Refinishing wood, fixing damaged checkering|Restoration, Repair and Maintenance|Forum|Winchester Collector

We really don’t like to see collectable guns get restored.

But, if you really want to, the least amount of sanding you can do is best.  If you have to sand to get rid of dents, you’ve most likely sanded too much.  Wood to metal fit will not be good.  Boiled linseed oil works like the original oil finish.  Tru Oil is a varnish and a leaves a real shiny finish.  Don’t learn to carve on this rifle.  I use saw dust of the proper type of wood with wood glue as a filler.  Test stains and use one that matches the original. 

It is almost impossible to hide repairs. 

Phaewryn said
I have acquired a model 270 slide action .22 that has been pretty beat up and I would value the recommendations for products to use for refinishing the wood. I plan to sand it down, stain it, and refinish it and I do not know what type of finish would be best. Is there something gun specific that people recommend for refinishing wood stocks? Would tung oil or linseed oil be good? I have a small gouge in part of the checkering and I’m wondering if there’s anything people recommend for trying to resolve that. Do you put wood filler in and then carve it to match or do you do some sort of decorative carving to try to make the gouge look intentional? If you’re using wood filler what wood filler do you recommend for this use? Thanks!
  

It would be very helpful to have photos of the gun. If I’m correct, the Model 270 is the slide action version of the 200 series. The deluxe version had impressed checkering with some impressed oak leaf carving. 

First, do NOT sand the stock. Period.

Second, DO NOT SAND THE STOCK

Third, do some research on the Web to learn the nature of the stock finish. If it is lacquer or a non-polymer varnish, there are chemical removers you can employ and use with a stiff (non-metal) brush. 

If the finish is polyurethane or epoxy based,  don’t try to remove it. Flatten the shine with 0000 steel wool and use it as a base coat. 

Use a wet washcloth and a steam iron to steam out dents. DO NOT USE ANY WOOD FILLERS. if there is missing wood, you MIGHT be able to use a black epoxy putty as a filler on egregious divots but this requires patience and talent.

Be careful when using steel.wool not to round edges of inletting. Leave the buttplate in place. 

Finish with multiple coats of Tru-Oil, lightly buffed with 0000 wool. Wait a week between coats. 4 to 5 coats.

The 200 series is not presently collectible, that I know off. That may not always be the case, so don’t mess up the wood and DO NOT reblue the steel. The receiver is aluminum, anyway. 

FWIW – I’ve done several stocks, all uncheckered, and had success using:

0000 Steel Wool with mineral spirits to clean and remove old finish. VERY light spot sanding with 400 grit in areas where old finish is stubborn.

Boiled linseed oil to re-stain. I use rubber gloves and dip a finger in the oil and rub it into the stock. It usually takes between 5-6 coats to get a good finish.

Hand burnish after the last coat of BLO sets. I use cotton gloves to avoid blisters.

Finish with clear beeswax.

ChatGPT can give you guidance on each step. Just tell it you’re refinishing a ?walnut? gunstock and planning to use mineral spirits, 0000 steel wool, BLO, and clear beeswax to finish. Let it know you want the least invasive approach to refinishing.

I will say I have had zero success raising dents with steam.

I have had zero success getting and wood filler to take a stain or BLO, even the ones labeled “stainable”

Both of those statements are caveated with I’m no woodworking expert.

I agree with others who say leave the dents and pressed areas alone…unless you’re prepared to buy a replacement stock if you’re not happy with the results.

I am apparently an outlier but have had good success steaming out dents. It has been a while since I’ve had to,  so I mistakenly mentioned using a steam iron.  Actually, I didn’t.  In one instance, I used an electric soldering gun, which allowed me to confine heat to a narrow spot of the damp washcloth. In the other instances, I borrowed a small, triangular hot knife from a furniture repair kit and employed the tip of the triangle to the same effect. 

In one instance, the firearm was my newly acquired 1950 Super Grade that had suffered a linear mark across part of the forearm checkering pattern, including the checkering panel border. It has its original high polish varnish (not lacquer) that has darkened with age. The effect of the steam was to bring the bottom of the dent back level and slightly dull its finish, which was polished out with a white rubber pencil eraser. In other cases, I’ve added a spot of clear topcoat and blended it with a Qtip dipped in abrasive slurry after it was cured. 

Perhaps the fact I used such a small concentrated source of heat kept the problem from growing larger. I do not claim the work would be invisible to a bright, angular light and a magnifier but it does require other than casual glance to notice. Which was not the case with the unrepaired dent, fully visible across a room.