Please tell me it can be fixed

[toddbarrie]

So I had my woodsrunner sanded down to a beautiful finish but then I don't know what went wrong. I missed a couple of small spots with the aqua fortis. When I tried to touch up those spots it left really dark spots. The Lancaster maple is much darker than I thought it would be. I don't know what I hit it on to make the marks on butt stock. Where do I go from here?

 

[64Springer]

Sandpaper can fix anything.

You may be able to steam out some of the lesser impressions.

 

[deerstalkert]

those tooth marks can be covered by a toe plate also.
once stained with aqua fortis i find if you are to do a touch up its best to gently sand the entire stock again to get the surface consistent.
then instead of spot touch up hit the whole thing again. sanding one spot and hitting it usually ends up with a sun flare, or a spot lighter than the rest of the stock.
spot treatment with aqua fortis ends up with the dark area. sometimes it can be blended out to create an area that has a aged patina.
working on and repairing these stocks is seldom a total success or a total failure, unless you are Dave Persons!

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

I would...

Lay a damp cloth over the dent then place the tip of an iron on the cloth. The steam will usually expand it.

Sand the entire stock, restain all of it.

use Maroon scotch Brite to rub it back when applying oil.

 

[toddbarrie]

So sand I will...

 

[Ponderosaman]

Looks like that may be heartwood? I like the way it looks, but I’m sure for some that dark spots like that could be thought of as a fault. I think it adds great character.

 

[French Colonial]

Use the wet cloth and iron like Hatchet Jack said, you will be amazed at how well it works to raise dents, if you sand the wood off you can not replace it, try the iron first.

 

[HSmithTX]

Yes!! Steam out the dents first! Then I would rub it back with oil, more on the dark spots and less where it looks like you want it to, I would for sure do this before sanding back completely.

 

[XVIIc Wheelock]

Shoot it a 100 or so times, truly enjoy it and declare it's from back in the day. Who knows what day...but there are many folks, me included that do not believe a perfect, faultless flintlock stock is representative of passing time. Maybe for those who fit it into several layers of gun socks for preservation or take an oversized bath towel to the range so that the bench leaves no mark on the stock? Just like a high gloss finish on a beautiful flintlock is somewhat out of touch. I don't see that you have a problem. It's a magnificent tool, use it, enjoy it!

 

[Kevin Houlihan]

As far as the dark spots are concerned, once you put oil on the stock those dark spots will blend right in.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
You probably have nothing to worry about the dark stains. They will blend in or add interest to the gun. With respect to the dents, just file, scrape and sand them away and then even up the edge and away you go. It would take me 15 minutes to resolve the "problem" and no one would ever know they were there. You have a lot of extra wood to play with. Then just touch up the stain. If I were doing the job, I would also work on that cheek piece. I would give it some design or border to the edge of it to add a little interest to it.

dave

 

[toddbarrie]

Thanks for the responses. Sanding helped and she looks much better now. Everyone has been very helpful on this site and crazy knowledgeable. Thank you for your help!

 

[Sidney Smith]

I am going to say the same thing, leave them. It makes the gun look more personal.

I bought a poor boy kit from a manufacturer who unbeknownst to me at the time was on a downward spiral. The stock I got had knots in it on the cheek rest area. I was livid at first but after I finished the gun, I grew to really like the way it made the gun look. Now, I don't even think about it.

 

[astrickland8]

Yeah, I’m with a few others here. It looks like it’s gonna take a lot of sanding.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Not much sanding needed. Just buy a carpet scraper blade from the hardware store, scrape the side of the stock and the bottom flat until the dents are completely gone, blend the area worked over into the rest of the stock, stain and off you go.

dave

 

[oldwood]

No new gunstock comes with a magic wand. Wood has to be worked on , to make it into something usable , and interesting. I'm in the middle of one right now. Unfixable knot right at the entry thimble....Since the fore stock was broken off due to the knot , I spliced a new walnut fore stock , and inlet the barrel into the new piece of wood. Had to fix the fore stock to gain an incredible , once in a lifetime , walnut burl , butt stock. I'm learning patience just now , due to a year's go round with the the chinese flu.. I did get a couple hours to install the forend cap. Almost ready to finish shaving , and rasping the excess wood from the fore stock. Have to face it ,I enjoy doing near impossible fixes on m/l gun stocks. The reward comes after the stock finish is dry , and the last coat of wax goes on , then to the range. None will know the struggle it took , to accommodate nature's foibles , to gain a thing of beauty.........oldwood

 

[maillemaker]

Just want to chime in how magical dent steaming is. All you need is a wet towel and a clothes iron. As long as the wood fibers were just dented and not cut, it will often pop out the dent. It's amazing!