glossy wooden stock repair

[Robb]

Hey guys,

I have a Browning A-Bolt Hunter (I believe). The metal is a matte blue finish, almost a park, with a polished bolt. My problem is it has a heavy clear varathine type coating on the stock. It looked pretty on the rack years ago but now it's been used and is getting scratched up in spots. I think I would like to strip the stock of the varathine and put more of a military type finish on the stock. Can I do that without sanding and messing up the checkering in the wood? Anybody been down this road before? Any info or assistance would be appreciated.

Robb

[Tim K]

Hey Robb,

I'm a cabinet maker not a gunsmith, but the experience applies, I think. You ought to be able to strip off that finish with chemical strippers. Once off, it'll need some very light sanding. I think if you're careful you should be able to do that without damaging the checkering. A plastic brush ought to work well to get the stripper out of the checkering without damage.

Applying the new finish is the easiest part of the job, so don't sweat that (if you were).

E-mail me directly if I can help.

Tim

timkulinstudios@aol.com

[Robb]

Tim,
I've been doing some reading and talked to a smith at Gander Mountain. I'm going to jump in and try and chemically strip the stock. I'll go very slow and hopefully it will work out. I'll use the toothbrush on the checkering and hopefully very little sandpaper at all. I really have no dents in the wood, but where the varnish is scuffed up it's almowt a white color and really stands out. That's the reason I want to go with a Tung Oil or similiar finish on this stock.
I'll post my progress, altho it will be slow.

Thanks for responding.

Robb