Some may have seen pics of the Marlin 1895 I came int possession a little ago.... ....decided that the stock and forend needed a little sprucing up. A few weeks ago I stripped and acid washed the wood work.... I steamed out the majority of the bumps and bruises and then gave it all a fine steel wool rub. With the weather here nice and warm I added a little stain (darker than I had originally intended but it looks as though it worked. Started adding layers of BLO/Turps/Dryer today.....woood just lapped it up.... ....after three good coatings I have cleaned the excess off and locked it away for a few days to see how much more it needs.
That's cool it looks good. I just got the ax head I found recently hanged on the new handle I got for Christmas. The last stock I refinished didn't turn out to well. I had planned to laquer it but let my dad talk me into oiling it first. The blo and laquer didn't play well together. I knew better but thought it might work since it was oil based lacquer. I need to strip it back down and do it over.
Looking good. Will you elaborate on the finish process? Specifically the finish steps, or is it a trade secret I have a similar project that needs attention.
No secrets with me mate....!!! I gleaned all of the advice (it's ongoing) from a mate in the US that does some gunsmithing to include the odd re-finish. Step 1 was to get rid of the old finish, in my case I used "Citristip" and a cheap paint brush, this is a a gel product so it syas where you put it. Laid the stock and forend in a disposable foil baking tray, poured on the gel and spread it with the brush, turned it and did the other side Over the next 30mins I kept agitating the gel and "basting" bother parts. I then used a plastic scraper to push the old finish off (working with the grain as much as possible. Needed to repeat this to get it all. Then into a bucket of warm water and a wipe down with a fine scotch pad to get the last of the finish and the remnants of the stripper off. Towelled it dry and then mixed a bucket of oxalic acid (I used an outdoor deck wash/prep) and warm water and used an old plastic nail brush to go right over the stock (this gets the old oils and such out). Then a warm water rinse. I then hung the stock to dry in the shade for about a week. A number of the small dings came out in the hanging but those that didn't I steamed out as best a I could. Some were too deep and there is one patch of damage I smoothed out but couldn't remove as it was too deep. I then gave it all a rub over with 0000 steel wool and allowed it another week to dry (it's bloody hot here so this may take weeks in cooler climates. I then gave it a wipe with alcohol to see what it would look like without stain but it was too light for my taste. I picked a stain and applied it, it was a cedar colour but came out very "mahogany" on this so I wiped it with alcohol to thing and even it out. Gave it 24hrs in the heat to dry. Mixed up a batch of 2 parts boiled linseed oil to 1 part turps and added a small amount of Japan Dryer to the mix. On a warm day I added the first heavy soak of this mix (it sucks it in) and just kept towelling it on/in. The pics above are from that first coat. Allowed it a couple of hours in the heat (but shaded) and did this twice more. I then let it sit unmolested for two days. Yesterday I spread on a thin coat of just BLO and Dryer (no turps) with a soft clean rag, left it 24hrs and repeated.....that is now where I am up to.....
Awesome. Great info. Thanks for taking the time to explain your process. I will refer to this thread when I do the refinish. Look forward to seeing finish pics.
Thanks all. Snapped a crappy pic just now... .....it's now had about 4 coats of just the BLO/Dryer over the past four days (the advice given me was one coat in 24hrs and let it be. The finish is evening up nicely (this was taken about 3hrs after today's coat)... I will try and take a pic tomorrow (if I remember) before applying the mix.
Soooooo nearly a month on... I kept applying the final coats of BLO/Dryer mix till it was done, in fact a probably applied one or two too many. After a few weeks it was still slightly tacky to the touch so got some instructions on removing the excess. Did that in three passes today and I am done I think.... It's waaaaay to bloody hot in my workshop today (107F and 80% humidity in my yard) to put it all back together but I may get that done tomorrow.
Cheers all !!! I am trying to build the fortitude to get off the lounge and go assemble it all. It didn't drop below 80F overnight and the humidity made me think I was trying to sleep in a sauna.....more coffee...that's what I need....
Coffee worked....!!! The light out was a bastard to try and take a pic in (and I was melting) however these are OK....