Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Refinishing Question?

I know that gets many of you bristled up. I have read the "misc. good info." and it is good information, but I have a question about less involved wood re-finishing. My EG has what appears to be a clear top coat. The clear is missing in several large places. What should I use to cut the clear coat and not damage the wood stain, Laquer thinner, Acetone? Thanks in advance fellas!

Good lord but that's an open-ended question. Pics? Factory finish (probably not if from the 50's.)? Was the wood underneath really stained or not? What is the "clear coat"- varnish, polyurethane, lacquer, shellac? (Determining the answer to that last question will determine what solvents are safe to use.) This is one of those situations where you're better off taking it to someone who can hold it in his hands and diagnose it, rather than asking for help on the internet.

Years ago my '55 99f purchased when I was 8, looked like you describe. The wood itself has no nicks or scratches. I got the little remaining varnish(?) off with my wife's nail polish remover. I live in what is called the furniture capital of the world. So I asked some craftsmen, that come to the gym! What's best? They all said hand rubbed butchers wax. It sure looks nice and satin like now. When I hunt in the rain, it gets a little milky, but returns to satin shortly after drying off / wipe down!

It looks like the original varnish that has rubbed off over the years. The wood is fine, with a ding or ten. I just don't want to lighten the color by using the wrong product. It's a '55 EG. It's only noticeable in bright lighting, you can see sections that are shiny while others are flat/dull.

I must be living in a cave, what is Butchers wax???

It's a paste wax with carnauba wax as a base. Also known as Boston Polish. Good stuff. Been around for about a hundred years. On the same level as Renaissance Wax, Briwax, etc. Better than Johnson's Paste Wax.

Historically, nail polish remover is mostly acetone. Maybe they changed it since acetone is a known carcinogen. Pretty much any solvent or stripper that will remove a finish will screw with the stain underneath. Usually doing a spot patch opens a can of worms and you end up doing the whole stock. Usually better to just leave well enough alone, and maybe wax the heck out of it.

You Snake Oil guys out there: will that stuff blend in rough patches in the finish?

Gary, It does pretty well, takes a bunch of applications ,i like it. Don

Since this is a refinishing thread.....

Used sparingly, I'm a fan of Snake Oil on my firearms. My photography leaves something to be desired, but here's a pic. I snapped just now in my Den. I know the lighting/camera aren't right, and I wish there was some daylight left, as I would have taken them in the snow, but.....

Top is a 99 I just refinished using a similar treatment the gnoahhh talked me through a few weeks ago on a single barrel .410. This time, I knew better, and wore gloves while sanding (lightly), so the oils on my skin didn't effect the finish. I have a nice thumb print on my .410 (live and learn). Don't worry, it's a RAT with mismached forearm (30-30 s/n 395xxx. Note no barrel boss) and the wood was almost black from so much oil. You can still see it at the tang and by the buttplate. I didn't get every ding out, as I didn't want to sand too much, I spent lots of time with q-Tips/acetone cleaning the finish out of the checkering, and used houshold bleach to brighten the wood. 2 coats Minwax dark Walnut stain (stain took much better to the walnut than whatever wood that 410 was), 4 coats of low gloss Tongue oil with lots of drying time, and lastly several applications of Snake oil. The whole thing took about 4 days an hour here, and hour there. Note my piss poor repair to the wood by the grip cap, this stock was trash, complete with tang crack. Stain DOES NOT take to wood putty like wood, that's for sure! It's only my 2nd attempt at gun wood, and i've got a .22HP rat coming in soon :-).

Middle is the 99F i've carried since 1978, and the wood/dings show it. You can see on the sides of the tang where someone that owned it before me rifinished it (shiney stuff) and its flaking off. I only use Snake oil on the wood, and for a hunting gun, I feel it protects the wood, as I have this gun out in rain & snow for weeks every deer season. Before I started applying the Snake oil, the wood was getting dry and starting to turn blonde from use/abuse, as I am not gentle with this rifle regarding weather/carry. Oh, note the ebony inset by the rear sling swivel, it had one of those retractable slings, couldn't stand it, so I removed it, but I still have it JIC.

Bottom for comparison is one of my (and I don't have many) safe queens, for wood comparison. I guess I would label them The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from bottom to top.

What's my point? Unless it's a D&T'd, sling swivel wearing, mismatched stock, RAT, leave it alone and just apply some Snake oil. If it is, as in my case. It was just too ugly to carry, have at it. I find refinishing to be relaxing like reloading and shooting. -TomT

Thanks guys! That is very helpful information. I'll post some pics when I'm finished.

Having refinished a lot of stocks I wanted to throw this out there... If you have a stock that's thin or showing wood in spots, and you think you might want to have a stock refinished at some point do not use anything on it that contains oils, waxes, or especially silicones. These get into and stay in the wood even after the old finish is stripped off with industrial strength furniture stripper. They will cause the new finish to fish-eye. You can get oils and waxes out, but it takes some work. Silicones are a lot tougher to get out.

To answer the OP's original question use mineral spirits, a toothbrush, and a rag to clean up the areas you want to refinish, then use a wiping varnish like Deftoil Danish Oil finish. You want a finish with low viscosity. Put a drop or two on your finger tip and rub it on the area you're refinishing, and go over about 1/2 inch onto the existing finish. Wait a couple minutes, then rub off the area with a lint free cotton rag. Wait about an hour and repeat. At first it won't look like much is happening, but after 5 or so coats it will start looking good. After it looks good to you let it cure in a warm area for a couple weeks. It may have more shine than the original finish. After the new finish is cured you can knock it back to match with rottenstone and mineral oil or 0000 steel wool. If you want to wax it after you're finished have at it.

You guys are going to have me rubbing the stock so much that it will be a pitol grip when I'm finished.

You'll understand the term "hand rubbed" a bit better, that's for sure...