Wood Stock Prep

Just received a wood stock to replace the sticky rubberized one that came with the new BSA Buccaneer SE I bought (Gamo was EXCELENT regarding this and sent me a new wood stock at no charge even though I had not registered the warrantee yet).

Before putting the wood one on the rifle, I was wondering if it would be advantageous to brush a layer of clear polyurethane on it to protect it better; or, would hinder any possible future refinishing that may need to be done?

Thanks
 
depends on what it is imo ... if its a beautifully grained piece i wouldnt poly it .. but if you just want a gloss, actually id just sand it and spray poly it, id put on a light coat and let it fully dry several days then knock it off with 320 and put several finishing coats on at the recommended intervals .. if you want super slick id start with something like aquacoat to fill then start with the poly ...
 
I think it depends on what kind of finish is on it. Basically, a stock needs to be sealed, sanded, and then finished. Mucking on a coat of polyurethane may seal it, but may also hide any beauty in the wood. Wood finishing is an art. Some of the custom stock makers, after sealing the wood. will hand rub several coats of an oil finish, and maybe rub a finishing coat of something harder, for protection, depending on use.
 
Photos of the stock (probably the same stock as on the Gamo Coyote)...
IMG_0001.1642214377.JPG
IMG_0002.1642214378.JPG

 
"prep" makes me thinking of sanding/stripping/.... But YES many many rifle have little to no seali9ng on the insetting possibly leading to moisture issues. Seal that with your choice.

Just for a coating (maybe wipe well with a purple nylon sanding pad?) birchwood casey tru-oil must be one of the most used. Many like Renaissance Wax Polish. And https://www.airrifleheadquarters.com/catalog/item/251486/42975.htm is a log time favorite of many. tru-oil will be SHINNY (like poly) but can be knocked down with compound. 

Your results will vary.

John


 
I would not mess with the outside, it looks good. The factory finish is likely to be poly but I don't think you can tell by looking at it. If you are worried it is not moisture resistant you can put a drop of water on it and see what happens. If it is sealed, the water will run off. If it does not run off and especially if the wood darkens in the area of the drop, it is not sealed and probably should be. Once a finish has dried, you can generally put another finish over it but it is best to try it first in an area where a boo boo would not be a big deal. I would also check the inletting. If it is sealed, no need to do more. If not, then I would seal it.

I make wood furniture and I have used oil and water based polyurethane and water based lacquer. They all retard moisture absorption (seal the wood). Oil based poly gives the wood an amber tint. Spray on finishes are very thin, about like wipe on. Wipe on is just oil based poly thinned out. It would be easy to use to seal the inletting if required. Linseed oil and tung oil do not seal the wood. Danish oil is linseed or tung oil with some varnish added. It will seal with enough coats. Most recently I have been using Osmo, a "hard wax oil". It is pricey but easy to apply and seals the wood. I'm not sure what is in tru oil although I have used it. I think it is like danish oil - has some sealing capability but less than a poly or varnish.

In short, you shouldn't need to do anything but checking to see that the inside and outside are sealed would be a good idea. If you need to seal the inside, I would probably use wipe on poly just because it is easy to apply. On the outside, it depends on what you want it to look like. But if it is sealed, I would not apply additional finish.