Grip refinishing

[damngato]

I just picked up a 17-6 (actually it's still sitting in the 10 day CA jail) and I'm thinking of having the grips refreshed/refinished.

From looking through the forum it sounds like several members perform this type of work but I wasn't sure who was taking any work on currently. I only have this picture currently but can provide more when I pick it up. I don't recall any significant dings, just rub wear areas.

Thanks in advance, I appreciate it.

 

[RSinOR]

Get a hold of Don Furr 714-290-6004 [email protected]
He's in Hoover, Alabama.. Been doing grip repair for 20+ years, see if he can help you.

 

[tlawler]

It's not that hard to refinish stocks, especially smooth combats that aren't in that distressed shape to begin with. All you need is some acetone to strip off the old finish, extra fine sandpaper and 0000 steel wool to smooth them out, and some Tru-Oil to finish. Here's a thread I did on the first pair I did. I was very happy with the results and the satisfaction of doing it myself was great.

Restoring some stocks

 

[MAG-NUM]

I agree that this is an easy home project. Here is an article I posted years ago on how to do it.
How to- Grip / Stocks Refinishing with photos! FINISHED!

 

[Marksman]

I strip factory finish using an acetone soak, remove from acetone and allow to dry thoroughly. When dry I use a maroon or grey Scotch Brite pad to remove whiskers and finish with Semi-gloss spray lacquer. Several light coats of lacquer given adequate dry time gives a good finish with very serviceable wear resistance.

 

[glowe]

First thing one needs to decide is what the finished product should look like. Do you want satin, matte, gloss finish? Do you want to fill the grain or leave it open? Do you want to match specific era finishes? It seems that everyone goes to Tru-Oil first, but the factory never used the stuff.

The answer could be boiled linseed oil or other true oil based finishes. These finishes are usually satin or semi-gloss depending on how many coats you want to apply. Hi-build finishes like varnish or Tru-Oil, will give a filled glossy look if enough coats are applied. Lacquer finishes are hard to do compared to other brush or rub on finishes, since lacquer is very thin. It also will yield a somewhat brittle finish over the years as the finish ages.

Lastly, give paint remover a try. It is a controlled release gel that is so much safer to use than Acetone for many reasons. I always use it and wipe of off, plus use a toothbrush on the checkering and then just wipe with a damp cloth. This raises the grain and you are then ready for sanding/steel wool before finish is applied.

Bottom line is decide what type of finish you want before going to what finish to use?

 

[WR Moore]

Over the decades, I've come to favor polyurethane finishes over others. Some of the others allow sweat to work it's way through over time or degrade the finish. MinWax has a rub on poly that seems to match the finish provided by many factory grip/stock makers. Can't recall off the top of my head-and I'm too old/lazy to go down/up all those stairs- if there's difference "looks" available. I prefer satin.