3 blonds

[homefront]

Here are 3 rifles I refinished, and left au natural. My son's Marlin 60, and my pair of Winchester 94's - each a had a boring, cover-it-all-up factory stain and finish that completely hid the beautiful blond wood underneath. I hand rubbed 3 coats of Formby's tung oil into each, and here are the results:

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s167/homefront5/100_1385.jpg

[hawkeye36]

Beautiful job on all three.

Ray

[homefront]

Thank you :D.

Nobody at the range will mistake them for theirs! ;)

[NWO]

That is a GREAT picture!

[homefront]

Again, thanks!

Nothing like a tractor and a couple of rifles to make a man feel able.

[StevieGuns77]

Im going to go out on a guess and say that tractor is a Kubota? tell me im right

[homefront]

I guess the "K" on the hood gave it away?

[Letter D]

I have a marlin and would love to get it looking like that. Care to share the steps for getting it done?

[homefront]

Sure, but there's no telling what you have under the factory stain.

First, I remove the stock and forearm, and apply a liberal coat of paint stripper (follow all safety recommendations on the label - ventilation, eye protection, gloves, etc., this stuff can hurt you). After the recommended time, scrape off and dispose of the goop. I use coarse steel wool, throwing the pieces away as I go along, and sometimes a wire brush around the checkering. Repeat as needed; I find about 3 applications usually gets me there.

Once you have most of the finish off, clean and dry the pieces using wet and dry paper towels, and let air dry for an hour or two.

Now you start sanding. I'm not gonna kid you and say this goes quickly, but patience pays. I start with 120 grit, and work carefully until I see the stain and finish removed from all the nooks and crannies. At that point I move up to 180, 220, and 300 grit papers, only removing enough with each grit to make the surfaces uniform. Be very careful not too sand away too much wood, as it's easy to reduce the size of the pieces so much that they become too small, and no longer match the rifle steel.

Now you have to assess what you have, and make some decisions. Wet the wood with mineral spirits or naptha, and observe the wood color - if it's fairly uniform and you like it, I'd go ahead and finish it with your favorite topcoat. I like tung oil, as it penetrates, is fairly abrasion and water resistant, and easily repaired. If you like alkyd varnish or polyurethane, go for it.

If the color is not to your liking, choose a stain based on how much of the natural wood grain you want to disguise. I strongly recommend using a stain conditioner for the first coat, as it will reduce the tendency for blotchiness. You'll notice the Marlin is a bit darker than the two Winchesters - I wasn't happy with all of the wood color, so I gave it a coat of Minwax "Natural" stain, which evened it out quite a bit.

Whether you stain or not, after the first application of topcoat dries I'd lightly sand with the finest grit you used (to remove any raised grain), then complete the finish with one to two more coats.

Hopefully this will get you where you want to go. :)

[StevieGuns77]

I guess the "K" on the hood gave it away?

Not really. I have to admit to being somewhat of a city slicker, however my cousin married a good ole' boy from Downs, Illinois. We hit it off right away and we shoot together all the time. They live on 20 acres and hes got one just like it. We have some fun driving with one riding on the bucket and blasting random objects. Last time I was down there he used it to scare some possum (spelling?) out of a woodpile while I stood there with the stoeger coach gun waiting for em. I didn't even notice the K at first

[homefront]

Stevie,

Let me beg a favor of you...

Please PLEASE don't ride the bucket.

One of my professional incarnations is as a construction superintendent. I watched two landscapers with a Bobcat, one driving, one riding the bucket, crossing a jobsite. Before I could get to them to make them stop, the rider bounced out and was run over. The results were serious and life changing, and not just for the rider and his family.

I'd like to hear about your shooting for many years to come. :)

[StevieGuns77]

Stevie,

Let me beg a favor of you...

Please PLEASE don't ride the bucket.

One of my professional incarnations is as a construction superintendent. I watched two landscapers with a Bobcat, one driving, one riding the bucket, crossing a jobsite. Before I could get to them to make them stop, the rider bounced out and was run over. The results were serious and life changing, and not just for the rider and his family.

I'd like to hear about your shooting for many years to come. :)



Thanks for your concern homie. I can easily see how that can happen. Im sure that is not one of the smartest or safest things i have done in the past.