ugly stock and need help

[keeki]

I just bought 2 Savage 110E's from a pawn shop and they are butt ugly. The 2 guns had to come from the same person because they both had been refinished the same ugly blonde stain with God knows how many coats of polyeurathane on them (I mean Ugly). I know absolutely nothing about refinishing wood, but i gotta do something with these. Is there an easier way to get that clear off than sanding? What grit paper should I use?

[TORCHRIDER]

Are you set on fixing those stocks? That is a lot of work. Believe me, ive done it. Stocks are cheap. Go to Numrich and buy one. If you are not hung up on wood then you can get a decent synthetic one very reasonably priced as well.

[Blue Avenger]

paint stripper first. if you try sanding it off you will take a lot of wood without intending to. sand the butt with the plastic recoil pad on or it will not match when you finish.

[keeki]

not really hung up on keeping them, just kinda wanted to learn something new. One of the stocks has a pretty nice grain that I would like to see. Plus the plant where I was working shut down in July, and I decided not to go back to work until at least 2012 (needed a break). Ive been in industrial maintenence/construction for 24yrs so I can use my hands and build or fix just about anything, just never messed with finishing wood.

[GaCop]

paint stripper first. if you try sanding it off you will take a lot of wood without intending to. sand the butt with the plastic recoil pad on or it will not match when you finish.

+1. I would also add, if your stripping the stock, I would go ahead and replace the plastic pad with a nice rubber one. During the refinishing is the time to grind and sand the pad to blend with the stock.

[tdwhite03]

Goop off works very well and is less harsh than paint stripper. I just completed a refinish on an old badly water damaged Marlin model 80 and the goop off worked like a charm.

Once you do start sanding, if the wood is in good shape, start with a grit like 120 and finish with a 220 grit. If the wood is in really bad shape you can start with 80 grit. You can use more aggressive sandpaper but be very careful.

Biggest thing to remember is to ALWAYS sand with the grain. I have also found it easier to use a soft foam sanding block with my paper.

[keeki]

Goop Off? How long do you keep it on there?

[tdwhite03]

I sprayed it on and left it for about a few minutes and then used 0000 steel wool to rub the stock down. Two applications and I was pretty much down to bare wood.

[keeki]

ok, what can I do about the blonde stain thats on it? go over it with a darker stain? use an oil?

[tdwhite03]

Once you sand it down, you should be down to bare wood and can go back with any stain you want. After staining use some finish oil and you will have a nice stock again.

[r29l20]

I would suggest a water based stain, for birch or beech stocks. They are harder and tighter grained than walnut, so I've found that the water based stains give a deeper penatration into the wood, and a darker result. Just my two cents. :)

[keeki]

Man! I've been sanding on this thing for hours, this is rediculous. He had to have a quart of some kind of finish that dont like to come of on that thing. Got the ugly off of it though, had to get some 100grit. Thought I was gonna have to get out the grinder.lol. I'll post a pick when I get finished. Thanks alot guys, Brian

[Eric in NC]

If it really is poly, a heat gun and plastic scrapers/putty knife works pretty well. As you have discovered - sanding poly is tough and you will likely sand the stock down to nothing before you get it all off!

[keeki]

I got it off. Arthritis is flared up but I got it. Chisel and hammer would have worked better

[GaCop]

I would suggest a water based stain, for birch or beech stocks. They are harder and tighter grained than walnut, so I've found that the water based stains give a deeper penatration into the wood, and a darker result. Just my two cents. :)

Water base stainworks well on the tight grain Beech and Birch stock but, does raise the grain. Buying professional powder stains and mixing them in alcohol cuts down on the amount of wood grain raised.

[longrange dog]

if you do another birchwood casey has kits for around 15.00. has everything you need except for remover which wal-mart has,i like a spray on ,the true oil finish that come with kit is a real good finish.

[keeki]

Im starting my second one now and gonna apply what I learned from the first one.lol. Its alot of work sanding on a gunstock.

[Grott]

Pictures?

How did they turn out?

[Blue Avenger]

Im starting my second one now and gonna apply what I learned from the first one.lol. Its alot of work sanding on a gunstock.

Try it from a semi inlet! then you can complain! LOL

[CJ in WY]

camo Krylon is a stock redoers friend ;D