That’s my opinion also. And my wife says “you don’t want them to look alike anyway.” Good point.
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To Strip or Not To Strip
- Thread starter Bear-of-Grayling
- Start date
no reason you cant duplicate the bottom one again , it will come out different as it is a different piece of wood . Saw a "job" at the show Saturday . the guy wrapped wire around the stock and "waved "a torch across the wood . interesting .
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I have done the wire/torch process on black powder rifles. Did this Crosman 760. The wire can scar the wood. It’s a gamble.
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Finishing seems scary, it's not and it is redoable many times before you sand your stock away.Nothing gets a thread derailed faster than finishing a gunstock or is a R7 enough power to hunt with.
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Hey BOG,
Your strip stain of beach and other processes are pretty much the best handling of beech I’ve seen.
I had a Stormrider years ago with nice grain and hit it with a honey, poly one-step finish, but I prefer the bottom pic with better grain popping out.
- Still working on my Fuming tent and will Fume a few beech stock using ammonia to bring out the nice grain structure of the wood.
Your strip stain of beach and other processes are pretty much the best handling of beech I’ve seen.
I had a Stormrider years ago with nice grain and hit it with a honey, poly one-step finish, but I prefer the bottom pic with better grain popping out.
- Still working on my Fuming tent and will Fume a few beech stock using ammonia to bring out the nice grain structure of the wood.
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Well, as nice as that wood is and as talented as you are…. Start carving on that stock, maybe some leaf or fret work
Jose Valencia Studio - Gunstock Carving, Wood Carving
Gunstock Carving. Specializing inhand-carving ornamental scrolls, wildlife scenes, oak leaves & acorns, andother patterns on gunstocks and wood doors.
josevalenciastudio.com Upvote 0
Is your middle name Houdini? Man dId you ever bring out the grain in that stock. Very nice work. Magical.
If you’re ever bored, I’ve got at least 50 of those ugly stocks? Crow
If you’re ever bored, I’ve got at least 50 of those ugly stocks? Crow
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At first I thought the top stock was the same stock as the bottom one but quickly realized that the top one is a "stock photo" lifted from an add and the bottom one is a completely different gun. The growth rings are different.
Very good result regardless.
Very good result regardless.
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The way factories treat what could be very nice looking wood is a real shame. Production speed rules, however in many cases they have given the craftsman a good starting point. Chemical stripper to preserve the wood and start over. I swear they dip stocks sometimes.
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Yes, good eye. I never like to get a picture of an ugly stock. I guess I don’t want to remember it that way. I searched for a good equivalent.
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BOG,
I almost always refinish or strip -ALL- my gun stocks … as I can do better job than most manufactures with the exception of beech Wood. That’s why your techniques are interesting.
Pretty much the only stock I have’s touched is my gorgeous BSA R10 stock.
I almost always refinish or strip -ALL- my gun stocks … as I can do better job than most manufactures with the exception of beech Wood. That’s why your techniques are interesting.
Pretty much the only stock I have’s touched is my gorgeous BSA R10 stock.
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That’s a beauty. Walniut is a gift to refinish and make beautiful. Beechwood is a pain. I did this JTS Airacuda also. I could see a nice grain figure hiding underneath the mud that was sprayed on. Top picture is the way it came. I almost sent it back but took a picture (rare thing for me to take a picture of an ugly thing) in the sunlight and the camera picked up this grain better than the naked eye could see. This one was was most difficult Beechwood stock I have ever done. Striped and refinish it five times. The old mud they put on at the factory was imbedded into the wood. Kept coming out muddy. Finally the beautiful figure came through. No two stocks are alike.
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I noticed that too. FWIW, I've lightly darkened some existing grain streaks with dye to exaggerate them, but adding grain that doesn't exist isn't likely.
On a somewhat related note, I recently purchased a custom-stocked .25 Marauder off AoA's pre-owned page; not because I was looking for a Marauder, but because of the stock.
With little information in the gun description, I had the phone rep get it in hand for a ruthless interrogation that suggests the rifle in better than "good" condition, the stock may not require refinishing, and the flip-side of the stock even nicer grained that the (only) photo shows. Assuming all that true, I'll probably detach and re-attach the contrasting grip-cap (or another) at a more attractive angle.
She's in transit now.
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I saw that one on AOA. I’ve gotten a few from them. Two were winners and one went back. Their descriptions are vague at best. Good luck. It looks like a winner.I noticed that too. FWIW, I've lightly darkened some existing grain streaks with dye to exaggerate them, but adding grain that doesn't exist isn't likely.
On a somewhat related note, I recently purchased a custom-stocked .25 Marauder off AoA's pre-owned page; not because I was looking for a Marauder, but because of the stock.
View attachment 556360
With little information in the gun description, I had the phone rep get it in hand for a ruthless interrogation that suggests the rifle in better than "good" condition, the stock may not require refinishing, and the flip-side of the stock even nicer grained that the (only) photo shows. Assuming all that true, I'll probably detach and re-attach the contrasting grip-cap (or another) at a more attractive angle.
She's in transit now.
.
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I've had good luck enough with their pre-owned guns to believe AoA offers conservative condition descriptions and grading of pre-owned guns (albeit often inadequate), erring on the side of lower grades than the usual 'optimistic' grading by individual sellers. The sole exception in my experience was a pre-owned scope, that AoA took back for full credit.
On more than one occasion while interrogating them about pre-owned I've also questioned about returns on pre-owned. The answers have included "a reasonable amount of time", "we don't put a time limit on pre-owned returns", and "we want you to be happy". I've found all that to be true.
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Totally agree. The one I did return was a poorly restored gun that they described e”excellent, as new”. Just an oversight by someone. They took it back (a little begrudgingly) and didn’t refund the shipping In paid.
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