target tech
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Curious if anyone has experience removing old varnish from a stock? I would like to clean up and refinish the stock on a 1917 I picked up, put a nice military oil finish back on it.
Help removing old varnish
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I recently used CitriStrip on an old 1960's Ruger stock and it came out great. Follow the directions and it will take several coats on trouble or oil impregnated areas. A good sanding and a Tru-Oil finish will make it look like new. Lots of go-to's on YouTube.
If "originality" is a concern, avoid sanding the stock. Trying to preserve original markings and contours would be top on my list. Various solvents may work, but it all depends upon what finish was put on the stock. Try to find a solvent that cuts the finish. If all else fails, try carb cleaner or gum and varnish remover from the auto parts store with lots of rags and paper towels. That, along with a soft scrub brush, should get decent results. Then, a scrubbing with warm water and a soap (perhaps Murphy's, Simple Green, Dawn) and a thorough drying. It will likely look nasty until you oil it. For that I use BLO (boiled linseed oil), the first coat a 50/50% mixture of BLO and turpentine or mineral spirits. Put it on heavy, and wipe off excess after about ten minutes. Let it dry a few days and put on another several coats of BLO by rubbing it in by hand not leaving an excess that appears wet. Let dry several days between coats.
Some folks prefer tung oil. There are a lot of opinions on what is best, and it depends upon what you are starting with and what you envision in the end.
Special Note: Use the solvents in a very well ventilated space - preferably outdoors - and never near a source of ignition, and towels and rags should be laid out or burnt at the end of the days. BLO and dome other oils, etc. can spontaneously combust. (As a firefighter I have seen this happen more than once over the years with great loss.)
Some folks prefer tung oil. There are a lot of opinions on what is best, and it depends upon what you are starting with and what you envision in the end.
Special Note: Use the solvents in a very well ventilated space - preferably outdoors - and never near a source of ignition, and towels and rags should be laid out or burnt at the end of the days. BLO and dome other oils, etc. can spontaneously combust. (As a firefighter I have seen this happen more than once over the years with great loss.)
Stock strip
Try a little laquer thinner on a Q-tip, if it softens up the finish you're in business. Take an old cotton sweat sock (white), put the stocks in the sock. Wrap with a few rubber bands to maintain good contact with the sock. Saturate the sock with laquer thinner, drop the whole thing in a gallon zip-loc bag and let it marinate for a couple of hours. You should be able to just wipe the finish away, what's left of it anyway, most of the finish will transfer to the sock. I used this method on a couple of rifle stocks (using a trash bag instead of a zip-lock) and found it much less messy than any of the stripper products. The laquer thinner evaporates soon after you remove the sock so no leftover chemicals in the wood to foul up your finish coats. I've used this method on a few pairs of S&W stocks with great success. I have not tried it on any recent production stocks, I don't know if the more modern finishes will respond to the laquer thinner, that's why the Q-tip test before I go all-in.
Try a little laquer thinner on a Q-tip, if it softens up the finish you're in business. Take an old cotton sweat sock (white), put the stocks in the sock. Wrap with a few rubber bands to maintain good contact with the sock. Saturate the sock with laquer thinner, drop the whole thing in a gallon zip-loc bag and let it marinate for a couple of hours. You should be able to just wipe the finish away, what's left of it anyway, most of the finish will transfer to the sock. I used this method on a couple of rifle stocks (using a trash bag instead of a zip-lock) and found it much less messy than any of the stripper products. The laquer thinner evaporates soon after you remove the sock so no leftover chemicals in the wood to foul up your finish coats. I've used this method on a few pairs of S&W stocks with great success. I have not tried it on any recent production stocks, I don't know if the more modern finishes will respond to the laquer thinner, that's why the Q-tip test before I go all-in.
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JH1951's method is what I use, just removed some awful gloss finish on some 1911 Series 70 scales/ grips. Spray the cheap wally world carb. cleaner on wood, brush with soft brass brush, wipe with soft cloth with carb cleaner on it, instant clean, let dry and finish how ever you choose. BLO vs Un boiled is a invitation for an argument with old Marines, LOL.
Kp321
Member
I just finished stripping a 10/22 stock that had been painted a terrible lizard green. No stripper in the cabinet so I wiped the stock down with lacquer thinner to soften the paint then scraped it with a large pocket knife, similar to a Boy Scout knife. The paint came of very nicely and there was no damage to the stock. Scraping is a technique that needs to be practiced to prevent damage to the wood but is not hard to learn.
bulletslap
Member
I have successfully scraped thick varnish and poly off of stocks with a homemade cabinet scraper. It takes some elbow grease.
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OP
target tech
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Thanks for all of the ideas. I'm probably going to shoot the gun a little first, then when I have a stretch of time to devote to a project I'll start looking at buying materials. I bought a new Triumph Tiger this spring, so I'm not looking for a project at the moment. Thanks
I agree with Ken. CitriStripis great. Been using it for a while now, even on Browning hard gloss finish, it works.
It's non-toxic so you can use it indoors, which is helpful in the winter. An old tooth brush helps clean the finish out of the checkering.
Try it you will like it.
oneeyedpete
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Kwik Strip is what I use on varnish. CitriStrip is a bit too mild and requires extra effort but it will work. Kwik Strip literally melts off layers of old varnish without the need to scrape. Just take an old cotton t-shirt and wipe the goo off. I also avoid all sanding other than 600 grit to smooth things up before applying a finish.
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