# my stock refinishing project



## LadyGunner (Jan 28, 2008)

I have a kessler 12ga shotgun  and decided to refinish the stock.

Basically I sanded the stock with 150 grit paper
then used 200 & 300 and then very fine steel wool

here's a few pics

here's what it looked like before I sanded it its original condition






completely sanded





here's how it looks now with 4 coats of tru-oil






I plan to add a few more coats of try-oil
rub rub rub - buff buff buff 
then some johnson paste floor wax

i'll post more when I finish


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## GAnaturalist (Jan 28, 2008)

That looks like a beautiful piece of Walnut, nice work.


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## redneckcamo (Jan 28, 2008)

good job so far ..keep us posted .....


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Jan 29, 2008)

When you say "buff" are you buffing by hand or do you have a buffing wheel?

I too have an old automatic savage that I'm about to do the same thing on.


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## LadyGunner (Jan 29, 2008)

buff by hand
with a old cotton tshirt or cloth baby diaper


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## boneboy96 (Jan 30, 2008)

gotta love those cloth baby diapers!  I use them exclusively when I'm putting on friction finish on my lathe turned pens!   Darn thinkgs are expensive though!  Hard to find anymore too.


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## 7Mag Hunter (Jan 30, 2008)

Just remember, it will get slightly darker with each coat of
Tru-oil....
Looks great as as !!!!!!


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## LadyGunner (Feb 21, 2008)

i put the shotgun together today
it has is a bunch of coats of tru oil

it should still get a coat or 2 of johnson paste wax
for now this is how she sits


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## CAL (Feb 21, 2008)

That is a good lookin finish there LadyGunner.I know you are proud of it too.Lots of work to getting a finish like that as I am sure you already know.Thanks for letting us see your handiwork!


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## LadyGunner (Feb 21, 2008)

CAL said:


> That is a good lookin finish there LadyGunner.I know you are proud of it too.Lots of work to getting a finish like that as I am sure you already know.Thanks for letting us see your handiwork!



Thank you Cal
I didn't figure out the time it took from start to finish
I know it was quite a few hrs of work and wait time in between  -- all work was done by hand

I'm amazed how a lower end shotgun has such nice furniture 

its one of the guns my father gave to me before he passed away 
He told me to cut down the barrel   
instead I decided to make it look purty


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## Jake Allen (Feb 22, 2008)

Great job on the stock.
I use many coats of Tru Oil alos with good results.
As a finishing touch, I have had good success with rotten stone
and Murphy's oil soap.
I take a piece of t shirt, wet it with the oil soap, then dip into the rotten stone and do a final buff/rubdown over the stock.
This evens the sheen, (leaves 90 % of the gloss), and really slicks
the finish.

You stock looks good and the finish should last for many years.
j


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## Woodscrew (Feb 22, 2008)

I am in the middle of refinshing the stock on one of my single shot shotguns. So far I have put on 4 coats or the tru-oil finish and it don't realy seem to be getting any darker than it was on the first coat. I just been hitting it good with 00 steel wood between coats and wetting it good with the tru-oil.


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## QuakerBoy (Feb 22, 2008)

you did a nice job.....


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## Burl E. (Feb 24, 2008)

I just love to see someone giving a little love to a Kessler shotgun!!!!!!    

I have a whole collection of Kessler shotguns. I have the 16g, 20g, and 12g in both the model 28 and 30. I also have a old store display and some old ads for Kessler shotguns. You might say I have the worlds largest Kessler shotgun collection!
Do you know where I could get a model 50 Lever-matic?


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## 7MAGMIKE (Feb 26, 2008)

Great job, that does wonders for a old gun.  I did that to an old Marlin 336c once and also installed a new but pad for my son to use.  Turned out beautiful


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## LadyGunner (Feb 26, 2008)

Burl - I think you must have the largest Kessler collection!

ok ya'll lets see some pics of your stock refinishings


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## BPR (Feb 26, 2008)

*That looks great.*

Great job on the stock.  Now you have me thinking.  

I have an old 410 that I would like to refinish.  Its has sentimental value to me and I would want to make sure that I dont screw it up, but at the same time, its not a collectors item.  I was thinking of refinishing the stock and getting the barrell reblued.  

Any suggestions on where to start.  Thanks.


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## LadyGunner (Feb 27, 2008)

BPR said:


> Great job on the stock.  Now you have me thinking.
> 
> I have an old 410 that I would like to refinish.  Its has sentimental value to me and I would want to make sure that I dont screw it up, but at the same time, its not a collectors item.  I was thinking of refinishing the stock and getting the barrell reblued.
> 
> Any suggestions on where to start.  Thanks.



send it to me
I'll refinish the wood


for a fee


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## RJY66 (Feb 28, 2008)

BPR said:


> Great job on the stock.  Now you have me thinking.
> 
> I have an old 410 that I would like to refinish.  Its has sentimental value to me and I would want to make sure that I dont screw it up, but at the same time, its not a collectors item.  I was thinking of refinishing the stock and getting the barrell reblued.
> 
> Any suggestions on where to start.  Thanks.



I don't think you can really screw up too bad with tru-oil.  You can always sand or strip it back off if it does not suit you and start over.  It is pretty forgiving stuff.  The more coats you put on the more glossy your stock will be.  If you don't like the gloss you can buff it back down with some of their stock conditioner, rotten stone or whatever.

You can thin tru-oil down with mineral spirits if you want.  

One thing not to do is put pledge on it until it cures for several months.  I tried that and it took some of my nice finish off.  I just scuffed it up with some steel wool and applied another coat.   Evidently the Johnson's wax is different.  I might would suggest letting it cure for 2 or 3 months before waxing.

You will have to ask around your area for someone to do the blueing.  A matte finish is a lot cheaper than a polished blue.  When I redid my Dad's 22, I was told to pass on the cold blues and go for the hot blue.


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## BPR (Mar 8, 2008)

*410*

Well, I put the first coat of tru-oil on the 410 today.  Got it stripped down and sanded really good and just put a coat on it.  I dropped the barrell off to have it hot blued.  It will be a month or two before it is all done, but I will be sure to post pics when its all done.  

Thanks for the information RJY66 and LadyGunner.


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