DIY Easy Refinish a Gun Stock

I was asked to refinish a gun stock to be used as a gift. The finish was worn and dull with scratch marks. Gun oil had stained the wood dark in spots. It needed a good refinishing. He wanted a nice gloss finish on the stock.

Tools/ Supplies needed:

Finish solvent

Steel wool #3 and 4oooo

Heavy Rubber gloves

Apron

Newspaper

Safety goggles

Paint thinner

Clean rags

Sand paper different grades #150 #220 #1200

Rustoleum Wood Stain

Rustoleum Water base Poly Clear finish

Safety first!! Goggles and gloves. Chemical solvent feels like ant bites or worse if you get it on your skin and can blind you if you flick some into your eyes. Cover up. I always wear an apron to strip furniture with heavy rubber gloves and safety goggles. Use newspaper to protect the surface of your work area.

The gun has no flat surfaces so I only used steel wool to remove the finish. Start by applying a liberal coating of solvent over a section of the gun stock. Work a section at a time. Wait a minute or so and test the area. I live in a warm climate so my wait time is short. Solvent works best in warm weather. I always try to use a thick or gelled type solvent so it doesn't act too runny. It is a little more expensive but it clings better, even on vertical surfaces. Use the #3 coarse steel wool and rub the solvent off always trying to work with the direction of the grain. Repeat with a second and third coat if necessary. Once I have worked over an area I will follow up again aith the 4oooo steel wool. It's a finer grade and will help get any missed spots. Once you have finished removing the finish wash the gunstock down with paint thinner or mineral spirits to neutralize the solvent. Let the gunstock dry over night.

Sand the gunstock. I used various grades to smooth it down. The grain will sometimes raise up when you strip wood. Try not to over sand to preserve the natural patina. In this case though I had to use a power sander as I was having trouble removing oil stains from the side that the solvent didn't remove. Wipe it down with a dust cloth. I keep a bag of clean t shirt rags for things like this. I then followed up with a coat of stain. Wearing disposable gloves, I brushed on Rustoleum Walnut Stain. I have grown fond of this brand because the colors are nice and it dries in about an hour, ready for finishing.

Time to apply the finish. Working from the butt of the gun stock up, I coated the wood with Rustoleum Clear finish. if possible, always brush with the grain. The finish dries quickly like the stain. After about an hour, I lightly sanded the stock with 1200 sandpaper to remove any dust particles. I gave it a once over again with a fresh dust cloth and applied another coat. And again. Three is what I usually apply but he wanted extra glossy so I added a fourth. I am pretty happy with the results.

Well I hope this has been helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thank you for reading my Instructable!