Stock refinish

[joebogey]

Hey Guys,
Over the weekend a friend of mine gave my daughter a Savage model 110E in 243.
It looks as though it may have been carried as a truck gun and has quite a bit of the finish missing around the butt plate.
I'm looking for suggestions as to what I should refinish the stock with. I've thought of tung oil, but can tung oil be covered with a polyurethane?
Or would it be durable enough on it's own?

Any other suggestions are welcome.

 

[Mad Bodhi]

Pure tung oil is the toughest of the oil finishes.But a good Pure Tung oil finish can be an involved process.Polyurethane is quick and even tougher than tung but you won't get that hand rubbed luster out of it.Alternatively Tung oil finishes like Minwax Tung oil finish or Behr 600 Scandanavian Tung oil finish are not 100% pure Tung oil but are easier to get great results with.On my N.M. M1a I used Polyurethane on the inside of the stock and under the buttplate and Pure tung oil on the stock.The pure Tung oil was mixed with equal parts stain and citrus solvent and applied with superfine sand paper allowed to dry then repeated about 6 times,till the pores are filled and the stock is glassy smooth,looks great but you continue with a mix of pure tung oil and citrus solvent,abit more solvent than tung oil and no stain now.Applied with a soft cotton cloth allowed to dry and buffed with 0000 steel wool then repeat about 8 times.Then one final coat that's rubbed with rotten stone. Sounds like alot of work and it is but you know how you'll look at a stock and it's shiny and you think it looks good. With this finish you don't get a mirror shine ON the wood ,the wood itseld comes alive flashing and twinkling within the woods varying grain as you look at it from diffrent angles.It's awesome. But a satin polyurethane is tough and looks good too.

 

[lawson]

+1 on tung oil. i've used a variety of finishes, and this is my favorite for a tough and beautiful finish. like bodhi said, it's a very involved process that takes several days, but the wood really comes alive.

i'm not a big fan of polyeurathane, but when i'm in a hurry i use my dad's quickie finish recipe (he's a master cabinetmaker). equal parts solvent, boiled linseed oil, and butcher's wax blended up and applied in a liquid form. apply generously and rub in, wiping off any excess. allow to dry, buff and repeat. 2-3 coats works well.

 

[browningguy]

Birchwood Casey Tru Oil works really well. Rub it on by hand, or with steel wool, let it dry, rub down with steel wool, apply at least one more coat and rub with steel wool. The great thing is that if you mess it up you just rub rub it down with steel wool and put anohter coat on, just about foolproof. You can also leave as high gloss if you want.

 

[Wannagohunting]

The easiest and most foolproof is Birchwood Casey stuff.
1. Strip
2. Sand
3. Whisker
4. Seal the grain
5. Apply Tru-Oil

I have been on a marathon lately and have done about 12 stocks.
If you want tips on my methods just ask.
Mostly depends on your idea of a pretty finish. High gloss? Semi-Gloss
No gloss?

 

[Gohon]

I have to go along with the Birchwood Casey as being one of the easiest methods with great results. Last two stocks I done I first used Formby's stripping solvent which removes all the old wax and finish. Then using 600 grit sandpaper I did a very light sanding job. Applied the stain I wanted and after drying I used the Casey refinishing oil. After about 7-8 coats with 0000 steel wool used in between coats I had a stock with a luster shine that really look nice.