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Boiling stocks

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airforcediver View Drop Down
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    Posted: December 13 2008 at 10:18am
Anyone done much rifle stock refinishing?  I have just recently undertaken the task of boiling the basterardized sporter stock, didn't see many threads on it.  So i figured i would start one and post pics when finished.
If all else fails call in a MOAB and call it a day
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2008 at 10:56am
I've done a few.
I usually try to avoid boiling in favour of other methods that don't load the wood up with water.
Probably this time I'm going to use alcohol. It will dissolve cosmolene very well, but I'm not sure how well it'll keep the wood's color as its made from wood products.
I'll test first in a hidden area.
 
Here's how the last "fence post" ended up. When I go it the wood was dry & grey with almost no grain showing.
This is lightly stained with a commercial wood furniture refinishing product & then lots of coats of BLO.
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote airforcediver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2008 at 11:13am
well, this is a bubba'd stock so not too concerned. I have done the boil and dried both pieces out.  I will begin the final sanding tomorrow.
 
That one of yours turned out pretty good, which stain did you use?
 
The reason I boiled is I currently don't have the space to steam, and not keen on all the chemical cleaning to be found on the net.
 
I used 1/4 cup of Mr Clean floor cleaner and 30 quart of water in my turkey fryer.
 
should have first batch of pics up tomorrow 
 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2008 at 9:55pm
Hmmmm, turkey fryer you say.......Ying%20Yang.
 
The stain I used is pretty non-conventional, be warned.
 
There is a pair of products called "Old English scratch & stain remover" its available at places like Home Despot, & Lowes.
 
It has a couple of things going for it that has made it my stain of choice.
 
There is both a light wood & a dark wood version. I got both, for about $12.00 IIRC. This is enough to stain probably 10~12 stocks, so it's good value in the long run.
 
I mix the light & dark till I get the tone I want, just stir them together in a small bottle till it looks just right & then do a smal test to confirm. If you're a tad off just adjust the light/dark mix.
 
It is some kind of oil-based stain, & is 100% compatible with linseed oil & other finish oils. It also does not seem to be effected by cleaners.
 
The other thing I like about it is that it does not "dilute" with more oil being overlaid to finish off the stock later, unlike a lot of "gun stains" I've tried in the past. I had a couple that lightened so much after about 10 coats of BLO that i had to rip the lot off & start over.Censored
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote airforcediver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 14 2008 at 6:49am
Yes indeed, I'll look for that stuff next time I'm at the hardware.  Comes out pretty nice, this time I'm going to use some Minwax I have left of from a small project it happens to be the tone I'm looking for. 
 
With regards to the Turkey fryer, they are an excellent investment.  I don't fry many turkeys, I do however steam large quantities of crab, scallops, mussels and other shellfish.  I also do fish fry's and make lots of homemade french fires, or is it freedom fries now (jokes, like the American cheese too, hard to get in Canada though) that along with the fact it boils 30 quart of water in approx 5 min, comes in handy for wetsuit divers up here in the cold
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote airforcediver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 14 2008 at 7:46am
Here's what i started with, my apologies for only having a buttstock pic my daughter was monkeying with the camera and managed to delete my forestock pics
 
 
since pics don't want o load for me here the link to them
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 17 2008 at 3:46am
Here's a quick update for you, since I seem to be one step down the road from you, you can learn from my blunders. That way you don't need to make them yourself.Ermm.
 
I used severa pre-wetted alcohol pads to remove the cosmo.
I get these in 50 packs, each sheet being about 8 X 8"
This save a lot of fluid soaking into the wood & so whiskering is there, but minimized.
 
I just keep wiping with sucessive pads till the (white) synthetic fabric doesn't stain even very slightly. I used about 40 of the pads to do every bit of cosmo removal in both the wood & metal parts BTW.
 
If you'r einterested they are called "PRO+SAT 850" They're handled in the US by Contec, Inc. In Spartanburg SC. Tel # is 800-289-5762 if you want to track down a Canadian sourse.
You could probably make your own with something like "J-Cloths" impregnated with 70% isopropyl alcohol & 20% distilled water.
 
After leaving for 24 hours to dry completely the wood, as expected, had light whiskers. In some places they were heavier than others, but overall lighter than wetted stocks I've done in the past.
 
I decided to test the Old London somewhere before applying to the whole stock, & based on the thought no-one would ever look inside I used the inside of the upper front handguard as my test location.
 
Initially there was a lot of grabbing of the applicator cloth, from the whiskering & the end grain exposed in some places. THEN IT WENT AWAY COMPLETELY! The wood surface smoothed out as the Old English was rubbed in. This stuff is designed as a scratch & dent re-finishing product for fine furniture, but I never expected this to happen.
 
I left it to dry overnight, just in case the whiskering returned as the wood dried out, but no. Even the next day the whiskers have been smoothed/sealed/glued, or whatever, back into the wood surface.
 
I've now done the entire stock, bith inside & outside with the light only, & the wood not only kept the original tone & pinkish tint, but the grain has been slightly emphasised. Better still there was ZERO sanding involved. Not one iota of wood has been removed from the surface. It is as smooth as any hand-rubbed, de-whiskered surface I've ever been able to make.
 
This may well be the answer to those very lightly stamped markings for anyone doing this kind of work.
 
I plan on doing several coats of BLO over this stuff as that has worked well in the past, but i figured I'd give you the heads up before you needed to de whisker.
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote airforcediver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 17 2008 at 10:43am
Thanks Shamu, ya we use a similar product to that at work for prepping certain surfaces for primer and PRC.
 
I didn't get any wiskering, I boiled my stock for approx 15min at a high rolling boil, the Mr Clean hardwood floor stuff ate up the crud really quick. 
Then it was a quick med steel wool rub, followed up with a quick cool rinse.
Then it was dry wiped and kiln dried on a low temp. then a 2 day dry in the shop.
 
followed by a triple coat of minwax American standard tone stain.
its rich and dark
 
now I'm on coat 5 of BLO and I have been alternating super fine steel wool rubb and low buff with a lint free cloth between the coats, to keep the sheen down and maintain an incredibly smooth finish.
 
I will be adding a few more pics to that photobucket album.
 
I'm now mounting a weaver top rail on the reciever, this wife is picking up a scope for me for Xmas (SSHHHHH I don't know thatWink)
fabricating a spacer to maintain level. once its complete it'll be posted in the aftermarket side of the forum
 
then maybe I can hunt down one like your new addition, but I may have to pickup a pistol first
 
If all else fails call in a MOAB and call it a day
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 17 2008 at 11:44am
thats a handsome rifle , you did well on this stock , ive seen it elsewhere are you selling this one ? didnt you just buy one of those minty mk2s ?
 
hope the sale isnt determineed by that buy , but if it is i think you made an excelent purchase ,
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 17 2008 at 9:27pm
Yep, the Savage has to go so I can afford the Mk2.
 
Funny thing is that I looked for an Enfield for quite a while without much luck. The ones being sold were so ratty that I avoided them.
 
I got the Savage from a friend on another forum & it did well for me but it wasn't exactly what I wanted. When the NIW Mk2 surfaced I grabbed it immediately, as it was exactly what I wanted.
 
Gun snob! That's me.
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hp-hobo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 17 2008 at 11:03pm
Not to take away from the topic, but Spartanburg is in South Carolina.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 18 2008 at 4:48am
Oops. Corrected the typo. Thanks.
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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