Need help with laminate stock

[Mycapt65]

I'm stripping this stock for the third time. Once because I bought it flawed, second because I messed up refinishing it with minwax polycrylic and now a third time to remove the laquer I paid furniture restoration place to put on. They weren't familiar with gun stocks and the finish is so thick the action no longer fits. Plus it's so hard it releases anytime it gets bumped.

I need to strip the laquer without removing the stain from the layers like I had when I tried chemical stripper. So I'm thinking heat gun where it shows and chemicals where it dont??

What's the best way to refinish a colorful laminate stock that won't yellow with age?

I'm also open to having it professionally refinished if it's within reason.

Thanks
Ron

 

[Motorhead]

Wow ... no suggestions being stock is so far removed from original finish applied. If wanting it done "Right" as you can given where at now .... Chemical Strip down to bare wood is likely the best direction. SADLY any product or miens that melts the finish also creates Wicking into the woods grains and no matter how much you wipe or *sand ( *within reason ) your still going to have wood taking any stain or sealers acting weird due to harder & tight grains being vaguely sealed and softer open grain areas Very sealed.



Anywho ... good luck !

 

[elh0102]

Ron, I think your plan may be as good as any. I would be careful in using a chemical stripper on the outer surfaces. A combination of hand and power sanding will eventually get it down to the wood. The lacquer on it should seal the wood okay, so then it would just be a matter of final finishing. If the chemical removes everything on the inner surface, you should reseal it.

 

[wwo2015]

Start sanding-go slow. Going to go through a lot of sandpaper as the pours will clog up quickly. Start with your coarse grits and get past the bulk of the finish to move onto your finer grits. No chemical strippers! No telling what that's going to do to you wood and the color of it-elh0102 is right about some of the things that might happen. As far as the inletting sounds like the round bore is what going to be the problem. Use a dowel close to the size of the bore and wrap it with sandpaper and start removing the finish slowly trying to keep the dowel as "planar" as possible so as not to create high and low spots in your inletting. If that does happen you can always bed the stock.



Good luck!

 

[gbikerman]

Mycapt65 

I have quite a bit of experience with wood and finishing. I would be very careful with chemical strippers and heat guns around laminates. These layers are bonded with adhesives that do not like high heat or chemical intrusion. It looks like the blue wood is dyed not stained so sanding should not remove coloring but chemical stippers will almost certinaly affect them. I would remove your existing clearcoat with 150 or more course grit sandpaper then progressively finish with 220 than 320 grit. Once stock is prepped, wipe with a very wet cloth and let dry. This will raise the grain. Sand again until smooth with 320, wipe with slightly damp cloth to remove dust and apply one coat of clear sanding sealer. This will seal grain and keep it from raising during final finish application. Sand stock to smooth with 320, wipe with damp cloth then apply 3-4 coats of good quality top coat (I would recommend General Finishes Arm-A Seal) product. Arm-A Seal is an excellent and durable product that is available in all sheens. Lightly sand with 320 and wipe with damp, lint free cloth between coats. you will end up with a beautiful and durable stock.

Good luck

Gbikerman

 

[DonC]

gbikeman's advice on General finishes is dead on. I'm a retired woodshop teacher. If the lacquer is Nitrocellouse lacquer, lacquer thinner will dissolve and remove it very easily. If however it is catalitic 2-part lacquer it's similar to epoxy and should be sanded off. Once you sand to bare wood you will hit the dyed layers and all will be good and renewed. Apply the general finish products. Even their non-yellowing water based product is the best on the market. With this said, I would still use their oil based products. They have survived the test of time. Min Wax polycrlic is pure junk and should be removed from the market.

Good luck.

 

[Mr.H]

I'm a 40+ year woodworking professional. Before you go any further, try out some citrus based paint stripper. Works great on both nitrocellulose and acrylic lacquer. You don't need to use a respirator, like you do with a methylene based stripper. I still wear gloves though, but the citrus won't burn your skin like other chemical strippers.

I'm a big fan of Arm-R-Seal, too. I dilute a small amount of oil with an equal amount of naphtha, so that the mixture is absorbed by the wood grain. I keep applying until the mixture stops absorbing into the wood. Carefully, wipe dry and hang up to dry fully. Soak all your used rags into water and discard. Some rags with oil based finishes can spontaneously combust.

 

[dizzums]

shoot i wouldnt get crazy with it ... why strip it at all unless its discolored .. sand and get the action fitted nice, sand the outer surfaces to even it up and smooth out orange peel with 220 and spritz on clear, satin or gloss, done ... id use puffcan minwax its much more run resistant than laquer, but keep it wet enough to flow out, you need good light to avoid dry spots, if you go top to bottom just about immediately go over it again .. 3,4 times and keep it heavy enough it dont look dry and is flowing in .. let it hang for a week before messin with it ...

 

[Michigander]

Some good advice has been given. The colors are probably created by a water soluble dye like analine. I would be cautious using a stripper that you rinse off with water. Certainly test first in a hidden area. The finish looks to be a catalytic type that did not adhere very well. Since I have them, I would remove the bulk of the finish with cabinet scrapers, avoiding sharp edges and corners. Then finish up with sandpaper. On the off chance the old finish is traditional lacquer, you could try lacquer thinner to remove any residue. Again testing in a hidden area.

I have only finished one laminated stock in Ruger brown. I am pretty sure I used TruOil, but maybe Minwax Antique oil. I cut down the sides of a target style forend and had to blend the cut areas into the rest of the stock. It worked out surprisingly well. You would never know it had been modified. That was 30 years ago and the finish is still good as new. I have no experience with the General Finish products, they are probably equally satisfactory.

 

[SteveP-52]

I'm probably missing something here (wouldn't be the first time...lol), but unless I read it wrong, the only real problem is entirely too much lacquer inside the stock for proper fitment of the action and the unwanted bump fires you were getting.
Unless you were totally unhappy with the outside finish too, why not just tape off the entire outside of the stock with a couple layers of painters tape to protect that outside finish and only remove the excess lacquer on the inletting.

 

[elh0102]

I'm probably missing something here (wouldn't be the first time...lol), but unless I read it wrong, the only real problem is entirely too much lacquer inside the stock for proper fitment of the action and the unwanted bump fires you were getting.
Unless you were totally unhappy with the outside finish too, why not just tape off the entire outside of the stock with a couple layers of painters tape to protect that outside finish and only remove the excess lacquer on the inletting.

Check out the photo. I think that horse has left the barn.

 

[TMH]

It is one of the things I love about this site - So many members with so much more experience than I.

I'm filing some of this great wood finishing advice away for any future need, even though I hope I'll never have to use it on a pretty wood or wood lam stock.

Thank you to those who have contributed their wisdom!

 

[jccams]

Ron that's a beautiful stock I hope you can get it sorted out, I know you already have a lot of time and money into it. Wish I could help but my woodworking skills are not good. 

 

[Pizzaman2976]

Is there a special way you're supposed to finish/buff these laminate stocks after applying tip coat? Kind of like when you sharpen a knife, it doesn't really get razor sharp and really shiny until you hit it a few times on a leather strap.... is there a similar "last step" for finishing a laminate stock? 

 

[AirNGasman]

Although chemical strippers are the least work-intensive way to strip a finish, using them on man-made wood products ('laminated woods') is a losing proposition, considering any finish you then apply will have to be removed again (and again). Thankfully the money saved on chemical strippers will pay for enough sandpaper to strip the finish from laminated wood products the right way to get a good finish.

Unfortunately the money saved on chemicals won't begin to pay for the vast quantities of elbow-grease required to strip the finish correctly. Hopefully you 'enjoy' sanding more than I do; as I enjoy it about as much as I do spending time in a dentist's chair! ;-)

The most bullet-proof clear finish I've experienced is called Fullerplast. It's (originally) an automotive dashboard finish adopted by many custom bow-makers, not only because it's so durable, but more flexible than most wood finishes (which is probably largely why it's so durable). The two-part catalytic varnish is also virtually impervious to solvents.

Many bow builders are also experienced with laminated wood products, a popular material for bow building.

 

Happy sanding!

 

[Deleted member 49222]

Has anyone tried MinWax Poly in Satin? Looking at small scratches. I have also heard that car waxes can work, but wouldn't that destroy a satin finish?

 

[Mr.H]

Minwax poly is pretty pedestrian, there are better products out there. I have used it before, but my go to polyurethane right now is Arm-r-seal

 

[Deleted member 49222]

Minwax poly is pretty pedestrian, there are better products out there. I have used it before, but my go to polyurethane right now is Arm-r-seal

Is this as simple as rub in and remove any excess? For better or for worse, I'm use to solid wood stocks and boiled linseed oil has served me well. Blue laminate caught my fancy.

 

[KitCarson16]

View attachment 205967







I'm stripping this stock for the third time. Once because I bought it flawed, second because I messed up refinishing it with minwax polycrylic and now a third time to remove the laquer I paid furniture restoration place to put on. They weren't familiar with gun stocks and the finish is so thick the action no longer fits. Plus it's so hard it releases anytime it gets bumped.

I need to strip the laquer without removing the stain from the layers like I had when I tried chemical stripper. So I'm thinking heat gun where it shows and chemicals where it dont??

What's the best way to refinish a colorful laminate stock that won't yellow with age?

I'm also open to having it professionally refinished if it's within reason.

Thanks
Ron

So ready for some work?? Forget professionals most of them are like the professionals on this forum........did I say that.........Grin~~~
Danish oil first and true oil for the final finish.
Sand, sand, sand some more. Take your time, do it a little at a time and it will not be so tedious. However you get there final sand with wet/dry 400 grit , do this several times and let dry overnight and carefully check for any fine raised grain, and when happy use Danish Oil and a soft rag. Just rub it on and evenly and completely cover it all and make sure no runs drips or thick spots remain. This may take six, seven or ten coats until the finish is soaked in and even and clear .
Once happy with that part do another sand with 400 wet/dry and let dry overnight and use a tack rag and wipe the stock down good.
Now the work starts, all this has been preparation.
Casey True Oil time. Up to ten or more coats, just put the oil in palm or on a soft rag and rub it in, now rub with your hand each coat until your get tired or hour hand has had enough. The heat from your hand and the rubbing helps the finish, around 30 minutes each coat should do. Now again let dry overnight and do it again, until you are happy with it.
The entire goal is a very smooth and beautiful finish that is not thick and stacked up in layers, each coat of oil is very, very thin, all of it you can wipe off do so and rub and polish with your bare hand.

Its work and takes time, the result is very nice though.
Cheers
Kit

 

[Mycapt65]

So ready for some work?? Forget professionals most of them are like the professionals on this forum........did I say that.........Grin~~~
Danish oil first and true oil for the final finish.
Sand, sand, sand some more. Take your time, do it a little at a time and it will not be so tedious. However you get there final sand with wet/dry 400 grit , do this several times and let dry overnight and carefully check for any fine raised grain, and when happy use Danish Oil and a soft rag. Just rub it on and evenly and completely cover it all and make sure no runs drips or thick spots remain. This may take six, seven or ten coats until the finish is soaked in and even and clear .
Once happy with that part do another sand with 400 wet/dry and let dry overnight and use a tack rag and wipe the stock down good.
Now the work starts, all this has been preparation.
Casey True Oil time. Up to ten or more coats, just put the oil in palm or on a soft rag and rub it in, now rub with your hand each coat until your get tired or hour hand has had enough. The heat from your hand and the rubbing helps the finish, around 30 minutes each coat should do. Now again let dry overnight and do it again, until you are happy with it.
The entire goal is a very smooth and beautiful finish that is not thick and stacked up in layers, each coat of oil is very, very thin, all of it you can wipe off do so and rub and polish with your bare hand.

Its work and takes time, the result is very nice though.
Cheers
Kit

Thanks I finished the stock months ago. I wound up hand rubbing about a million coats of true oil. It's not perfect but it's decent