Lets see those refinished beech stocks

[wijib]

You stumbled upon the motherlode of whitewood stock refinishing, gk.

Having been a professional bowyer (custom bow-maker) in a previous life, I'm definitely wood connoisseur/snob/purist enough to ABHOR the "walnut-stained hardwood" bull***t so often peddled by snake-oil salesmen to deceive the ignorant into believing they are buying WALNUT. Consequently, when refinishing white-woods I usually let he natural wood shine through a fantastic finish that, when well-done, is like putting the product underneath under a magnifying-glass.

In my opinion, wood stains are nothing but lip-stick; and natural woods and women don't need such unnatural adornment to be gorgeous. In fact, I enjoy stripping "walnut-stained" b**poop to lay bare the natural beauty lying 'neath! Most of my examples below were stripped of their factory 'walnut-stained" PAINT, to show their natural beauty, figuring and personality. No snake oil required! 

Blonde beauty

 

[zrman27500]

The dark area on the butt is a shadow. Came out really nice. Wood was sealed before I stained with minwax oil stain followed by Tru oil.

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I know it's been a while, but what color oil stain did you use? This is like the only re finished beech stock I have ever seen that I find acceptable.

 

[baranjhn]

Here’s my BSA Super Meteor. I used a tinted Minwax stain then hand rubbed 3 coats of Tung oil.

 

[KWK]

I know it's been a while, but what color oil stain did you use? This is like the only re finished beech stock I have ever seen that I find acceptable.

It's been a few years, I don't remember. I often mix stains together to get what I want..
This Diana 27 stock has prestain conditioner before a mixture of Minwax Jacobian and Gunstock tint. The wood has a couple natural streaks in it that look ok. Then Tru oil and then Minwax Antique Oil on top a few coats because it's not quite as glossy. I wiped the stain on real even and did not wipe off excess. Takes a few days to dry this way but gave the color strength I wanted. I shaded a few spots that didn't take stain well or colored over some of the beech flecks with an artist brush barely holding any stain. Almost dry. Just enough to leave color. You can even do that after a coat of finish if you need to.. I do that to darken those beech flecks or the light crescents beech has if they're shining through too much. I don't like them. Dead give away it's beech. I won't try to make it like glass. It's wood.
I don't sand between coats until i build up some finish. Half that stuff you try to smooth out sanding between is burried after a few coats anyway. Wasted effort.

 

[zrman27500]

Wow you nailed that 27! Thanks for the tips, gives me some good info to start with before I dig into some of these beat up old stocks. I agree, I hate the crescents or "maggots" as I like to call them that beechwood has.

 

[Greenarrow]

HW77K

First attempt at checkering. Not perfect but satisfied.

 

[KWK]

That’s pretty good. Do you have checker tools or using files or???

I’ve cleaned up checkers and recut them but never started from scratch.
Larry Potterfield has a very good video. He’s such a class act
So skilled.
I bought a checker tool set about 35 years ago. Handy to have. I also use needle files I heated and curved the ends. They work well too

 

[Frank in Fairfield]

I didn’t re-finish mine cause after 100+ coats of BLO it looks fine to me:

 

[RangerPete]

Hi Air

What I did not state above is the fact that some white-woods that don't accept stains are not easily distinguished from Beech, even by educated eyes. See Vetmx's post (above) for evidence of the consequences.

K got great results darkening unimpressive Walnut with stain much for the better. However his experience should not be confused with staining white-woods. Excellent work and results on that Walnut stock, K!

If One simply has an aversion to white-woods, One can end up with a stock that looks like it was in a house fire. Been there; done that.

Hi AirNgasman,

Old post I know, but hoping you can help me with a few questions…
I don’t know much about different woods for stocks, but I have an old Anschultzs .22LR which has a very light colour “blond” stock.
I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at stripping it of what ever it is covered with and trying to get some of the natural grain to shine through.

I have a few questions I hope you, or others, might be able to help me with.

First, how do you identify walnut? How do you identify beech? Are there clues or give always for each? Weight, colour, grain???

2- what other popular types of wood might you find on a decent gun, and what do they use on the really cheep rubbish guns?

3- how can you identify if a stock has been varnished? Oiled? Stained?

And lastly, what is the correct procedure, step by step to strip, sand?, oil, seal, and finish off a stock so it is weather proof and looks beautiful?

Lots of questions I know, sorry. Trying to learn and understand a bit about stocks.
Pete.

 

[Long_Gun_Dallas]

Most stocks are stained. Most also have some manner of what I could only refer to a industrial sealer. I would think polyurethane as it's among the most durable?

Re-finishing procedure will vary by what finish you chose. But generally, stipping, sanding clean, and possibly pulling stain out would be among the first steps. I personally prefer an oil finish. So, the procedure after the stock is cleaned, stripped, sanded, and otherwise prepped is to simply apply while sanding it in with progressivly finer grits as more layers go on. Some people only do a couple layers, and dont even go that fine with the sanding and still get excellent results.

 

[Greenarrow]

That’s pretty good. Do you have checker tools or using files or???

I’ve cleaned up checkers and recut them but never started from scratch.
Larry Potterfield has a very good video. He’s such a class act
So skilled.
I bought a checker tool set about 35 years ago. Handy to have. I also use needle files I heated and curved the ends. They work well too

Thanks! I have the basic set of DemBart checkering tools. I have watched that Larry Potterfield video many times. He simplifies it and makes it look easy.

 

[DualMagMike]

.25 Patriot

 

[Northwoods22]

My Air Venturi Springfield M1A came with a bone dry stock with a really light sloppy stain job and nothing else. It's a light colored tight grained hardwood, like Beech. Mystery wood. Sanded it down with a Makita orbital sander to 400 grit with garnet paper, then I brushed on 3 applications of Minwax oil stain Special Walnut #224. My goal was to replicate the satin oil finished walnut stock of the real M1A/M14. Followed the stain with 3 coats of Tru-Oil and then buffed all surfaces with #0000 steel wool until all the gloss was gone, and the finish was level and even. The Minwax #224 does a good job of making light hardwood look like walnut.

A good military issue walnut stock color match-

In regards to checkering, I learned to do wood checkering in gunsmith school 30+ years ago. It's tough to do right. You guys who are doing your own checkering are doing a great job. Excellent work.

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

Here's my Marauder Semi-auto with shortened stock, stained with a mix of golden oak and dark walnut oil based stain.

 

[JP806TX]

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FWB300s Mini that I did a few years ago. First two were after stripping the factory brown stain? Finish? And after I updated the black in the stippling.

Middle two vertical stock pics were after some rubbed in coats of boiled linseed oil.

Last two were after a finish called Formbys tung oil, which doesn't actually have much Tung oil in it. It gives it a nice gloss that's easily repairable by simply putting more on. I understand the Formbys gives a similar finish to the Tru-oil product that many people like.

Fun project. Learned my lesson on an old marlin rimfire that staining beech doesn't go well, even with wood conditioners applied pre stain. Still comes out blotchy and uneven. If you're considering refinishing beech, best to live with a blond stock, in my opinion.

Good Job Mr. Franklink

I was wondering what product you used to refresh the black areas?
I have a Maccari stock with stippling around the pistol grip. I was thinking of going black.

 

[ghoststalker]

Don't be discouraged by some who say it's too hard to stain beach. Try it for yourself. There are several methods that will leave the wood with depth and a translucent appearance that far exceeds the plain unstained look at least to my eye.. The same goes for other woods.The walnut on my .25 Tomahawk for instance.

Here is the way it came from the factory. I knew I could improve it with stain.

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After reshaping the comb to suit myself I stripped, sanded, stained, and finished. After the oil stain dried It was too dark so I washed it down with mineral spirits next day before applying stock oil finish. Totally transformed the gun. This was a very light colored walnut and I don't care for that. I wanted something richer. Did I ruin it?

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Look at my BSA Mercury a few posts above. Does that look like paint to you? Patchy? No, I stripped off the "paint" and stained the beech in a way that I believe improved it greatly. Ha! you should see it in person. Same with the 124 shown above it I did. The wood came out beautiful. You should see that one up close. Real perceived depth and clarity. Pictures do not do either of these any justice.

Stain that sunny beech!

If that is actually beech, you hit the beech wood lottery with that ! That is the most grain structure you could ever ask for. Beech is about exciting as balsa wood, it’s as plain straight grained boring as you can get. There only so much you can hope for when staining a piece of it.

 

[KWK]

If that is actually beech, you hit the beech wood lottery with that ! That is the most grain structure you could ever ask for. Beech is about exciting as balsa wood, it’s as plain straight grained boring as you can get. There only so much you can hope for when staining a piece of it.

One is walnut, one is beech. Look carefully at the words when you read the pictures.

Factory finish on one of my R7's. Is it boring? It's actually a little darker. Lit up by the sun here. Quarter sawn Beech can be really nice. But today they don't do this much. Gamo Stutzen, and Royal series, BSA Stutzen, and certain Weihrauchs at times, have had some really nice stuff.

 

[rcarlisle]

I stripped the stock on my Gen 1 Marauder, sanded (and sanded... and sanded), then applied a single, heavy coat of boiled linseed oil (let it soak in and then wipe off the excess - then cure for a week) and then regular rub downs with a beeswax and mineral oil combo that has the consistency of an auto wax. This is my preferred finish for my axe hafts (except I use a LOT more linseed oil in multiple coats) because it is reasonably water resistant. It is also easy to repair if it gets damaged.

 

[Franklink]

Good Job Mr. Franklink

I was wondering what product you used to refresh the black areas?
I have a Maccari stock with stippling around the pistol grip. I was thinking of going black.

Black sharpie, really. Sounds like a bubba way to do it but works really well. The marker gives really good control. Plan on killing a new marker though, as the wood really soaks it up. I put the same Formbys (similar to Tru Oil) over the top of the blackened stippling that I put on the rest of the stock. The Formbys seals in the color and I've not had it rub off or discolor my hands at all. And it's been a few years.