Winchester 94 Wood Stock

[bfriz00]

Hey guys, i just bought a used Winchester 94 and lets just say the stock has been very used. What are some ways to refinish the stock and forearm? Thanks a lot.

[Song Dawg]

Hey guys, i just bought a used Winchester 94 and lets just say the stock has been very used. What are some ways to refinish the stock and forearm? Thanks a lot.

Welcome! I enjoy rescuing great old stocks. Can you post a pic of your 94 stock?

SD

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I've used Formby's tung oil with very good reults. Tung oil is fairly tough, fairly water resistant, and touch up coats are easy to blend in. Some wood is very bland to the eye and would benefit from an undercoat of stain to bring out some highlights in the wood, or to hide a less than desirable color. I prefer to see what's beneath the factory finish and then decide if a stain is worthwhile. Sometimes you get lucky and find nice looking wood underneath - here's a link to something I just posted showing what a little elbow grease and a clear finish can do: http://www.perfectunion.com/vb/showthread.php?t=65500
All I did was remove the stock and forearm, use paint stripper and coarse steel-wool to remove most of the finish (wear gloves and eye protection, make sure you have adequate ventilation!), and carefully sand with 150, 180 and 220 grit sandpaper. When sanding, there are two things to be careful of: don't make your parts lopsided; second, don't reduce the size of the parts so they no longer match up with the steel - sanding is easy to overdo. The Formby's is best applied in thin coats, applied with a lint-free cloth. I find three coats to be just right.
However you do this, it would be great to see before and after shots, or better yet, pics of your progress.