[Shrinkmd]

Here are some pics of my K31 stock. I already did 100, 150, and 220 grit sandings, but when I wet it down with mineral spirits afterward to try and get the oil spots out, it looks like these pics (some has dried already, but you get the idea).

Should just go back to 100 grit and keep working at it? I think I need to redo the area behind the receiver and the sides a bit anyway. I was afraid to take off too much wood (first time refinishing a stock!) and I've been checking to make sure all the metal parts still fit properly (they do) The buttplate didn't fit right before I started. I guess 60+ years of wear can do that.

Also, ideas on should I fill in that big gouge with some wood putty and then try to stain it, or should I just leave it be and continue? Besides for the big gouge on the bottom, the scratch/crack on the pistol grip, and the worn spots on the top handguard the stock in pretty smooth.

Obviously I'm losing some "history" in this project, but since the Swiss never fought anyone, I figure I'm losing the history of someone cleaning their spiked boots off by banging my poor rifle against them! The new history will be how I learned to refinish!

I protected the cartouche with duct tape during sanding
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=37913&stc=1&d=1144005457

Lower fore end
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=37914&stc=1&d=1144005457

Big bite missing from bottom of fore end
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=37915&stc=1&d=1144005457

It looks scratched, but its smooth as my baby's butt
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=37916&stc=1&d=1144005458

Is that a crack or a big scratch? I was afraid to keep sanding, I didn't want the whole thing to lose its shape or worse...
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=37917&stc=1&d=1144005458

Thanks!

[Oldnamvet]

About all you can do with dents in the stock is to put pin pricks into them, put a drop of water into it, and heat the drop to steam with a soldering iron. Many times you can raise the dent quite a bit in this way. If the wood fibers are broken rather than just squished, nothing is going to help. Trying to fill it looks ugly. Professional refinishers sometimes fill and then actually "paint" in the wood grain with dyes. That is a lot of work. Just refinish and leave the dents - they give it character.

[LHB1]

Sand with at least 320 and maybe 400 grit for smoother finish. I normally go to 600 grit on my sporters and Browning O/U's. Leave the dents and gouges as character marks. Trying to eliminate them simply creates even uglier splotches IMO. My preferred finish for 40+ years has been TruOil. It fills and finishes. I typically use 6-12 coats, sanding lightly between every other coat with either 400/600 grit sandpaper or 00000 grade steel wool. You MUST remove ALL steel wool with wet cloth before applying next coat of finish. I also wipe stock with a tack cloth (available from paint supply store) before each finish coat.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

[WayneConrad]

Great job preserving the cartouch. If you sand any more, make it a very fine grit. A finish that accentuates the scratches and nicks will bring out the stock's beauty. A K31 was never an arsenal queen. It earned each of those marks. Those marks will add to the rifle's character once the stock is finished.

[dawgtraxx]

try a wet washcloth and an iron on the dings..works very well...as for finishing i always use 600 grit paper last...and then 0000 steel wool...
stain, then 75/25 mix of blo and mineral spirits...a coat a day...go over with the steel wool and then another coat....until you get the desired finish

a litlle bleach...use sparingly will get the stains out of the sling well

[Gewehr98]

I'd recommend steaming even before the sandpaper ever touches the stock.

You can't put wood back on.

[LHB1]

Note: If you use TruOil or something similar, BE SURE TO LET EACH COAT DRY THOROUGHLY (MINIMUM 24 HOURS) BEFORE next step. Sanding or putting new coat on before previous coat has thoroughly dried and cured usually leads to a big mess which must then be removed down to bare wood and start over. Care to know how I learned this little gem of knowledge? :rolleyes:

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

[Shrinkmd]

I finally broke out the iron and managed to raise a few dents, and some of the larger gouges look a little better. I will try sanding again from 100 up, and do it in brighter light. I think the steaming raised up enough so that I can see more clearly where the sanding might be able to get it smoothed out.

I think I'm also getting a wee bit braver that I won't be left holding a chopstick from going too far.

[LHB1]

I think I'm also getting a wee bit braver that I won't be left holding a chopstick from going too far.

With sandpaper rougher than #320 (#220, #150, #100, etc.) you are taking wood off the stock quickly. The lower the grit, the faster you are removing wood. Too much sanding can change contours quickly.

With sandpaper above #320 (#400, #600, etc.) you are polishing the wood surface and hardly removing any significant amount of wood.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

[MagnumCaliber357]

Id definetly go a couple more passes with sand paper
Itll get all of thoes oil stains out

What i did on my turk muser stock is i started with 100 to get all the existing finish and to get the small dings controled

after that i went to 150 to make it smoother

after that went ahead with 220

then finally used some 320 to finish it off

Alot of guys suggest going higher but i just think that its a little redundant dont you think?

[Shrinkmd]

I am using the kit they sell on MidwayUSA, so I am following their instructions. I guess opinions differ, but if they believe that 220 is enough for a hand rubbed finish I suppose it is good enough for me. After all, it wouldn't have been a big deal for them to include an extra piece of sandpaper or two if they thought it was necessary. Their video instructions are very logical and well organized.

[LHB1]

Typically such refinishing "kits" contain and describe the use of MINIMUM supplies and effort to do a job. They want to emphasize how EASY it is to do it yourself, even if you will get what my father called a "half a** result". In any case, it is your gun and if you are happy that is all that matters. On a war surplus rifle, 220 grit may be sufficient. I would not be happy with that quality surface on my guns though. Good luck.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

[Shrinkmd]

Maybe I will try going higher than 220. This is my first stock refi project, so I'm learning while I go. As it is, now my wife wants me to learn how to use the iron on clothes :eek:

Their kit contains sealer, some walnut colored paste filler, and then an oil finish. They are recommending at least ten coats of finish, if not more. The tone they take in the video is trying to make it seem easier (although given the hours this will take over several weeks to complete, the average in a hurry American might not think its so easy)

[Live Free Or Die]

For my own woodworking projects, I can't imagine stopping at 220 grit. My final pre-finish sanding is usually with a 400-something grit paper. It could be that a courser grit sanding is appropriate for certain types of finishes, but I've always preferred a super-smooth finish in my woodworking projects. YMMV.

[Cosmoline]

Looks fine to me. Leave the dents and scars. They look cool after you put some BLO on them. It gives the wood character.

[cracked butt]

Leave the dents and cuts alone if you can't raise them by steaming. I tried putting filler in a dinged upstock before and it not only looked obvious, but it looked like crap. I'd leave it as-is right now and start refinishing it, if you use too fine of a sandpaper on a milsurp, that will be apparant also.

[rnovi]

Damn. I just finished re-finishing my old Remington speedmaster stock. I lost count of how many coats of linseed I put on it...

All I know is that I stopped "sanding" with 4000 grit paper...

100, 150, 220, 400, 600, 800, 1500, 1800, 2200, 3200, and then 4000 grit papers...wet sanding from 400 grit on...two sanding/linseed coats per grit...

Took three weeks.

For some reason I just can't bring myself to "sand" the gunstock up to 12000 grit though...

[Third_Rail]

When I sand, I usually stop at 2000 for guns. Heck, I'll usually stop at 2000 for a mirror finish on metal.

[dawgtraxx]

the 600 grit takes the very fine scratches out...the 0000 steel wool between coats of blo takes some of the sheen off...maintains the military look

[Shrinkmd]

That rings a bell. I think the kit suggests that step somewhere along the way.

Any thoughts on what gloss level for the K31? I like the idea of high gloss, although it probably adds insult to the injury of refinishing in the first place. Which will accent the "historical" markings on the stock the best?

I didn't know sandpaper went that high!

At least it still has the cartouche...:)

[Live Free Or Die]

I think it would look a little strange with a high-gloss finish, but it's your rifle so do what makes you happy! You could always rub it with 0000 steel wool if you didn't like the high gloss (as a previous poster mentioned). The 0000 treatment will turn a high-gloss into a semi-gloss, and remove most imperfections in the finish along the way (dust, smudges, etc.). There will still be a bit of sheen, but I wouldn't call it "gloss." It's a very attractive look on rifles IMO.

[LHB1]

I prefer 5-0 steel wool (00000) over 4-0 (0000) for light sanding between finish coats. USE TACK CLOTH TO FULLY REMOVE THE STEEL WOOL PARTICLES BEFORE PUTTING ON THE NEXT COAT OF FINISH. The 5-0 also works well for turning gloss finish into satin finish but Brownell's sells the best products I have found. They make it very easy to get just the right amount of gloss or satin luster on the final coat and also polish out very minor imperfections in the finish:
Triple F Rubbing Compound: converts glossy finish to eggshell/satin luster.
Five F Rubbing Compound: converts eggshell/satin finish to glossy finish.

TAKE YOUR TIME. Refinishing a stock correctly is not a one day job. Personally, I never wet sand, don't "raise the grain/sand", and don't use fillers or stains. My choice is straight TruOil on wood sanded thru 600 grit. (You may not want that super smooth surface on your surplus rifle stock.) Last stock I finished was from my Browning Grade VI Citori O/U after I rasped over 1/4 inch from the top of comb. Must have put at least 20 coats on with intermittent light sanding before being satisfied. The Citori looks good as new and now it hits what I see when looking down the barrel/vent rib. Good luck with your first stock. I remember doing my first stock in 1959. Was scared silly but it turned out OK. Yours will too if you take your time.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

[Skofnung]

After you take the stock down to the highest grit you care to, make sure to "raise the grain" with a slightly damp cloth. Let it dry, and no matter how smooth you thought it was, little hairs will pop up and feel like a woman's leg two days after shaving. Use fine steel wool to knock the hairs off. Use a tack cloth to clean the fibers off.

Do this as many times as necessary until you don't feel the "fuzzies" when you raise the grain.

At this point use a tack cloth to get all of the steel wool off for good, then use whatever finish you care to. I like many coats of straight BLO myownself.

[Shrinkmd]

I just applied coat #10 of the Miles Gilbert oil finish included in the kit. They suggest letting it dry 8-12 hours between coats, and needing to scuff the surface if it dries longer than 24 hours. It definitely looks pretty cool, although kind of weird and glossy right now. The wood doesn't have that much interesting grain to it, but the dents and scratches look cool under the stain. (I will take some pics and repost at some point) The cartouche still looks ok.

Their instructions don't say anything about sanding in between coats, just to do a wet sand with 600 grit at least 5 days after the last coat was applied. Then they provide instructions as well as some pumice and rottenstone to make the gloss whatever level you desire. Does this sound reasonable. I imagine that there are many ways to skin a cat, and that every step along the way has short cuts, optimum techniques for effort/results, and overkill techniques which bring little extra benefit. The old "the last 5% costs 95%" type of situation.

Then again I've already spent countless hours on this, and want it to turn out well. Can you put too many coats of finish on?

[Cosmoline]

I'm an addicted to the BLO jug, so I don't know about the finish you're using. But yeah 10 is a lot! If the Miles stuff is like BLO, you take off any finish that will come off with steel wool (or whatever you're using). Then it should be smooth to the touch and fully dry before the next coat. You then wipe it down to clear off any little hairs or bits of sand and apply the next coat. With each coat it takes more elbow grease to clear the sticking oil and less oil will remain with each coat. But that's how you get the deep shine and hard surface.

[Shrinkmd]

Here we go. This is after the 11th coating of the oil finish, but no sanding or anything between coats, as per the manufacturer's instructions. I'm starting to think that a semi-gloss eggshell type finish might look better than glossy. I'm curious to see how it will all look after I put a couple more coats on, then let it dry for 5 days or so.

So what do you think so far?

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39758&stc=1&d=1147144464

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39759&stc=1&d=1147144464

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39761&stc=1&d=1147144464

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39762&stc=1&d=1147144464

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39763&stc=1&d=1147144464

[Shrinkmd]

Might need another coat of the blue wonder gun blue in spots, but what do you think so far?

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=40042&stc=1&d=1147830127

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=40043&stc=1&d=1147830127

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=40044&stc=1&d=1147830127

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=40045&stc=1&d=1147830127

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=40046&stc=1&d=1147830127

[Dacoda]

WoW! Nice job. wanna come do mine next?

[Live Free Or Die]

I think you did a great job. But I do agree that the K31 would look more...appropriate somehow if it weren't glossy. You can eliminate the glossy finish with steel wool. I'd run some 0000 over it to start with. It should still have a nice sheen, but definitely more "satin" than gloss. If it's still a tad to shiny for you, I'm betting 000 will do the trick. I'd like to see some pictures when you're all done and have it all reassembled!

[Shrinkmd]

I need to take some pics outside in natural light without flash once it's done. I think some of the glossiness is due to the flash.

I agree the gloss might be a bit much, but after all the hard work to get it looking literally "shiny and new" I don't know if I have the heart to dull it down a notch. It also requires more effort, which at this point...

[Live Free Or Die]

I know what you mean -- I sort of liked the new glossy look of my SKS when I refinished it, and the camera flash did indeed make it look much shinier than it was IRL. In the end though it seemed a little artificial and modern looking to me though, and it just didn't feel like a milsurp should (in my mind).

Going over the stock with some steel wool is not a lot of work. The super fine grades shouldn't leave any visible scratches behind, and you can de-gloss your stock in just a few minutes. I believe it's also possible to restore the shine with a soft rag and some polishing compound (or a bit of elbow grease), so if you find that you want the gloss back, it's pretty easy and quick to do.

[jd46561]

That bluing looks real nice.:)

[riverdog]

When I was doing Garand stocks all I did was wash the stock in a degreaser, dry, sand to open the poors and then Tung Oil; I didn't worry about dings & dents.

I used 0000 steel wool between coats to remove the oil skin that formed and then added another coat of Tung Oil each 24 hr. Three or four coats usually does it, but I've been known to go to ten. The Garand stock looked good but with character.

[SnakeEater]

I did a fairly quick job on mine. I used mineral spirits to soak it, sanded with some fine grit paper, and used a couple coats of Tru-Oil. A littly glossy but I like it, and even though the buttstock still looks marked up it's super smooth now.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-3/975911/PTR003(Medium).jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-3/975911/PTR005(Medium).jpg