I have some target stocks on a S and W that need refinishing. Will probably use tru oil since I'm familiar with it, but am open to suggestions. One panel is significantly darker than the other. Not sure why. It's a used piece. How do you get the old stain and finish out, and how do you refinish without clogging the checkering? Is it just a matter of applying it sparingly? Remember a friend boiling a forearm years ago to remove the stain, bit think it ended with a split stock.
Refinishing wood grips?
- Thread starter duckjihad
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First of all - Stay away from water! It's no good on wooden stocks of any kind.
The best cleaner is mineral spirits. If you want to strip off the old finish, I'd recommend a mild stripper such as Citri-Strip. You can carefully clean out the checkering with dental style picks after the stripper has softened up the old stuff. Do a final cleaning with mineral spirits (no H2O). Once the original finish is off you can analyze the color difference between the two pieces.
Perhaps a little deft staining altering the mix of stain colors between the two pieces to make them match will give the results you want. The two pieces may be the same wood, but one is heartwood and the other is sapwood - two contrasting colors. I prefer alcolhol based stains vs oil based. They dry faster and give nicer results.
For the final finish, I like Formby's low gloss tung oil finish (this is not a true tung oil but gives a nice glowing finish that is water resistant). I cut it with 50% mineral spirits for smoother flow and give it 4 to 5 coats with a light rub of 0000 steel wool between coats (not on the checkering though).
Hope this helps you - It has worked well for me!
Here's a sample of my work (These were really beat-up when I got them:
Ron
The best cleaner is mineral spirits. If you want to strip off the old finish, I'd recommend a mild stripper such as Citri-Strip. You can carefully clean out the checkering with dental style picks after the stripper has softened up the old stuff. Do a final cleaning with mineral spirits (no H2O). Once the original finish is off you can analyze the color difference between the two pieces.
Perhaps a little deft staining altering the mix of stain colors between the two pieces to make them match will give the results you want. The two pieces may be the same wood, but one is heartwood and the other is sapwood - two contrasting colors. I prefer alcolhol based stains vs oil based. They dry faster and give nicer results.
For the final finish, I like Formby's low gloss tung oil finish (this is not a true tung oil but gives a nice glowing finish that is water resistant). I cut it with 50% mineral spirits for smoother flow and give it 4 to 5 coats with a light rub of 0000 steel wool between coats (not on the checkering though).
Hope this helps you - It has worked well for me!
Here's a sample of my work (These were really beat-up when I got them:
Ron
jaybar
Member
Refinishing grips
Soak them in acetone for a while. Follow this string http://smith-wessonforum.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/540103904/m/2161025721 to a discussion on the process at the Smith & Wesson forum.
Soak them in acetone for a while. Follow this string http://smith-wessonforum.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/540103904/m/2161025721 to a discussion on the process at the Smith & Wesson forum.
fecmech
Member
Duckjihad--I would use a commercial paint remover to remove the old finish. You can use an old tooth brush to clean out the checkering. If the one side is still dark you can use bleach on it to lighten it or darken the other stock with stain. Then mask the checkering until you get the desired level of finish on the rest of the stocks. At that point remove the masking tape, thin the truoil 50/50 with solvent and put 2 or 3 thin coats on the checkering to seal it. Good luck Nick
Thanks guys. Nice job on the grips Ronjon. Oddly enough, I'm doing the exact same type. Do you submerge the grips in the stripper, or just coat them and leave alone for a while? How long do they need to sit with the stripper applied? Did you have to be careful to keep the stripper off the medallion?
Cocked & Locked
Member
aCeToNe
Do as JAYBAR suggested, use acetone and forget the "paint strippers." The acetone is a long time tried by many and proven way to do it right...plus, no mess.
Fill a glass jar with acetone and drop the grips in it. Let them set 24 hours and all the old finish and stain will be suspended in the solvent. Your grips will come out clean, stripped, and dry. Make sure you don't have any plastic grip medallions as they will go away forever.
Then use your tung oil, tru-oil, boiled linseed oil, or stain/finish of your choice. Don't put any finish in the checkered area, and don't use polyurethane...it won't come off if you are not satisfied with the way it looks.
Or, try one grip in the acetone and one with commercial paint stripper...then, report back to us on the one you prefer
Do as JAYBAR suggested, use acetone and forget the "paint strippers." The acetone is a long time tried by many and proven way to do it right...plus, no mess.
Fill a glass jar with acetone and drop the grips in it. Let them set 24 hours and all the old finish and stain will be suspended in the solvent. Your grips will come out clean, stripped, and dry. Make sure you don't have any plastic grip medallions as they will go away forever.
Then use your tung oil, tru-oil, boiled linseed oil, or stain/finish of your choice. Don't put any finish in the checkered area, and don't use polyurethane...it won't come off if you are not satisfied with the way it looks.
Or, try one grip in the acetone and one with commercial paint stripper...then, report back to us on the one you prefer
Duckjihad,
"Do you submerge the grips in the stripper, or just coat them and leave alone for a while? How long do they need to sit with the stripper applied? Did you have to be careful to keep the stripper off the medallion?"
I brush the citri-strip on thickly and let them sit for a few hours before gently scraping it off with coarse steel wool and I detail small areas such as the checkering with suitable dental picks. Then clean up the residue with mineral spirits. I masking taped the medalions just to play it safe, but I don't think the stripper would affect the metal.
I don't want to start a flame war, but I personally would not use acetone for stripping the grips since it takes out ALL oils - even the essential oils in the wood fibers. If you doubt this, just put some acetone on your fingers and see how the skin turns white (and the skin would die if you soaked your finger tips in it). Others have used it but may live to regret the long-term effects to the wood. I use acetone often in my shop for degreasing metal before blueing or lock-titeing, but NEVER to strip wood.
I believe in taking the conservative route when refinishing stocks and have not had a bad experience yet. I would NEVER put wood stocks in a dishwasher either, but some swear by this and others really, really have regretted doing it!!
Ron
"Do you submerge the grips in the stripper, or just coat them and leave alone for a while? How long do they need to sit with the stripper applied? Did you have to be careful to keep the stripper off the medallion?"
I brush the citri-strip on thickly and let them sit for a few hours before gently scraping it off with coarse steel wool and I detail small areas such as the checkering with suitable dental picks. Then clean up the residue with mineral spirits. I masking taped the medalions just to play it safe, but I don't think the stripper would affect the metal.
I don't want to start a flame war, but I personally would not use acetone for stripping the grips since it takes out ALL oils - even the essential oils in the wood fibers. If you doubt this, just put some acetone on your fingers and see how the skin turns white (and the skin would die if you soaked your finger tips in it). Others have used it but may live to regret the long-term effects to the wood. I use acetone often in my shop for degreasing metal before blueing or lock-titeing, but NEVER to strip wood.
I believe in taking the conservative route when refinishing stocks and have not had a bad experience yet. I would NEVER put wood stocks in a dishwasher either, but some swear by this and others really, really have regretted doing it!!
Ron
PotatoJudge
Member
I have had acetone overdry woods, so I would be wary of soaking them when a simple stripping will do the job. Also, if you use a brush to clean the checkering make sure it is not metal (seems obvious, I know). If the color is uneven, a thinned, tinted shellac could even out the color some and gives a nice finish. Shellac is thinned with denatured alcohol, then brushed on. Ronjon gives good advice- take it slow, use the least harsh chemicals you can.
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