Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Question regarding wood grain and posible refinishing

Ok, so in the Hunting Rifles forum-thing I detailed a JC Higgins I got a sweeeet trade on. I have been looking the gun over and it appears to have been sealed with Linseed Oil or something similar, but my questions is...there is a small amount of 'grain' showing on this gun (though it could be the way it was cut as much as anything). Is there was way to make what is there 'pop' a bit more, maybe with some refinishing technique?

Pics below, sorry that they are not better.









Hey, is this blood or oil stain of some type???

Hard to tell from the pictures but the finish looks dirty. If you haven't already try cleaning it with lemon oil furniture polish. There are other methods to get dirt and grime off of the finish but I like lemon oil. Then see what you think needs doing. If you use another method apply a coat of paste wax before evaluating, can make a big difference.

I'm no expert, but I think one thing you could do is look at staining it with a reddish alcohol-based die to give it a little more interesting color, then put on your finish of choice over that.

I don't see evidence of anything that will "pop out" on that wood. A sanding sufficient to reach wood, remove some stains, and not empty the pores. Might help. Darker tones and satin finish would enhance eye appeal.

Post some completed pics when the project is done.

Check out Timberluxe.com, I have recently used their products to refinish a stock that was about as plain looking as yours. The stain and finish gave enough color to the stock to enhance the grain like you are looking to do. Timberluxe stain is really pricey, not sure I'd go that route if I had it to do over. Try Minwax Gunstock Walnut, you might want to add some Cherry stain to give a reddish tone. Buy a couple of the smallest cans and experiment on some scrap wood till you get the color of stain that makes the stock look the way you want. Good luck with your project.

Yeah I don't see much that will pop either. It's just a very plain cut of wood. You could strip it down, and experiment with stains. I generally do layers of Dark Walnut and Red Sedona until I get the color I want. I would take it down to the wood, de-grease it thoroughly with Easy Off Oven Cleaner. Wash it thoroughly with soap and water. Then soak it in warm to hot water for a good hour to really open up those pores. Cut back the whiskers with a sand paper, and then start with the Dark Walnut stain. Put a coat on good and thick and let it dry. Then cut it back with fine sand paper with the opes that the open pores soaked up some of the dark stain. So what you're hoping for is the Dark Walnut in the porous grain and the Red Sedona on the highs. It's a VERY tedious process getting it just right, and I'm not sure you have a whole lot to work with. But I'm sure if you're willing to put in the work, you can make it look better than it is now.

The five dye kit Brownell's sells would make the best of what contrast there is in the grain. Actually any aniline dye "stain" would. The problem with common stains like Minwax is they contain opaque pigment and the opacity does nothing to reveal the grain (yes, more pigment does settle in the more porous grain but you're painting over it more than revealing it). The dye does by more of it being absorbed by the grain, particularly if you're heavy on the nigrosine (black). The difference isn't dramatic but with plain wood every little bit helps. One reason why I like the Brownell's kit, you proportion the powder dyes using your powder scale so you have more latitude.

On the other hand you could make yourself nuts searching for the "perfect" formula. The dye kit comes with a list of recipes that work pretty darn well.

The OP might be pleasantly surprised by how the wood could look. I'd sand it to bare wood starting at 150 grit, 220, 320, 400, 600, and then wipe it down with mineral spirits. That will give you a good look at the grain. If staining, I'd use a water based Walnut dye, but dewhisker the stock well before using the dye. I'd finish it with Truoil or Antique Oil. Watco Danish oil would also do fine, and you can buy the Watco in tints. All of the listed finishes contain BLO or Tung Oil, which will pop the grain.

And I should mention that water based dies are easy to use and blend well as applied. You won't get too much or too little in any one area

And use a new tack rag before applying finish. Starting out I think I read that in Newell's book. Blowing dust off with shop air seemed to get it all. I was surprised with how much more the tack rag picked up. A woodworker would probably say, "Well, duh!" but not being one it was a revelation to me.

Extremely important you do go to bare wood and make certain ALL previous oils and water blockers are out of the wood. If not, stock will be spotty where the dyes can't penetrate.

I would be tempted to sand down to bare wood and use Alkanet Root stain on it first. Probably voodoo but it seems to bring out the grain more than the dyes alone. It would give it that red color like the early Winchesters and most British rifles. It can be toned down with the water or spirit dyes used over it.

Alkanet can also be added to any oil finish for more color.

I don't care for it but bone black filler would darken the pores significantly. French Red filler ( Herter's Recipe I think) from Brownell's works and has a pleasing color like the Alkanet stain.

Strip, raise dents before doing any sanding. Do not start sanding to remove the finish. If you want to recontour anything use files and rasps. Sandpaper is not for shaping.

It's a friggin handle, for Pete's sake!

I've a couple fancy-wood stocks. They are in as crappy shape as the plain janes on the others after 30 or 40 years of hunting with them. I wouldn't have it any other way, as long as they function. Honorable war wounds as it were... I refinish only as necessary, not for looks. On my own rifles, anyway.

Of course, YMMV. And that's OK, too.

I have heard but never tried that a hit with potasum permanganate can do interesting things with color and grain....

But first strip with chemical, rinse, sand, raise the grain with warm water, dry, and sand again. Dents can be raised with a wet cloth under a hot iron, sometimes all the way, sometimes not. Fill gouges with epoxy. Brownell's sells coloring agents... but they will still show. mostly i just use clear epoxy for this.

...a process used by fine furniture makers everywhere.