Refinishing a Gun Stock (2024)

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Hey Everybody!

I want to create an instructable for refinishing gun stocks. I have done some in the past and what I will be showing you is my own proven method on how to get that glossy new out of the box look out of your tired looking stocks. For today's instructable I am blessed with having three different gun stocks all in different stages of completeness. They are all pump shotguns so you should get a really good idea how each should look at each stage of the process. I hope this helps you save some money on your own projects and is easy enough to understand. Enjoy and please comment below!

Also I am entering this instructable in thesome contestsso if you like it please VOTE for me!

List of Items you will need:
1. Dirty worn out gun stock
2. Sandpaper (150 grit - 400 grit)
3. Wood Stripper
4. Degreaser
5. Wood Stain
6. Tru Oil
7. Stock Wax
8. Cheesecloth
9. Tools
10. Safety gear (gloves, eye protection)
11. Time and elbow grease

Disclaimer: be safe and use common sense.

There are many ways to do this and way too many different makes and models of firearms to try to explain how to exactly disassemble your(or your clients) firearm. All that really matters is to get the stock and forearm(due to this being a pump shotgun) apart from any metal pieces. Be sure to use the right tools for the job and don't rush it! You don't want to cause yourself more work in the future! Be sure to label all the different little parts and more importantly how to put it all back together.

disclaimer: be sure to follow all proper safety checks with any firearm before trying to dissemble it, I.E. make sure it is not loaded first. seems obvious but you would be surprised.

That's right, you gotta strip that stock of its old finish before you do anything else. First make sure to use proper safety gear! Second I used a product called "Magic Strip Citrus Action" for three reasons; '

1. It's safe for indoor use
2. It's biodegradable
3. It says magic in the title (so that has to help)

Be sure to set up your stock so that it is free hanging in the air. I used a wire coat hanger to make sure my stock wasn't touching any surfaces. I allow 24hrs to pass after putting on a good layer of the stripper. When you come back you should see a bubbly narly looking surface all over your stock. Take your stock and wash it under warm soapy water in a utility sink. Use a piece of steel wool to tear off all of the extra grit and grime on the outside of your stock. Hang the stock to dry once done.

After stripping your stock, it still will have some old stain and grease trapped in its pores.

To correct this start boiling some water ( be careful!) then use a de-greaser of your choice. I used "Krud Cutter" because it is biodegradable and it lathers the wood in a nice coat of suds. I start by putting the stock back in the utility tub, then lather the stock in Krud Cutter and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Then take your boiling water and pour directly onto your stock (again be careful!). Cover your utility sink with a towel and allow your stock to float in the hot water for about 5 min before flipping it to the other side. Keep doing this until the water is lukewarm.

Take your stock out and allow it to dry by hanging it again.

By emerging the stock in hot water there are some other great side effects. The wood fibers will swell up and correct any dings it has accumulated over the years. Of course it wont do anything to cracks in the wood but allows you to start with a nice level surface.

Also the water treatment will show you any weak points in your stock and seen above. I have a nice crack in the stock that was inflicted by the previous owner dropping the firearm. Thanks bud...... no problem we have a solution for fixing that!

After the stock dried I could tell the stock had a good crack in it. To fix this problem you need to secure the wood fibers back together as best as possible. *Disclaimer - if the crack is all the through the stock you may think about getting a new stock or only using the stock as a show piece. the previous owner thankfully only dropped it hard enough to crack the one side, what a gentleman!

First lightly sand your stock so that you get some sawdust residue, then mix your epoxy with the sawdust until it looks like a glop of gooey wood mud. Use a tooth pick to push your new wood muck into the crack completely, then use a clamp of some sort to push the wood together and hold it there. Wipe away all the residue off the surface and allow it to set up.

The process also works for dents or cuts in the wood surface! Now you know and knowing.........(if you finished this sentence correctly, you're okay in my book)

After the stock is dry and cracks are sealed I use a little lemon oil to put back some natural oils into the wood. It allows the fibers to rise up and be resistant to cracking in the future.

Now start sanding, go from lower number grits all the way up to around 400. There is no real need to go above 400 grit trust me. (I went crazy and tried sanding a stock to over 1000 grit before, in the end you can't tell the two stocks apart, it's not worth the time)

I like using sandpaper pads instead of normal sandpaper, it allows me to curve around the stocks edges easier and in the end save me some time and effort.

DO NOT use a electric sander, you will get rub and swirl marks that will appear all over your stock once you stain it......speaking of staining.....

Now the fun part!

Pick out the stain you would like for your stock, I use water based stains and normally try to use two different kinds to enhance the stocks features.

I first start off with a pre-stain conditioner, this allows the wood to have a neutral starting point for the rest of the staining to sit upon. Think of it like a foundation of a house.

Second, I used "gunstock" stain and applied it with cheesecloth to all sides of the stock (Always apply stain going with the grain of the wood). I let it sit for the minimal amount of time just so that it soaked into the darker parts of the wood grains only.

Lastly, I used the darker "walnut" stain with same application as before. This time I allowed it to sit on the wood for the maximum amount of time to really soak in.

Wipe away with a clean piece of cheesecloth and allow to dry.

After you have achieved the color you wanted in your stock, you now have to seal it in for eternity from the outside elements.

Get your gloves on and hang the stock from the ceiling. Break out some tru oil and with one finger apply the tru oil in a circular motion all over your stock. Be sure not to use so much Tru oil that it ends up dripping. The first coat the wood should soak up fairly quickly, which is wonderful! Allow the tru oil to dry for 8 hrs.

Once you get back from an 8 hour pizza run, be sure to lightly sand the surface with some steel wool, and apply another layer of tru oil. If you do get drip marks go back to step 1 and start the whole process over......just kidding, all you have to do is sand that part a little bit harder and reapply some more tru oil.

Do this 4 more times........(it's worth it!)

Once done the tru oil will create a see through layer of protection for your stock.

Lastly apply some stock wax to give it a good shine and show off your good handy work!

Thanks for reading and comment below! If you like this Instructable please vote for it!

Thanks again!