Stripping finish off a laminated stock?

smity39 · 01-28-2004, 11:44 AM

I was wondering if anyone has any advice on how to best strip a factory finish off a laminated stock on a Ruger rifle. Unfortunately, I have to strip the entire stock (including barrel and receiver channels) and can not sand these parts. Does anyone know if it is safe to use a liquid stripper? Will these chemicals harm the epoxy in the laminate? If it is ok, what product do you recommend? Thanks in advance your help!

dave375hh · 01-28-2004, 12:22 PM

Smity,

Two products I've had good luck with(ie they work)is the spary gasket remover form NAPA, and Certistrip from brownells. The first application is scraped off with a scraper, putty knlfe or what-have-you. The second app. is removed with steelwool and water(both are water soluible). If you were careful with the scraper it will be ready to finsh when dry. A light sanding w/400grit is all thats required. Neither of these strippers have effected any epoxy at all. Wear rubber gloves with the certistrip.

I am curious, why do you need to remove the finish but can't sand it?

smity39 · 01-28-2004, 12:42 PM

I can and have sanded the exterior of the stock to strip the finish, but there are way too many nooks and cranies under the receiver and barrel to be able to sand.

dave375hh · 01-30-2004, 08:32 AM

Smity,

Since I started using these two strippers I only have to do light finish sanding before I start applying a new finish. It'll even clean out checkering with a stls steel "toothbrush" they sell at the gun shows. Use the stripper and the brush with lots of water, it works like a charm. dosen't hurt the checkering at all if you just use light pressure. You can do all four panels on a rifle stock in 5 min, no BS. Wipe the water off ASAP because the checkering is an open grain after the finish is removed.

In the last 4 years or so that I've been using these strippers (24-25 stocks) I only had one that they didn't work on. It was an older SKB 605 O/U that had some kind of epoxy finish on it that I had to sand off(it came off as a white powder, a real mess). Toughest finish I ever saw but didn't stand up to being dropped on a concrete sidewalk. But then OOPS! and OH $*** are what they pay me to repair.

Hope this helps.
Dave375

01-28-2004, 11:44 AM	#1
smity39 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 2	Stripping finish off a laminated stock? I was wondering if anyone has any advice on how to best strip a factory finish off a laminated stock on a Ruger rifle. Unfortunately, I have to strip the entire stock (including barrel and receiver channels) and can not sand these parts. Does anyone know if it is safe to use a liquid stripper? Will these chemicals harm the epoxy in the laminate? If it is ok, what product do you recommend? Thanks in advance your help!

01-28-2004, 12:22 PM	#2
dave375hh Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 587	Smity, Two products I've had good luck with(ie they work)is the spary gasket remover form NAPA, and Certistrip from brownells. The first application is scraped off with a scraper, putty knlfe or what-have-you. The second app. is removed with steelwool and water(both are water soluible). If you were careful with the scraper it will be ready to finsh when dry. A light sanding w/400grit is all thats required. Neither of these strippers have effected any epoxy at all. Wear rubber gloves with the certistrip. I am curious, why do you need to remove the finish but can't sand it? __________________ Dave 375 H&H

01-30-2004, 08:32 AM	#4
dave375hh Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 587	Smity, Since I started using these two strippers I only have to do light finish sanding before I start applying a new finish. It'll even clean out checkering with a stls steel "toothbrush" they sell at the gun shows. Use the stripper and the brush with lots of water, it works like a charm. dosen't hurt the checkering at all if you just use light pressure. You can do all four panels on a rifle stock in 5 min, no BS. Wipe the water off ASAP because the checkering is an open grain after the finish is removed. In the last 4 years or so that I've been using these strippers (24-25 stocks) I only had one that they didn't work on. It was an older SKB 605 O/U that had some kind of epoxy finish on it that I had to sand off(it came off as a white powder, a real mess). Toughest finish I ever saw but didn't stand up to being dropped on a concrete sidewalk. But then OOPS! and OH $*** are what they pay me to repair. Hope this helps. Dave375 __________________ Dave 375 H&H

01-28-2004, 12:42 PM	#3
smity39 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 2	I can and have sanded the exterior of the stock to strip the finish, but there are way too many nooks and cranies under the receiver and barrel to be able to sand.