How would YOU fix this rifle stock?

herrwalther · May 16, 2022

I have had this Marlin 336 for over 15 years. Near the end of the stock there is some damage. Some of it was accidently put there by me, others were there when I bought it. I have a pretty good game plan in mind already but want to see what others would do. These marks are just at the end there is no reason to refinish the whole rifle for a small area.

After I repair the holes and nicks I want to put a finish on as close to factory as possible. Rifle was made in 1983. Does anyone know how they finished the stocks during that time period?

4v50 Gary · May 16, 2022

Wood plug with matching grain & cut to match the cutout. Any sawdust should be mixed with glue. Then sand and stain.

edwardware · May 16, 2022

herrwalther said:
These marks are just at the end there is no reason to refinish the whole rifle for a small area.

Yes there is, but only a cosmetic reason.

If you aren't going to completely refinish for cosmetic reasons, I wouldn't do any more than soaking a bit of polymerizing oil into it to seal it.

Hugger-4641 · May 16, 2022

Pretty sure they were finished with spray polyurethane. If you are DaVinci with an airbrush, you might be able to repair the wood and blend in polyurethane over the repairs.

Slamfire · May 16, 2022

Hugger-4641 said:
Pretty sure they were finished with spray polyurethane. If you are DaVinci with an airbrush, you might be able to repair the wood and blend in polyurethane over the repairs.

Mine is from the same period, and poly urethane was the coating.

Dave DeLaurant · May 17, 2022

I never seem to have much luck blending small area repairs. For something like this I would do a scrape and recoat rearward from the grip to make the finish over the repairs look uniform, but that's just me.

jmr40 · May 17, 2022

I would leave it as is and go hunting.

doubleh · May 17, 2022

About the only finish besides oil, which isn't much of a finish to start with, that can be blended to where it can't be seen is lacquer. Let the flames start from the oil finish fans. :evil:

GooseGestapo · May 17, 2022

I’ve had good luck touching up stocks like that.
I lightly burnished the finish with 800-1,000grit sand paper.

I then get a little finish on a finger tip and gently spread it lightly swirling the finish. Be sure to work some into that termite hole. I used minwax light walnut polyurethane varnish.
After gently smoothing the finish, allow it to dry 2-3days. Repeat as necessary.

I’d also suggest taking off the butt plate and soaking a little finish into there.

In the future, wipe down the guns and don’t allow moisture to drain down and allow moisture to creep under butt plate.
I’ve got a REM Mod-7 with similar damage. Fixed it “acceptably” as above.

You can also get a replacement stock from Gunparts.com, or a new set from Boyd’s gunstocks. They offer some radical laminate colors!

AK Hunter · May 17, 2022

It looks to normal condition for a used hunting rifle. If you are going to hunt with it & as long as it's not getting worse, I would say just hunt with it.
It's still a new enough gun that they make replacement stocks, why repair when you can replace the whole stock.

Scooter22 · May 17, 2022

I,m with Goose on this if you just want to freshen it up. But I,d get a bottle of TruOil. It,s made for wiping on with your fingers and doesn,t set up too fast. I,ve used it many times with great results. I've never used poly. Plus you might as well do the whole stock. It will be even. You have to wait for it to dry whether you do half or whole and it will be totally sealed. You can adjust the gloss by buffing it down with 4/0 steel wool but I prefer the white 4/0 3M refinishing pads. Most SW is brittle china crap that breaks off and imbeds in everything porous. Good luck.

BigBlue 94 · May 17, 2022

That is an oil based polyurethane. Notice the yellow color compared to raw wood. You will always see the touch up due to the difference in yellowing. Oil based products yellow over time. The more darkness they are exposed to, the yellower they become.

You need to remove any finish that has turned white or is a lighter yellow color such as that near the butt plate.

herrwalther · May 17, 2022

BigBlue 94 said:
color

The white line is part of the butt plate.

4v50 Gary said:
Wood plug with matching grain & cut to match the cutout. Any sawdust should be mixed with glue. Then sand and stain.

I thought about using a plug but the hole is smaller than it appears. The butt plate has two small screws at the top and bottom then two nails at the widest part to help keep it on. It looks like someone slammed the side nail through the wood, causing that hole.

Anyway the repair I plan to do is lightly sand off the finish in the area. Probably in the last 4 inches or so of the stock. Fill that tiny hole in with a dab of amber shellac and saw dust. Sand out the uneven parts of the finish (light color, can feel with fingers). Seal with Truoil and then paint polyurethane. I never developed a fondness for the stuff in a spray can.

edwardware said:
Yes there is, but only a cosmetic reason.

Rest of the stock and foreend are in great condition. No holes or thinning of the finish anywhere other than the end.

David Hoback · May 18, 2022

Sand & degrease where you are repairing. Use saw dust & 2-part epoxy to fill the void. Sand down & refinish with penetrating oil, stain, etc.

Scooter22 · May 19, 2022

I wouldn't use TruOil and over coat with some other brand of poly. They may not match up and have a finish that won't cure properly even if both are oil based.. Decide on one. You can build up TO like a poly finish. Or just use a oil base poly and thin it for the first coat.. It will absorb into the grain. Mixing 2 newer finishes may turn into a mess. Not worth it. Pay strict attention on the time you can add new coats to build up the finish or the Fully Dry time before you can re coat. There is a difference!.

BigBlue 94 · May 21, 2022

herrwalther said:
The white line is part of the butt plate.

Lol im no dunce! I was referring to the finish that has changed color right next to that white plastic piece.

FROGO207 · May 31, 2022

Guess I am a purest. I would refinish the whole thing if I were to patch it. Blending in a patched finish never seems to work out well over time. I want to do it the best way first time.

herrwalther · Jun 17, 2022

Finally finished this little side project. I would say the repair went about 95% of what I wanted it to look like. The tiny nail hole could have filled in a little better but this is "hidden" enough for me. There wasn't much chance I could make it go away entirely, it just doesn't look as ugly now.

Maineshooter1 · Jun 17, 2022

Duct tape.

Scooter22 · Jun 18, 2022

Looks good. What did you end up using?

herrwalther · Jun 18, 2022

Scooter22 said:
Looks good. What did you end up using?

I sanded through the top finish and smoothed the rough spots with 400 and 600 grit sandpaper. Added Truoil to fill back the wood grain and color. For the hole, I used a mixture of Shellac and sawdust. That mixture has a very light color so I darkened it with Walnut stain applied with a toothpick. After buffing the Truoil I use BC stock conditioner that helps even out the gloss. Finished off with 2 light coats of brush on polyurethane.

How would YOU fix this rifle stock?

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