Mosin Stock Refinishing-By Mosin Shooter

Sounds good! But there are so many, it's gonna get confusing! Maybe we should donate some socks and do a test of the most recommended!

 

I actually used Formby's tung oil and rubbed it on with a pair of rubber gloves. It's kinda supposed to be rubbed in like waxing a car. Dip my glove-covered finger or two in the stuff and rubbed it in. Worked great!

 

Mosin Shooter.......which model MN did you refinish with this method? The wood on my 91/59 is very different from the wood on my M39s. Will the method you use work on both woods? I know it will on the 91/59 but I'm not sure about the outcome on the wild coloration on my M39.


ETA I apply BLO or TO with my bare hand.........goes on smoother for me.

 

Apply stain with a brush and wipe off with clean rags.
Use 800 or 1200 grit wet/dry sandpaper instead of steel wool (steel wool will leave small particles of metal in the finish)
Use tack cloth after sanding and between coats.

 

I went for the natural wood look. I used Krud Cutter and sprayed it on the stock and wiped it off. This took off most of the old finish after 4-5 applications.
Next I used 0000 steel wool and sanded off any of the remaining finish.
Next I coated the whole stock with Tung Oil and let it sit over night.
Lastly I put a coat of Minwax Finishing Wax. You rub it on with a rag like car wax, then rub it off with a clean cloth.
This is the result.
If you want a different color wood, you could use Minwax Wood Finish Oil Based Stain prior to the Wax Finish.

 

Hey Anton, is it just me, or is your bolt handle covered in rust in that pic?

P.S. The stock I refinished turned out kinda like that, nice work!

 

Its not rust. It is some kind of krud from years of use I guess.
Maybe I'll use a grinder (brush part) and get it off.

 

I had that kind of stuff on one of my bolts, all I did was take some steel wool and rub it off the polished it up with some turtlewax polishing compound.

 

Something I heard of on another thread for stripping off the old finish but was sceptical until I tried it -- Easy-Off Oven cleaner! It works great; spray it on (after you strip the stock of all metal), wait 15-20 minutes and hose it off with a gentle blast of water. Took everything off, includling any residual cosmoline. Be sure to wash it afterwards with a mild detergent (Palmoline dishwashing soap, just a few drops in a small bucket) and most of all, be sure to wear RUBBER GLOVES when using the Easy-Off! (It burns like H*** if it touches your skin)

Once it dries out, the wood is raw and clean and just needs sanding and finishing of your choice. Amazing and cheap way to strip a stock!

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91-30 Stock

I am new to the site, and this probably should have been posted elsewhere, but is anyone looking for a 91-30 stock in great original shape with sling included?
I built mine for deer hunting, cut the barrel to 24", put an 11 degree target crown on the muzzle, removed the rear sight and the rear sight base, plugged the holes with short sections of the pins, tack welded them in, did lots of metal work with files and abrasive papers, drilled and tapped the receiver for a scope mount, cut the bolt handle and installed the ATI Bent Bolt, installed a Huber Match Grade Adjutable Trigger, drilled and tapped a hole in the trigger guard and made an adjustable trigger over travel stop, installed a Wolff reduced power bolt spring, applied a Woodland Green Duracoat Finish to the barreled receiver. I used Warne scope rings to mount the Nikon Buckmasters SideFocus Optic, a Limbsaver Barrel Deresonator, Beartooth Products Scope Guard and Slip-On Recoil Pad in Mossy Oak Break Up to accent the ATI Monte Carlo in Mossy Oak Break Up. Finishing touches were a Caldwell Prone Bipod and a camo SlingStix Sling. I did all the work myself at home in my shop, and as soon as I figure how to post photos I'll share some pics of it.
I'd sell the original furniture or swap it for something of equal value.

 

Welcome to G&G woodhippy we do have a for sale and trade section but doubt anyone is gonna be upset that you posted it here as we are all pretty friendly guyss LOL..
Look forward to seeing your pics

 

How do you strip a lammy stock I wonder? What'll strip the shellac without destroying the glue in the stock?

TCA

 

a) do you have to use a thinner to apply the tung oil, or can you just rub it in as is?
b) how long does it take the stock to dry after you've gotten it wet?
c) is tung oil expensive, or should i look at BLO as a cheaper alternative (college budget)?

 

Espresso -- Here is my input & experiences related to your questions;

a) Do not thin tung oil. Also, do not try to apply it over other finishes unless you know for sure that they are oil-based finishes. Use it right out of the container. Usually, the first coat on raw wood soaks in like a sponge so I apply it with a small brush until the wood is saturated, then wipe the excess (if any) off with a clean rag or paper towel.
b) Not sure what you mean by "gotten it wet". If you mean after you've stripped the old finish off and washed it down good, the wood will usually dry out in a day if you set it out in the warm sun. If you mean how long does the finish need to dry between coats, that depends on the humidity and how thick or thin you apply the finish. Usually a minimum of 12 hours, 24 hours to be sure.
c) A pint of tung oil is less than $10 and I've finished 8-10 rifles with that amount and still have plenty left over. Better yet, try a 3 oz. bottle of Tru-oil by Birchwood-Casey, which is a blend of tung-oil, BLO and other stuff and gives a beautiful finish. It goes on a bit thicker than just tung-oil and seems to dry faster. And you can usually buy a small bottle at Wal-Mart for less than $5 and is enough to do at least 3-4 stocks. A little goes a long way!

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I took off most of the finish on my 91/30 with the back of a knife (thanks R5CYA), but being that it was a 1933 rifle and spent a lot of time in cosmo, the underlying wood was nearly black with ingrained cosmo and dirt. I used two rounds of DPD and it took that crap completely off. I didn't have to wait long for it to dry, just stuck it in front of my apartment's radiator and turned on the heat. What came out was a beautiful bare wood stock.

I applied Boiled Linseed Oil. It's currently drying. I will post pictures soon!

 

I've used oven cleaner many times with no negative affects,It works great. I also have used bleach after stripping with ovencleaner, this gets
the wood very blond and makes it take stain colors better. I know these
sound like pretty harsh chemicals,but beach wood is pretty tough stuff.

 

i tried this a few times... most of the time it worked perfectly, but on one stock the wood on either side of the cleaning rod channel dried out so much it started to split in several places.... i had to glue it back together and doctor it up to get it to look nice...
i'm not sure if it was due to the oven cleaner or not... but that is what i was using at the time... and thats the only time it has ever happened to me.
i personally just don't want to go through that hassle again so i stick to dpd now. it works well, and i can do it in the tub.... um... the stock in the tub, not me!:196:

 

when using birchwood casey tru-oil, i prefer the aerosol can rather than applying by hand or a rag. the results are much smoother. i like to use three to four coats and use oooo steel wool between coats to remove any low spots or orange-peel. i finish with oooo steel wool as well. i don't like a whole lot of shine.