I took my DH out in the rain !

[John Mazza]

Although I hoped for decent weather, I was caught out in the rain with my DH.

The rain made me realize/notice the areas of my stock that have lost their original finish... Along the top of the stock, from comb to heel, and down along the rear of the stock, by the butt plate, I now see dry, tired (almost a brownish-gray) wood.

After kicking myself for not taking a cheaper gun, I am now wondering what I can do to spruce up the bare areas.

I have read some threads that discuss the best way to finish/refinish an entire stock, but I was hoping that there was a product that I could merely apply to freshen & seal these few areas (without affecting the original finish of the stock or adjacent metal).

Is there such a product ?


Thanks !

John

[Mike Poindexter]

You can touch up bare or thin areas with French Polish and they will blend into the rest of the finish without hurting it. French polish has been discussed on this site many times, and many guys have done what you are asking about. Search on the archived threads and you will find it.

[Jerry Harlow]

I took my go to 16 VH rabbit hunting in the rain; same thing happened as the wood turned almost white. The wood was completely dry with no finish to repel the water. Did not show until it got wet. I worked Tru-oil every night in light coats on a small cotton patch into the wood, for about a week. Never took it apart but worked it carefully around all metal. The wood still looks original but now has some protection.

[charlie cleveland]

john if you had not took the dh in the rain you would probably never knew about the stock issues...charlie...

[John Mazza]

Charlie - you are correct !

I always thought the stock finish looked pretty darn good...until the rain hit it.

[Jeff Christie]

Use the D. I'd rather have a great memory of a super hunt with my best gun (say a DHE) than a cheap gun. Life's too short to sweat the small stuff. Let the next gun trustee worry.

[Paweł Janusz]

First let it dry really good but dont place it in dry hot area, because you want it to dry as slow as possible. If it was a lot of water on it then probeably there is some inside too, for that i recommend gunsmiths detail cleaning + oil (not just any gunsmith!) wen dry just soak spots with true oil to seal them and one day it will be good idea to have it all rfinished before its too late.

[Brian Dudley]

Original Parker finishes were shellac. It will usually wear over time to expose bare wood in spots. Such as around the comb, grip and cheek panels. If the finish is being touched up, you need to make sure that something is used that is similar to the original finish in color and the way it penetrates into the wood. I have found that some finishes, such as tru-oil, can leave the wood with lighter areas that were bare when applied with original finish still on sections of the wood.
Going over ghe stock carefully with denatured alcohol will clean the surface dirt and oil from the wood and also start to soften the slightly remove the original shellac that is left. It will also blend in the edges of the worn areas. It will allow a better surface to start with new finish. Freshening costs of shellac or something like timberluxe can then be applied and worked as needed to finish everything up.

[Eric Eis]

Another thing after you have finished your stock as Brain said, put a good coat of was on your stock, Johnsons paste wax, good car wax or I use Renaissance wax

[Daniel G Rainey]

enlighten by the discussion on stock care.

[Bruce Day]

French polish will cloud and soften in moisture.

Timberluxe is preferred as it is waterproof , will penetrate existing finishes and is easy to apply. It is compounded by a stockist who is a PGCA member. Available on line.

[John Mazza]

Thanks guys !

I will try the Timberluxe.

[Phillip Carr]

I have had some good success by using Parker finish by Galazan using a French polish method to blend.
http://www.connecticutshotgun.com/product/parker-bros-stock-finish/

That said there are lot better products out there to protect and give excellent results when doing a complete stock refinish.

[William Mitchel]

short of keel-hauling, how does one tell if their stock suffers from areas of worn off finish ?

Mitch

[charlie cleveland]

take it hunting in the rain...charlie

[Craig Larter]

I am a duck hunter and my Parkers get WET frequently. All of my Parkers have original finish wood or lack there of. I use Renaissance wax on all my guns, great stuff and worth the cost in my opinion. The key is drying the gun out as soon as you finish your hunt. Wipe it down good with a dry towel and place it in a warm room barrels off. Re-wax when dry and you are good to go.