Stock refinishing help

[BenH2016]

@Ryan thanks for the input. It seems to make more sense during the wet sanding to not rub too hard, and in fact letting the slurry stand just a little longer was the idea that I came up with to get the pores filled more effectively. I also have though perhaps more curing time between applications may help. So I've left the stock aside for all of this week and won't touch it again until Monday. Fortunately I have busy weekend coming up so will be distracted!

@dsmerrills thank you so much for the kind offer. The great news is that yesterday I did a tour of Lusakas gun shops and surprisingly I found a bottle of the light colour I have been using. This was the last thing I expected to find and these guys had one bottle sitting on the shelf, chuffed! So thanks again but I'm all stocked up now (see what I did there) and good to go with as many wet sandings as it takes to get these pores all filled.

 

[BenH2016]

The stock got another wet sanding now. I have now done 4 x 400g, 2 x 600g, 4 x 800g and 3 x 1000g.

After the 800 I was pretty happy with the surface with VERY few minute open pores. When I changed to 1000g a whole bunch of pores seemed to have opened up after the first wet sanding with that paper. After the second there appeared to be less so I'm hoping there will be even less after the 3rd. Immediately after each wet sanding holding it at an angle to the light it always appears all pores are filled, but each time after a day or so curing all these fine little lines and dots appear. More if these lines and dots (I assume open pores) appear each time I change paper grades.

Another thing I have noticed is that the last few times as I sand the oil in these dots become quite reflective and look like sweat pores on ones skin, if that makes any sense.

Anyhow the grain is really beginning to pop and particularly after each coat has dried for 48hrs or more the contrasts in the wood look fantastic. It lightens very nicely as it dries each time too. The surface once cures is silky smooth to the touch.

It will cure now a couple of days and I'll decide then if it's another coat with 1000g or move on to 1200g

 

[dsmerrills]

Looking good bud keep at it!

 

[wesheltonj]

How hard are you wet sanding? That wood keeps looking better and better even with those open pores that a nice piece of wood. Are you going to send out the metal and have it re-blued too? After this all this work, I would serious consider buying a "Boca-Shield" to use with that gun!

 

[BenH2016]

How hard are you wet sanding? That wood keeps looking better and better even with those open pores that a nice piece of wood. Are you going to send out the metal and have it re-blued too? After this all this work, I would serious consider buying a "Boca-Shield" to use with that gun!

Well I was wet sanding quite hard because I got more slurry that way, but having done more reading on the subject I realise I have probably been wet sanding a bit too hard. The last coat I did I wet sanded a lot lighter. Using 1000g paper I just let the paper glide over the wood. Having left it to dry since I took that picture the pores don't seem so open. I'll assess the next step tomorrow.

I had considered going back to 400g and working my way through the grades again. Can it get too much wet sanding?

Reblueing is something I would do straight away if I thought there was someone around here who could do a good job. There is a gunsmith in town but I saw a rifle that he redid (new stock and blueing) and was not that impressed. The stocks surface was uneven, not the finish but the actual wood, and the blueing didn't have much depth to it. I'd love to get the bolt jeweled too.

I looked up Boca Shield after you mentioned it earlier and may get one, as well as a sock to protect it in the safe. I'm less concerned by scratches earned in the bush than I am by scratches from going in and out of the safe.

 

[PeteG]

Well I was wet sanding quite hard because I got more slurry that way, but having done more reading on the subject I realise I have probably been wet sanding a bit too hard. The last coat I did I wet sanded a lot lighter. Using 1000g paper I just let the paper glide over the wood. Having left it to dry since I took that picture the pores don't seem so open. I'll assess the next step tomorrow.

I had considered going back to 400g and working my way through the grades again. Can it get too much wet sanding?

Reblueing is something I would do straight away if I thought there was someone around here who could do a good job. There is a gunsmith in town but I saw a rifle that he redid (new stock and blueing) and was not that impressed. The stocks surface was uneven, not the finish but the actual wood, and the blueing didn't have much depth to it. I'd love to get the bolt jeweled too.

I looked up Boca Shield after you mentioned it earlier and may get one, as well as a sock to protect it in the safe. I'm less concerned by scratches earned in the bush than I am by scratches from going in and out of the safe.

Its looking good.
I sent a pump action shotgun to Joseph to get re blued. its already rusting in most of the same places it was before. I wouldnt bother sending him anything to blue.
None of the other rifles or shotguns in the safe are rusting, so i assume he didnt do a good job on the prep and reblue.

I have been thinking about sending one of mine down to rsa, Faizel says he can arrange to ship it down and back. the reblue was in the region of R4,50o, if i recall correctly, at Safari and Outdoor Pta. They have a gunsmith there, Morkel & Crouse, i'm sure they could jewel the bolt for you as well.

 

[wesheltonj]

I have had 2 guns and 1 barrel reblued at Art's Gun and Sports shop at 6008 State Rd Y, Hillsboro, MO 63050. Sending them 2 more. They mainly work on Browning.

Gun Soc get the VCI and not the silicone one.

 

[bilmcc]

Its looking good.
I sent a pump action shotgun to Joseph to get re blued. its already rusting in most of the same places it was before. I wouldnt bother sending him anything to blue.
None of the other rifles or shotguns in the safe are rusting, so i assume he didnt do a good job on the prep and reblue.

I have been thinking about sending one of mine down to rsa, Faizel says he can arrange to ship it down and back. the reblue was in the region of R4,50o, if i recall correctly, at Safari and Outdoor Pta. They have a gunsmith there, Morkel & Crouse, i'm sure they could jewel the bolt for you as well.

I am starting to get my rifles ceracoated. I can't keep up with the rust in southeast Virginia this year. Vinegar, brass scrubbies, wd-40. Orange pops out all over. I did one rifle so far and it is impervious!

 

[dsmerrills]

Its looking good.
I sent a pump action shotgun to Joseph to get re blued. its already rusting in most of the same places it was before. I wouldnt bother sending him anything to blue.
None of the other rifles or shotguns in the safe are rusting, so i assume he didnt do a good job on the prep and reblue.

I have been thinking about sending one of mine down to rsa, Faizel says he can arrange to ship it down and back. the reblue was in the region of R4,50o, if i recall correctly, at Safari and Outdoor Pta. They have a gunsmith there, Morkel & Crouse, i'm sure they could jewel the bolt for you as well.

Morkel and Crouse will definitely be able to jewel the bolt for you. They are great gunsmiths!

 

[BenH2016]

@PeteG we sent some pump actions to Joseph to be cleaned up having spent years on AP duties at pia manzi, they still had rust in the actions when he sent them back! Not in a hurry to use him.

I wonder if I could carry a bolt on its own down to JHB to get it jewelled or even post it. @dsmerrills any idea how long those guys would take to jewel the bolt?

 

[PeteG]

@PeteG we sent some pump actions to Joseph to be cleaned up having spent years on AP duties at pia manzi, they still had rust in the actions when he sent them back! Not in a hurry to use him.

I wonder if I could carry a bolt on its own down to JHB to get it jewelled or even post it. @dsmerrills any idea how long those guys would take to jewel the bolt?

Im sure you could travel down with a bolt, it will be dismantled with no firing pin and spring i assume?
I doubt any one will query it.
I came through with snap caps in my hand luggage or it could have been my laptop bag... no one said a word.

 

[dsmerrills]

It depends on how busy they are at the moment but it is hunting season at the moment so they are probably not as busy as usual.

When ever I have had a job done by them the turnaround time has not been more than a week. I can also give you a couple other great gunsmith's that I trust in and around Gauteng should you need?

Morkel and Crouse can be contacted on (012) 348 5937

Cheers
Darren

@PeteG we sent some pump actions to Joseph to be cleaned up having spent years on AP duties at pia manzi, they still had rust in the actions when he sent them back! Not in a hurry to use him.

I wonder if I could carry a bolt on its own down to JHB to get it jewelled or even post it. @dsmerrills any idea how long those guys would take to jewel the bolt?

 

[PeteG]

It depends on how busy they are at the moment but it is hunting season at the moment so they are probably not as busy as usual.

When ever I have had a job done by them the turnaround time has not been more than a week. I can also give you a couple other great gunsmith's that I trust in and around Gauteng should you need?

Morkel and Crouse can be contacted on (012) 348 5937

Cheers
Darren

Any chance you can send through the other gunsmiths names?

 

[dsmerrills]

No problem;

1.Arms (Pretoria) speak to Chad Gillie.

2.Bill Ritchie Gunsmiths (Roodepoort) speak to Vincent.

3. Mkonto Manufacturing CC (Benrose Johannesburg) speak to Craig Klintworth.

All depends on what you need doing as I use certain gunsmith's for certain things but the above mentioned Smith's are all fantastic.

If you need anymore help or advice just send me a private message.

 

[nztimb]

How is the finish coming?? If you are still having trouble getting all the pores filled I would be looking at trying with 1000-1200 grit paper done lightly but dont wipe off and dont have it too wet for the sanding. If you let it dry on the stock it will "set" in the open pores. Leave it for 48 hours and very lightly sand with 1200 paper and you shouldn't be draging any of the fill out of the pores which I suspect you are doing when you wipe off. That is fine with the coarse grits but the finer grit is to fill the finest of the pores and it is easy to drag that out by wiping off when wet.
Be carefull that you are not rounding off any edges with all the sanding.

 

[BenH2016]

@Von Gruff I feel like the finish is going very well. As anxious as I am to get the rifle back together and see the end results I am enjoying the process and seeing improvements with each wet sanding.

I'll try your suggestion above. Just to clarify after letting a light coat of slurry set on the surface should on then wet sand or dry sand with 1200? I'm assuming dry to level off the cured surface slurry but just wanted to be sure.

It's been 2days since the last application so it will get wet sanded again with 1000g today.

 

[nztimb]

@BenH2016 I have sort of wet sanded with just a little turps to stop any cloging of the paper. Wiping of after this carefully saves pulling any of the previously dried slurry from out of the pores and should be at the stage of having a fully filled surface. Paitence is the one virtue that so many lack so it is good to see you allowing for the process to take as long as it needs to show off its best to the world

 

[BenH2016]

@Von Gruff I followed your advice yesterday and wet sanded lightly with 1000g. I was very sparing with the oil and by the time I was finished there was no glistening coat on the surface, just the dull slurry. I didn't wipe that off at all.

Looking at it this morning at an angle I see pores but they appear to have slurry in them. The surface is of course quite dull and a very fine layer of slurry can be seen sitting on the wood. It is not tacky to the touch, nor is it bone dry like it has been for previous coats that were wiped off 30 mins after application. So I feel.like your plan has worked.

Planning ahead with the next step I feel like I would be able to gently wipe the dried surface slurry off with a cloth or even my hand. I'd like to stick with your advice and gently sand with 1200g. My question is could I lubricate the paper with a small amount of the same oil I'm using. Would this oil soften the "cured" slurry I've got in the fine pores from yesterday? Will turps not soften that slurry too?

With no experience to go by and just my thoughts and combinations of various advice I was thinking I could essentially wet sand (very sparing use of oil) with 1200g next and then rub that slurry in with my hand, perhaps do this a couple of times and if the pores look filled move on to sparing applications hand rubbed in.

I won't do anything for at least another 24 hours and would be very interested to hear your thoughts at this point. Thanks again!

 

[nztimb]

I would make sure it is dry before touching it again. At this stage you are not loking to make more slurry but just to remove the dried slurry from the surface of the wood so a gentle sand with 1200 grit paper will do that, and with a dip in some turps to clean the paper but without taking a soaking of turps to the stock will leave all the dried slurry in the filed pores. Lightly sand a small area and wipe off with a clean cloth, then move on to another small area and wipe off. You should find that when done, you will not have pulled any of the slurry from the pores that you have been doing with the coarser grit papers. Not only that but by continuing with the coarse papers you are essentially taking surface cells off the wood and opening up new pores that will then show as being unfilled so in essence you are working a circular process by using the coarse paper, filling the visible pores but opening up new ones which is why you then have to wet sand again thus perpetuating the process.

 

[BenH2016]

I'm really pleased with the results so far. Here it is after 15 coats wet sanded using different experimental (to me) techniques.