils will protect your stock to the depth it has infiltrated. Some have polymers or a varnish that will also coat the wood as a part of the protection, TruOil is just one of them, anything labled as Tung Oil is high on my list of wood protectants. I've used TruOil on gunstocks before and Tung Oil on an unfinished set of swivel chairs and I would do it again or swap the purpose for both of them as they've performed so similarly.

 

[1lessdog]

I use to have a special when I had my shop. If I blued your gun I would refinish the wood for half the cost. I would recut the checkering and put a real nice hand rubbed tru-oil finish.

When refinishing stocks I would sand down to 600 grit then put the stock under water so it had a good bath. Then I had a box that was about 1 ft sq and about 40 inches tall. Then you want to hang the stock in the box with a 100 watt light bulb. When good and dry take it out. I called it whiskering the wood as you could feel little pieces of wood sticking up. I would then take 0000 steel wool and rub the whiskers off. The stock will be really smooth. Now its time for the Tru-oil. I would put a coat on and put it in the box to let dry. When using the box method you could put about 3 coats on in a 24 hr period. Each time I would take the stock out of the box I would rub the stock with 0000 steel wool. After 7 or 8 coats You are done and you have a beautiful hand rubbed finish.

 

[svnmag]

Linseed oil doesn't protect wood from water, ehh...whut?

I would use TruOil if wanting to get a "new gun" kind of finish. If it's an older gun, motor oil is all you need if you are looking to preserve the wood without really changing its character.

ANY, and all oils will protect your stock to the depth it has infiltrated. Some have polymers or a varnish that will also coat the wood as a part of the protection, TruOil is just one of them, anything labled as Tung Oil is high on my list of wood protectants. I've used TruOil on gunstocks before and Tung Oil on an unfinished set of swivel chairs and I would do it again or swap the purpose for both of them as they've performed so similarly.

Not according to the gun editor of FS and his extensive tests.

 

[svnmag]

Also a semi-gloss finish is very possible with TO.

 

[Allen]

Not according to the gun editor of FS and his extensive tests.

Huh, and here all these years I thought Linseed oil was really hydrophobic. According to Wikipedia, your editor is correct.

Learn something new every day. Now I feel like the days I spent as a kid oiling a hay wagon during the heat of the summer were just a complete waste. Thanks, svn, I could have spent the rest of my life not knowing this.

 

[Allen]

Also a semi-gloss finish is very possible with TO.

Yeah, but it's easier to get to the semi-gloss than a person may want. I wanted more of a rubbed oil look, but after 2 coats of TruOil it was very semi-glossy.

 

[svnmag]

Is the stock in the vid too glossy for your taste?

 

[NDwalleyes]

Boys uses caution with carbon based seed oils, stains & varnishes. They are often the culprit of spontaneous combustion for home wood finishing. Make sure paper towels and rags are not balled up and tossed in the trash. Put them in an old paint can or similar container, and close up the lid well before discarding. I've seen many garages and homes burn up because of their use.

They will oxidize by picking up oxygen from the air and reach their combustion point if air is not limited or they are not allowed to dissipate the generated heat.

 

[svnmag]

Holy shit. Are you speaking of just good safety or did you see/read something which caused alarm? Either way; thanks for the good advice. I did like three stocks in my carpeted bedroom as a kid on top of cardboard with used rags going in a trash bag. Holy shit.

 

[NDwalleyes]

Holy shit. Are you speaking of just good safety or did you see/read something which caused alarm? Either way; thanks for the good advice. I did like three stocks in my carpeted bedroom as a kid on top of cardboard with used rags going in a trash bag. Holy shit.

Svn, I worked in the fire service for many years. Not discouraging their use, just passing on some knowledge!