Cruising the web, I stumbled onto the Winchester Classic Compact, what a great looking rifle. The stock looks like it has a gloss finish on the web site, when I went to town to look at one it had a satin finish. How does one change from satin to gloss, can you just spray over the satin or do you have to remove the satin finish first.

Thanks, Snuffy

Snuffy, I don't know if this is any help or not but, with my woodworking background, if a gloss top coat is applied over a satin/matte base coat the results are usually a cloudy finnish. But reverse the applications satin over gloss and the results are great, a deeper richer look.

I did rub-out a finish on a Browning 425 from satin to gloss one time using fine buffing compound and a damp cloth. It took some time and you have to be careful not to cut through the topcoat. You might try looking in a woodworking finish book and see what most finishers use, I think rottenstone or pumice with some kind of oil water mix as the carrier.

Darkside

Darkside,

Thanks for the info, I should have a book or two with that info. The rifle looked so great on the web site and kind of blah in person, hope I can get it to shin up without too much trouble, just might have to get one.

Thanks again, Snuffy

Snuffy
A little rottenstone, as was suggested, on felt wetted with a little oil finish will give you a very nice soft gloss. Follow that with a clean felt cloth with cigar ashes for a serious gloss. But be careful when doing any glossing up as the defects in the stock will be really accentuated by the gloss which is one reason wood finishers like the flatter finishes.

Another polish to try is plain old brasso on felt if the rottenstone does not cut fast enough for your tastes... be careful about going through the finish with Brasso though...
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