So this is how I begin on this rifle.

[Pittsburghunter]

Read the thread on looking for a kit under $300 to understand where I am starting at.

The first thing I need to do is get the stock stripped down to bare wood without sanding if at all possible seeing that everything already fits well. The Cherokee has a very thick finish on it that needs to be removed and I was wondering what other people use to remove finish/poly/shelack whatever the finish is.

 

[Roy]

Since I don't really care for chemicals to remove the finish I would consider scraping it . No matter what you do you will most likely end up sanding a bit.

 

[Birddog6]

See if Formby's Finish Remover will take it off. You pour a little in a jar lid, take some 0000 steel wook & wet it & rub the finish. IF it will cut it you can remove it without sanding it. Would not have any Metal or Plastic on the rifle at this time, as it may eat the plastic or remove the bluing or finish, as I always do them stripped down.

If that don't work, try some laquer thinner & steel wool.

Anythig ya use, pear protective eyeglasses, protective closes & protective gloves as that stuff will burn the heck out of ya.

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Thank you for the advice. Your mentioning of eye protection is good cause most of us, if there ain't steel flying don't wear them.

I will try the Formby's, I have seen it local.

 

[renovato]

Most any good finish stripper will take it off. I've used several kinds over the years and none seemed to work any better than the next. They all did the job. Solvent based strippers give off a lot of fumes, but in return, they also don't raise the grain. This is good on a stock where you don't want to do much sanding. Those citrus type strippers are water based and might raise the grain.

I assume the finish is the same as they use on the New Englander. I refinished one a few years ago. I don't remember the brand of stripper, but I used a soft plastic scraper to remove the finish as it came loose. That turned out to be ideal, as it didn't add any scratches to the wood that needed sanded out. A slight finish sanding with fine paper and it was ready for the finish.

 

[Pittsburghunter]

I bought the stripper, some stripping pads and gloves for the job today. The pads look like dish scrubbing pads on steroids you are suppose to dip them in the solution and then rub it on the wood in the direction of the grain.

I also contacted TOTW about replacement barrels for the thing which they have but if I want it to be a drop in I can expect to pay about $100 extra for them to put on the pipe rail, pipes and wedgepin staple. That also included dovetails for sights. Bringing the total to almost $300 for a new barrel if I don't want to fit the parts myself.

I guess I am off to the races with the old barrel for now :winking:

 

[Robert58]

I used plain old Walmart brand Carburator cleaner and 0000 steel wool to remove the poly finish on my T/C Hawken. And it works better that a finish remover that I had tryed before. Then I had to do a little sanding to get the weird color off, that T/C had put on it. Then refinished it with Tru-Oil without staining it like Roundball does and it turned out great. I polished it with Burchwook Casey Gun Stock Wax. And it is naturally darkening nicely.

Robert

 

[Jim-Iowa]

You should find the Formsby remover and finishes at the local Walmart. It will be in the Paint Department usually on the shelf above the Minwax Stains. Have yet to use the Tung oil finish on a rifle but have made hundreds of picture frames and used it.

 

[Finnwolf]

May be too late - maybe you've finished the job. Years back, I got tired of the high gloss finish on one of my pieces and wanted to replace it with a nice low sheen finish.

A friend recommended oven cleaner and it worked well. Sprayed it on, let it set awhile and scrapped most of the glop off with a plastic scraper - the kind they sell at an auto parts store for applying bondo to a car. This type of scraper will not scratch the wood and is flexible.

Followed up with nylon scrub pads and mineral spirits - stay away from steel wool - it leaves little metal slivers in the wood.

Put about a million coats of hand rubbed tung oil on it after that, knocking the shine off each coat with 600 grit before adding another coat.