To refinish or not to refinish...

[Stirfryd]

I recently came accross a Winchester stock that was rebuilt at RIA. original WRA cartouche is still visible but barely as well as crossed cannons. Sanding it is out of the question. The stock has some white numbers painted on the underside of the forearm and botttom of the pistol grip which detract from it's appearance. On a scale of one to ten in a beauty contest, it gets a 5. I plan to put a Winchester barreled receiver group on the stock. Who would refinish this one and to what degree? As a matter of personal preferance I would "touch it up" a bit. I don't think this stock has much collectors value but it is a Winchester. Thanks to all who helped with identifying the cartouches.

[jimb2]

Personally, I'd do it myself. Start by giving it a good cleaning with paint remover. That will take off the paint and outer oils. Then wipe it down with a good thinner. If you want to strip it even deeper, use fast orange or go-jo hand cleaner....the smmoth kind, not the stuff with pumice. Coat the stock well then let it sit for 10 minutes. Then wipe it off. Then give the stock a quick hot water bath to remove the rest of the cleaner. Let the stock dry slowly for a couple of days then steam out any dents you need to remove using a bit of wet cloth and a steam iron. Be patient, it could take quite a few applications of steam to raise a deep dent and some will never come out if the wood is damaged. Let the stock dry again, then oil it. I would oil it using either raw linseed oil or real tung oil. Cut the oil with thinner 50/50 so it soaks in well. Use several coats and hand rub. The stock will look a whole lot better. Just don't soak the stock for too long and the stampings will be retained. They may seem to disappear, but they will still be there when you reoil the stock.

[Stirfryd]

Thanks for the help JimB2. when you say "don't soak it to long", do you mean with the oil or during the rinse cycle after cleaning? I am most concerned that the now delecate wra stamps are retained. Thanks again!

[jimb2]

In the rinse......otherwise the water will raise the markings. As far as the oil goes, I usually apply it then let it sit for 10 minutes or so, then wipe. After it sits for a day or so, I apply another coat the same way. After two coats have had time to soak in, I apply a very light coat and hand rub to get the final soft semi-gloss finish. You can do as many or as few coats as you wish for whatever finish you are happy with. Just remember to wash your hands before rubbing so you don't dirty the oil that you are rubbing in. You don't want to darken the finish unnecessarily.

[Capt'n Mil Coll]

Here is a great deal of data on how to refinish or deep clean wood on Rifles.

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Thats from CMP.