First off, he said Diana not Chinese. Second, the finish on my 54 is probably poly and very nice. (Not a great fan of poly - I tend to like oils.) Anyway, it seems to be durable.
I did say: "Just Funning")!! LOL!! Seems to me it may be some blend of satin poly/light colored stain mix?? Im not sure but,,, it sands off pretty easy though!! Tim.
At least it isn't the high gloss like Remington uses
September 4 2009, 7:47 PM
Takes a mite more work to sand that finish off. Seems like most of the air gun stock finishes are on the thin side. That's why I like a good oil. Kind of lays up.
The reason I asked is because I have some shallow dents that I would like to lift with the wet towel and hot iron technique. Can I do that without removing the finish first?
using steam will only lift dents and small scratches on OILED wood.
The finish on my old 54 is some kind of synthetic varnish by the looks of it.
If a varnished stock is steamed to lift up the dents and scratches, the wood fibres will expand more than the varnish and this results in a blotchy appearance and cracked varnish, which is a lot worse than scratches and dings IMO.
If the existing scratches are that bad, I would rub it down to bare wood, see if you like the colour of the base wood (darker or lighter) and then when happy with the colour, rub in many oil layers to seal it.
After that, you can easily raise any dents by steaming and a re-application of a few coats of wood oil.
D
Good advice - makes sense!
How do I rub down this synthetic finish to bare wood though? Mechanical means (sandpaper) or a chemical striper (and which kind of striper in this case?)?
steam might work with Beech wood but with walnut you will have to sand, maybe Howie will chime in for the EXACT science between woods to erase or lift a bent inperfection
warren
and remember "it's 30% the gun and 70% the shooter"
Some chemical strippers can make the wood go a lighter colour and raise the grain too much.
Apart from that, its easy to use and convenient for some.
I prefer sand paper because it lets me see the progress in small steps.
If you have only one stock to do , I would do it using sand paper BUT be very careful to preserve the sharp edges and contours, otherwise you will ruin the angular lines and end up with a stick rather than a stock.
This is a job that can NOT be rushed.
Do not be tempted to use power tools.
Start by using 200 grit paper GENTLY and when all the varnish is removed, steam out any dings and dents.
Then move on to 400 and then 600 grit paper. Be careful of the chequered portions on the grip and forearm. Never steam these unless you have chequering tools available.
Mask these well with tape or you will ruin them if you sand over them.
Let the paper do the cutting, do not press hard or you risk ruining the curves.
When its as smooth as you can get it, wipe down with a damp cloth to raise the fibres and do it again with 800 and 1000 grit paper till no more fibres rise up when you wipe it with a damp cloth.
Then you can think about its colour, ie darker or lighter.
There are many stains you can apply and try on a hidden part of the stock first to see if you like it.
When done, you can fill up the tiny pores with a proprietary grain filler for a super smooth finish or you can omit this for a non reflective satin finish.
Finally, apply the wood OIL of your choice using as many applications as your patience will allow.
Some wood oils have waxes in them that afford better weather protection when cured.
Job done and and you will have a stock that is both nice and serviceable for years to come.
D
awsome step by step instructions, thank you, but it sound like an awfull lot of work just for a few dents.... I like doing things once and do it right, so I wait for the dents and scratches to accululate before I attack the whole stock with the sandpaper.
If the gun is oiled you can use the steam system ( a iron with a damp cloth ) this will work with oil finishes not varnish or poly finished you can't get through the finish for the steam to raise dents. When removing the finish I like to take a 4x4 sander and 100 grit paper and just sand it off I find that any dents are removed and any repairs are left intact , if you use a paint remover it might take any repairs out of the gun and then you need to do the repairs over , before you can stain and refinish the stock. When I was in the boat repair work we used to use oven cleaner to take off the names on the transom of boats to replace the name it works as a paint remover but be careful with it , it is very aggressive . I like poly and marine varnishes, both work fine I like to put from 10 to 12 coats sanded between coats with 400 grit paper I know this is a lot of work but that's how we used to get great looking bright work on yachts . I have found most stocks both China and RWS are beech a white wood not the finish you see on the factory stock , They look like they have been using some type of varnish stain to get that look . ( PS When I say china stocks I'm not talking about the old orange type but the newer better looking finishes. ( B-26, B-25, Ruger ect. ) howie
Tim. (Just Funnin,,, it aint quite that bad!!)