scratch repair question

[old ugly]

i just finished my new gun, or so i thought, i slipped and created a scratch in the finish rite down to the aqua fortis.
i thought i could fill it with true oil and polish it flat but it is too deep.
question
if i sand it back beyond the scratch. feathering it out into the surrounding true oil, can it be brushed with feric nitrate, heated then re oiled? or does the a whole stock need to be refinish?
i am sure im not the only clumsy person out there, what have you done to fix something like this?
thanks
ou

 

[deermanok]

Hardly noticable to my eye.

 

[poker]

Be proud of it. If you built this rifle to use, it won’t be the only scratch it gets.
Otherwise, try a wet rag with a hot iron. That should lift the scratch without affecting the AF. You would have to re-oil it then as needed.

 

[ZUG]

Where's the scratch -- I know I need a new prescription for my eye glasses but I did not think my eyesight was that bad.

 

[Davey Boy]

I make another scratch just like it right up next to it for symmetry.

If anyone asks about it, "when President Putin looked at it his ring scratched it"

Now it has provenance

 

[Jim Nasium]

Poker has it right if your scratch gouged the wood. The wet rag and iron will steam the indentation out to flush again. We would use little hobby irons at the furniture mill to do this.
On something without a finish you would have to sand the little whiskers back afterwards, but in your case you could just re-oil it, or wax over the scratch.
The other option is to just be thankful for getting it over with so soon. Now it won't look like your carrying a fine china set around the woods.

 

[gabedard]

I’d leave it as is - really doesn’t stand out as a scratch

 

[appalichian hunter]

Your first character mark be proud and carry on.

 

[Vaino]

Hardly noticeable and it probably won't be the last scratch....anything you might do , would probably make it worse.....Fred

 

[oldwood]

The patina must start sometime, somewhere. Go to Lowes , and get a can of Minwax, Special Dark Furniture Wax , put a coat or two on the stock. The wax should be a final maintenance step after the gun is cleaned from shooting any way...... Obviously , don't apply wax to sights to flint , or frizzen face , but all else is ok.............oldwood

 

[ord sgt]

Little scars add to character of the rifle. I'll bet you have some scars that you brag about. Look at the picture to the left. Now that's a scar.

 

[old ugly]

i know the easy thing to do is leave it.

but

i am wondering how a person would go about repairing damage like this. there is no dent in the wood that can be steamed out, it is a scratch through the true oil and down to the ferric nitrate stain.

lets pretend that it is a gun you were building for someone else. i don't believe it would be a good way to deliver the gun to the new owner.

thanks
ou

 

[appalichian hunter]

Try a soft cloth dampened with what ever you final finished the stock with use your finger tip with the cloth and rub in circular motions over the scratch. Think like paste waxing a car. It may blend the original finish into the scratch.

 

[oldwood]

Would match the scratch with custom mixed alcohol stain to match ,and #0000 steel wool the stock with butterfly wing pressure . Apply "a wipe-on ,wipe-off coat" of something like Danish Oil finish to bring up a low gloss. Allow to dry. Apply a coat or two of Min-wax , "Special Dark Furniture wax " , and done. Have done this procedure on several repairs ,including a broken wrist repair on a Jager rifle . Matched the fractured wood with colored Epoxie, touched up the carving , then finished as above. The damage was invisible to the customer's eye.............oldwood

 

[Eterry]

If the wood isn't broken then the wet cloth and hot iron will raise the wood. Sometimes it takes several passes with the heat to make a difference, but keep at it if you see any improvement.

I know that first scratch, just like the first ding on a car, is tough.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Be careful with heat and steam. Some times that can get under the finish and cause it to bubble. I would go the stain route just as you did.

If you're still curious though, I would experiment on some scrap first. Finish it just the same way (though you may not need as many coats of varnish) and scratch it. Give it a try. Then you'll know.

 

[watopeka]

Most of us that build these toys knows were every ding, scratch and wrong thing that is on it.
But for most of the buyers would not know what you talking about and are extremely happy with the toy.
We have what i call ,a perfectionist attribute, we are never happy and it’s never perfect. But to most it’s a piece of art. Don’t worry about it it’s perfect.

 

[Col. Batguano]

100% in agreement with that statement. What's flawed to us is not to the casual observer. Pursuit of the "perfect" becomes a deep rabbit hole in building. And, what looks great when we are building (particularly carving & engraving) does not when we come back to it the next day. And (after fixing it) the next, and (fixing it again) the next. Then there is the time the stain goes on, and the "why didn't I see that before" remorse that happens.

 

[russellshaffer]

Some good points here. On anything you build or repair yourself you know about any tiny imperfection. To someone else it is often invisible - no matter how glaring it is to you. That is one nice rifle, by the way.

 

[Wolfman0125]

That is an easy fix. Just use some fine grade steel wool to sand it out smooth. The scratch is in the finish and not the wood. Then wipe it with a tack cloth. Then just wipe with Tru-oil or whatever finish you are using. For deep scratches, wrap stock with a wet towel and steam out the dents and scratches. It will ruin the finish but the underlying wood will be perfect. Just sand off the old finish and recoat with layers of Tru oil until you get the desired sheen. If it is to glossy, lightly sand with extra fine steel wool and wipe with tack cloth for a satin finish.