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Im wrestling between sending my Sterly to have the wood refinished and having a go at it myself. I am a capable carpenter though I've done little finish work. For those of you who have or regularly refinish your own wood, starting off with no supplies or previous experience do you think I will regret not sending it out?
I don't need exhibition quality work as this gun will be shot and hunted with often.
Here are a few pics of what I'm dealing with. To reiterate, i dont mind the bumps, dents, and small gouges i just hate the color difference from the slip on and the blotchy, chipping laquer that was poorly applied at some point.
Thanks,
Pat
Last edited by Ithaca33 on Tue May 15, 2012 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I started in the late 50s fooling with my guns.I would get a klunker single ahot for first try.Then klunker side by side to do.It is so easy to sand the wood too low around the frame and buttplate.Use sanding blocks and i prefer wet/dry sandpaper used in auto paint shops.Get experience befor working on fine guns.Bobby
I gotta say I'm a fanatic for keeping nice Fox'es and any other collectible firearm original, including keeping the original finish on the wood.
How bad is the wood if you're going to refinish it and you "don't need exhibition quality work as this gun will be shot and hunted with often". It just might end up with the nicks, scratches and dings similar to what you had before you started. And if those original nicks and dings were put on the gun from hunting with friends and relatives, I'd feel better leaving them there.
Ithaca33 wrote:do you think I will regret not sending it out?
Depends a lot on you. Refinishing a stock is not Rocket Science. If you can read simple instructions you can do a credible job. The original finish was a product called Ducot which I believe was a varnish used to finish pianos and fine furniture. I would recommend that you do a search of "how to procedures" to apply various products such as varnishes and oil finishes on the web. If you feel comfortable with these processes try them on a piece of plain walnut. If you like the results tackle the stock. From my experience it is much better to strip the old finish using acetone and denatured alcohol or another relatively mild stripping product and not sand the stock especially around the in-letting. Most dings can be steamed out using a damp towel and the wife's iron. You will be surprised at what this process will do in raising dents and dings. Before you start applying your product mask off the checkering to keep the finish out of the cuts. If you are going to re-checker the stock you can skip this step. You should also do a search on stock re-finishing here in the technica forum, there is some good information right here.
If it were the original finish I'd be leaving it alone. Someone who got to it before me put a nasty looking splotchy varnish on it that is now flaking off. I may just try a paint thinner bath and see if that takes off the nasty laquer.
I guess I'm also one to let the guns character show through. As it's a Sterlingworth it was meant to be used and probably was. As an example, I just aquired a Model XVII J. P. Sauer from 1925. The barrel blue is absolutely 95% and the color case has faded but still visible. The gun had some dents from use but not abuse. The checkering on the pistol grip had some dents and the forearm checkering was still visible but worn from use. 26 lines per inch don't stand up to well under a probably gloved hand since 1925. I steamed all the dents out of the buttstock which would raise back including the checkering. That took the remaining old semi- gloss oil finish off including some of the deep reddish color that was original. I sanded only with 400 grit paper to smooth it up and didn't try to get all the remaining dents and scratches out. I then gave it a coat of "French Red" stain from Brownell's and it came back to the original color and is dark enough to hide a lot of the remaining character marks. I finished it with about 6 coats of Dembart Checkering oil until I got that soft semi-gloss glow it had in the old finish that was left. I'm recutting the checkering on the forend and will finish the same. The are still some light dents in the checkering both front and back that will stay there. It will just be a "fresh up" and keep the old girl in character. Have a nice day! Lee.
