Pretty Grain In Old Style Stock

[roundball]

A 70's vintage TC Hawken stock after stripping the factory finish off and applying only one coat of Tru-Oil:

 

[Rebel]

That is a nice lookng stock. Too bad they don't still use that nice a wood in their stocks.

 

[roundball]

That is a nice lookng stock. Too bad they don't still use that nice a wood in their stocks.

Yeah, I know....this one should be beautiful when I'm done...a few cycles of steel wool and Tru-Oil, reinstall the brass, lock and barrel...and any deer or squirrel would be proud to be shot with it!!
:grin:

 

[Gary]

Hard to believe that's factory wood. BTW, some Ruger employees have been known to yank pretty wood stocks off the line. They'll pay for it and then bring it home.

 

[CrackStock]

RB,

What did you use to strip the wood? I just used a product called Ready Strip on some old furniture and had great results. The best part is that I was not sick for a couple of days like I get when I use some of the other stripper products.

Anybody try this on a gunstock with that thick shiny varnish on it?

I have a an early Seneca that is begging for refinishing.

CS

 

[roundball]

Hard to believe that's factory wood. BTW, some Ruger employees have been known to yank pretty wood stocks off the line. They'll pay for it and then bring it home.

Gary, I've accumulated several of them like that now...but they are all from back in the 70's and early 80's when TC really used fine quality wood...

 

[roundball]

RB,

What did you use to strip the wood?

The best part is that I was not sick for a couple of days like I get when I use some of the other stripper products.

Anybody try this on a gunstock with that thick shiny varnish on it?

I have a an early Seneca that is begging for refinishing.
CS

The last several I've refinished I've had it doen for $20.

I remove the hardware, drop the stock off at an antique furniture place that I discovered had a commerical stripping booth, pick it up week later 100% stripped to the pure bare wood in every nook & cranny. One had the clear-coat on it like the Seneca you mentioned and it just dissolved it right off.

No fuss, no chemicals to breathe, no worry about chemicals in the eyes/on skin, no changing stock dimensions with sandpaper, etc...best $20 I ever spend.

 

[Old40Rod]

I would be tempted to sand it down to get rid of the stain and get you down to bare wood... that stock would look great with AF finished or reddish stain.

 

[roundball]

I would be tempted to sand it down to get rid of the stain and get you down to bare wood... that stock would look great with AF finished or reddish stain.

Actually, it doesn't have any stain on it...the Tru-Oil itself darkens the wood...I unknowingly stained the first one I ever did until I got it just right, then after applying a few coats of Tru-Oil it became so dark the grain disappeared.
I don't like sanding anything on a finished stock as it will change it's dimensions.
And this one looks terrific just the way it is...
:v

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Beautiful wood, getting harder to come by on factory stocks.

I have an older TC rock lock that I picked up with an non TC 32 inch .45 bbl, great piece of wood, naturally dark walnut with good figure.

 

[Slake]

very beautiful piece of wood..and nice job with your finish....fancy wood is out there in factory guns it just helps to look around...I see Henrys with beautiful wood. We bought a Golden Boy that was gorgeous. Since, I've seen a couple more that look pretty darn good too.

 

[Stumpkiller]

This is my '88 vintage New Englander kit with a Tru-oil finish.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Ditto on the wood some Henrys sport, dang near bought one just for that alone.

 

That do shine! :thumbsup:

Now here's my vintage 1982 GPR, Lucifer:

4 coats of handrubbed Tru-Oil, buffed with woolen rags and fed beewax and a bit of TC Bore Butter from time to time.