Bought these stocks at the local gun show this morning. Have never see a set damaged this way. Wet over time? Dry over time? The grain is raised and very prominent. Checkering is not all worn out. Can not ask the owner as he has passed away. Any ideas from the stock experts?

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I have no idea how they got that way......But I like them!

Just a wild guess: sand or media blasted. I've done a lot of media blasting and have had results on wood that resemble this.

Would steaming them for awhile possibly produce that effect?

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SWCA#3597

Poorly refinished Rosewood

I'm guessing the original finish was chemically stripped and a light re-coat of something was applied.

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Chris
SWCA #2243 SWHF #292

Maybe a refinish attempt after spending a little time under water?

I think, with some careful work, you can greatly improve the surface of those stocks. It would involve many coats of ??... and much sanding between coats, but I bet you can do it.p

The surface looks allot like old barn wood or old weathered wood decking.

This is mine after 2 weeks under water...

http://smith-wessonforum.com/attachm...1&d=1602985416

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Exactly what I was thinking - exposed to steam or seriously water logged.

Steaming is one way to "raise" the grain to repair dents and dings - though you are supposed to sand it down smooth after it dries.

Looks like maybe someone overdid it on those, and then forgot to sand them down..

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Stroker468:
Yours look very similar but mine may have been underwater for much longer as the damage is more severe. Thanks to all for taking the time to respond.

Those are Rosewood. It is a very porous wood, but those pores are usually filled with oil and/or resin. I think those grips were stripped with a strong chemical stripper, or possibly lye, which was often used by antique furniture refinishers. The stripping also ate away the oils and resins, leaving the wood very porous.

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Lee Jarrett

I haven’t done woodworking for a long time. But, back in high school shop, we used sanding sealer to fill open grain like that. Several coats were applied and sanded down to the wood. This would fill the grain and then finish was applied. Looks like whoever finished the stocks, factory or refinished, omitted that step.

THESE GRIPS WERE IN A WET SITUATION AT SOME POINT.........LOTS OF CONTINUED DAMP WILL DO IT AS WELL.

I have a Rosewood set that has the same type of coloring as these but were not ever stripped. I feel the same as Handejector that a strong type of stripper was used on your set.

Striker, Just wondering, are you in the habit of soaking your Smith’s for two weeks before firing There must be a colorful story to explain the submersion.

I'm very far from a wood working expert. But typically, water is used to to raise the grain when final finishing a piece. That just doesn't look like raised grain to me.

You could go to the back side, assuming it looks the same and experiment. A little water may raise the grain. Oils don't raise the grain when applied (tung, linseed, etc), but applying something with a soft cloth a few times might help.

Or, in a strange way, I kind of like them. I'd be interested in the outcome of this one.

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High heat, maybe lightly torched then cleaned?

Obviously you liked them well enough to buy them. I would just use them the way they are unless they hurt my hands.

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NEWB here...restoration question...photo added

Jack Flash - yes I bought them. I buy everything this guy brings me as he is a full time picker.. I buy everything so that he keeps looking and bringing me stuff.

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I agree that they are rosewood. And well worth restoring, especially if purchased for a good price. I'm a pretty good amateur woodworker but I don't even know where I would start with those. Maybe use acetone to get whatever finish is on them now off, and then trying to fill the grain ? One thing I do know about rosewood is that it is an oily wood, when young and dumb I put TruOil on a set of rosewood stocks and it remained sticky for weeks. After stripping that off, I wiped them down several times with acetone on a piece of terrycloth and then tried the TruOil again and that time it cured.

I agree with others, someone used something other than elbow grease to strip the original finish

Oldtimers used to use a product called Paste Wood Filler mixed with an appropriate colored stain on open grained wood. If done correctly the finish would come out as smooth as glass only after a few coats.

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Color is never going to match as one side is almost black and the other side is more red. Easier to see from the back.. will experiment to see if they can be brought back. There is a chip in the front bottom of one panel so they will never be perfect.

That, my friend, is why they are so cewl!

I’d do as suggested...try a wipe down with acetone. Then I would mask the checkering and medallion. Sand with 220 grit paper to start. Get as smooth as you can with that. Then switch to 320 grit wet/dry paper and a bit of TruOil. The ultra fine wood dust created, along with the truoil will help to fill the grain. You may have to repeat the sanding with truoil a few times. Then a couple more coats of true oil rubbed in by hand. Call it good.

It’s gonna be a prolonged project...probably a couple of weeks, allowing the truoil to cure in between coats. But I bet you’ll end up with some beautiful stocks!

...or leave them as is.

I look forward to seeing the final results.
Larry

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I would agree with the chemical stripping agent because the wood shows no abrasion from blasting or brushing. It looks like they used something like a thin varnish over that or something else that wouldn't fill in the grain.

Media blasted, not sand or glass beads. Take a close look at the pics! Note how the checking points are rounded, the boarder edges are rounded, the diamond edges are rounded, and the plating on the medallions is gone!
jcelect

OK, so what is the fix? Acetone wipe down and a lot of thin coats of tung oil?

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

If you already have other diamond stocks, you could keep them this way. Sort of variant , cool, as sanded or blasted pipes...

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They have the look of the early '70's Colt Government Model grips that I've heard were sand blasted.

I don't know what happened to them, but it does appear they spent time under water. I am in agreement with everyone on that front.

That said... I doubt I would ever attempt to use them on a gun, or at least a blued gun. If they were soaked in water, I would wonder what type of water. I would also be fearful of them being submerged in salt water. Like if they were salvaged from a Katrina gun, I would fear them rusting my gun.

If I were absolutely sure I was going to use them on a gun. I would strip them down to bare wood, wash them several times with soapy water, and refinish them with something that would completely seal the grips. I would seal both sides...

I know factory grips can be worth a mint, but they are not worth potential gun damage without taking steps to mitigate it.

To me they look like they were left out in the weather for an extended time, such as on a lost gun, especially with one side being much darker than the other. That sounds like it/they weathered on it's side with one side down. I wonder if the insides of the sides are heavily rust stained as would be likely on a gun lost outside in the weather, at least where I live.

I have no suggestions on how to restore them to any sort of original condition.

For those who asked what the back side of the stocks looks I attached a picture. No rust on the black washers so not in water a long time. I agree someone used a harsh stripper and it attacked the oils in the wood. These stocks were never going to be perfect but did turn into a shooter set after some thought and salvage work. Not a restoration as I am not even close to being smart enough to do that kind of work.

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I’ve worked on many grips and stocks made from rosewood from many origins. Rosewood is one of the easiest woods to sand using fine paper. Rub in some mineral oil on both front and back. The wood will draw the oil in and expel any moisture or wax.The wood will also darken and bring out the red hughes.They will return to the shade you started with in a couple of weeks or sooner if left in sunlight for a few days.Rosewood is the only wood that has the ability to draw in oil to its center. This is how the trees when alive protect its core from invasive insects.

My nickel says that the grips were refinished in the past or subjected to high humidity for a while, or both. In any event, I kind of like their appearance!