Need help refinishing a gun.

[Hobbs4421]

My dad's old Mossberg shotgun used to have camo tape on it. I removed the tape and sanded the wooden stock. I removed all the sticky residue, but the stock needs a nice finish.

What's my next step? I am guessing I need to get some poly, but what is the application process? Do I get this stuff at the local harware store, or do I need something made specifily for guns?



Thanx, Isaac

[Xringshooter]

You could could coat it with Poly if you want. You can get it at any hardware store, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.

Or you could put on a commercial gunstock coating sold by Birchwood Casey or use boiled linseed oil. You could find these at your local gun shop or Wal-Mart. I'm sure there will be other suggestions coming forth also.

[Hobbs4421]

Thanx for the info!

[bac0nfat]

Maybe look into tung oil varnish. I've never used it on a gun, but I've done a few guitars in it and it makes a very nice, smooth finish. Not sticky or tacky at all.

[kbcobra26]

Yeah, if your not too picky you can just go the polyurethane route like Xring said.. I did that on my m38 and just did several coats to get the dull look I wanted.. (It will get shiny and more reflective the more coats you do)

Also as Xringshooter said, if you wanna get fancy they make kits for refinishing..

I dunno about going the linseed oil route though, the old timers always told me it takes days and days to dry so I always stayed away from the idea..

Maybe look into tung oil varnish. I've never used it on a gun, but I've done a few guitars in it and it makes a very nice, smooth finish. Not sticky or tacky at all.

Well what did you use on that sawn-off you made?? That thing turned out friggin' sweet..

[BigDukeSix]

I've had good success with a couple differemt finishes. On my m1a I use strictly boiled linseed oil, hand rubbed followed by several coats of Tom's 1/3 mix stock wax. I did a couple shotgun stocks by stripping to the bare wood, staining to color choice and then applying minwax semi gloss polyurethane.

[spblademaker]

I have used tung oil with good results as well as Birchwood Casey Tru Oil.

[mauser]

I've had good results with Birchwood Casey Tru Oil in conjunction with their filler and sealer before the oil finish. Find it in a gun store near you or possibly the sporting goods department of one of the bigger chain stores. Follow the instructions on the bottle and you'll get good results.



Another easy to use oil finish that gives great results is Tung Oil, available from many manufacturers like MINWAX, Formby's and a host of others. It dries to a smooth transparent finish. Available in hardware stores and the hardware department of many department and chain stores. Again, just follow the directions on the can.



Important! Dispose of oily rags in a can or bucket of water outside to avoid spontaneous combustion. I've seen rags soaked with finishing oil catch fire twice. Both times at my place of employment and because of someone not following this safety precaution. Both times I saw it soon enough to dump the rags into a bucket of water before it got out of hand.

Hint. When you're finished with your project and you don't anticipate using the leftover finish in the near future store the can/bottle upside down. Once those oils are exposed to air they will start to harden. They'll form a skin on the surface and render the unused portion inaccessible therefore useless. If stored cap down the skin will form on what would ordinarily be the bottom thus leaving the remainder of the contents available for future projects.

[Boots_DE]

My dad's old Mossberg shotgun used to have camo tape on it. I removed the tape and sanded the wooden stock. I removed all the sticky residue, but the stock needs a nice finish.

What's my next step? I am guessing I need to get some poly, but what is the application process? Do I get this stuff at the local harware store, or do I need something made specifily for guns?

You'll find some interesting info for your project here:

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu33.htm

Check out page 2.

[bac0nfat]

Well what did you use on that sawn-off you made?? That thing turned out friggin' sweet..

Thanks! It was a few thin coats of Minwax oil-based satin poly, a few thin coats of Helmsman Spar Urethane, and finally a top coat of Minwax oil-based poly. The reason we switched back and forth was because we were trying to get just the right sheen. First it was too dull, then too glossy, and finally just right.

If I had to do it again, I don't think I would go with a clear-coat type finish. It's just a little too thick for my taste, and I think tung oil would have turned out a little better.

Here's a pic: