[mushoot]

My new 870 finish was ruined by Off, mosquito repelant. It is all goobered up. I am considering using mineral spirits to take the finish off and replacing it with boiled linseed oil. What do you think?

[HSMITH]

John, paint it. Go down to the hardware store and get some olive drab or flat black spray paint and shoot the wood with it. Tan and brown with a green highlight looks OK too, sort of a desert camo look.

When the wood is still wet with paint sprinkle a little silica sand (fine grit) in the paint over the wrist and on the forend. When that dries paint over it and do 3 coats that way. The texture makes a world of difference in the express wood, you can actually get a grip on it.

I have seen one done in bedliner material also. It was UGLY but it was extremely functional.

Mineral sprits won't cut the finish on an express, you need to use sandpaper. BLO is a good stock finish too, but Remmy wood has little to no grain to make it look good.

[Dave McCracken]

Besides the method H described, using bow paint in the little spray cans will work. I've done a couple stocks with flat black, and tricked one up with a Woodlands type combination of tan, black and two shades of green.

If you want to see the grain of the wood and look more conventional, the linseed oil will work. It takes many coats and patience, but well worth the effort. A stain applied first may be needed.

Varathane is a urethane finish, the low gloss version applied over a dark stain looks good and wears well.

Lots of other options, have seen stocks done with aniline dyes so they look like the Sunburst finish on older Gibson guitars.

[Red Label]

I had the same thing happen to me with the stock on a Wingmaster. The wood was very nice and I was furious. After I calmed down I stripped the finish with wood stripper and then refinished with Tru-oil. It turned out beautiful. Also with tru-oil you can either do a rubbed look or a high gloss. Years later I refinished the stock on an express the same way. If you work at it the cheap stocks can look good too. Use a propane torch lightly on the grain to bring it out, after you remove the old of course. Then refinish as normal! Good luck:)

[mushoot]

Thanks for the help. I will give Red Label's procedure a try. Now I just need to get rid of that Smith and Wesson 1000.

[Coltdriver]

You might also consider spar varnish.

I have done three stocks this year. One in Tung Oil (beautiful but took 10 coats and nearly two weeks of paint, dry, sand, repeat). One in Polyeurethane which just did not come out looking good for all of the effort.

The last one, my model 70, was done in spar varnish. Definitely weatherproof and absolutely beautiful after just three coats. From start to finish just took one week end. Brought out the grain of a standard nothing fancy stock and looks fantastic.

[jsalcedo]

I did my old wingmaster with tung oil I purchased online.

It is a tough waterproof finish that is just rubbed on with a cloth.

If anything happens to the finish after that you just apply another coat of the tung oil.

[mushoot]

I believe they did M1s with tung oil. I used linseed oil on mine and it came out great. I already have the linseed oil so I have to think it over. Thanks for all the help. John

[cookie]

Tung Oil works great, and you can rub it in while you're watch one of those Miss Fitness contests on TV. :)