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Forums10
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Jul 28th, 2025
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 231
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 231 |
I have a shellac finished 30's rifle. Long story short copper cleaner was in the barrel and the rifle was in the rack pointed down. Some human vermin came into my shop [a shootable offense] and knocked the rifle cattywampus and the copper cleaner leaked through the floorplate and streaked the finish. O.K. I stripped the affected area [about the length of the action on both sides of the stock] with 0000 steel wool and carefully feathered into the good extant shellac finish. Then I cleaned the dust with alcohol and started building layers with Dark LAUREL MOUNTAIN FORGE STOCK FINISH. Then after several coats, I would cut with STEEL WOOL and continue onward. The layers are now even and the feathering can only be seen at an angle under the light, and only at the very glossy shellac end and the Laurel Forge SF, NOT AS GLOSSY beginnings. I used Birchwood Casey Stock Conditioner in extremely small amounts to bring up a gloss on the Laurel Forge SF. My problem is the color is not quite dark enough but VERY close and I could live with that but now I need a final coat of something that I can apply once, to just bring a glossy SHELLAC shine and look, that is a wee darker! I was thinking a final coat...very light of TRU OIL but I want EVERYONE'S OPINION especially the Grand Poohbah of wood STEVEN D. H. my neighbor in Livingston. To make THE PROBLEM simple if I only had one wish, I need the area that is repaired... shiny in a shellac finish way, but without the trouble of shellac and with just a final coat because everything else is good and I don't want to screw the pooch, I have already done! O.K. Brothers in Arms, my sons say it's fine DAD, but to my fellow gun lovers...I'm not worthy!!!!!!! Jerry
The Sons of Alvin Linden
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 678 Likes: 15
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 678 Likes: 15 |
First of all, are you positively sure the stock was finished with shellac? Did your dust cleaning with alcohol effect the surrounding finish? Alcohol being the solvent for shellac, it would have gummed up the surrounding original finish.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 231
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 231 |
Gary: Yes... I was careful not to get alcohol on the shellac surfaces, just the stripped wood. In fact on shellac surfaces, I use a damp cloth with only a few drops of water. THANKS Jerry
The Sons of Alvin Linden
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 678 Likes: 15
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 678 Likes: 15 |
Maybe mix up a tiny quantity of orange shellac and apply it with a French polish technique? When it's dry, maybe a french polish with the same shellac over the entire stock to further blend the color? Just thinking out loud here. Kind of surprised to hear of shellac being used as a gun stock finish. Don't spill any of your Martini (the drink, not the rifle Joe) on it!
Was shellac a common finish used in the pre-war era amongst stockmakers? I've used it as such myself, but only as a base coat for the varnish that followed it.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 231
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 231 |
Gary: I should have been more specific, I believe the finish was a form of glossy varnish in which shellac was a or something similar was a major ingredient. I did not mean to imply the entire finish was pure shellac only, that it was a pre war finish that used shellac as a major ingredient and therefore had that shiny easy to scratch look. e.g. pre war L.C. Smiths Thanks Again! Jerry
The Sons of Alvin Linden
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,429 Likes: 35
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,429 Likes: 35 |
Everything I know about stock re-finishing is in my books.
Spot re-finishing is always tricky and seldom matches even when one knows exactly what the original finish was and how it was applied.
I'd suggest: let it dry for a week then rub it all out with rottenstone and linseed oil.
Oh, and build a stock drying cabinet so no one can mess with it!
Last edited by SDH-MT; 08/07/10 06:04 PM.
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,153
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,153 |
Oh, and build a stock drying cabinet so no one can mess with it! One of my best additions! Regards, Joe
You can lead a man to logic but you can't make him think. NRA Life since 1976. God bless America!
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 231
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 231 |
Steve:I know your books are very informative, I have a signed copy of "Black and White" I purchased at the Livingston RMEF Banquet auction years ago. Beautiful book...even more beautiful rifles. The problem however is, I had the rifle in my cradle working on it and darn it, it just didn't seem practical to get on the internet and order a book and wait 5 days minimum, when with the wonders of the internet the answer could have been had within an hour or two. Sorry I couldn't jog your memory on the finish problem but I do appreciate you had time to advise me regarding the drying cabinet. THANKS AGAIN JERRY
The Sons of Alvin Linden
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 231
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 231 |
To all my fellow Brothers: I thought I would let you know in the event another, should have my stock finish problem...Tru-Oil was the way to go. I spread a drop or 2 with the heel of my hand in a smooth ultra thin coat, let it dry. [ I use a small room with its' own air cleaner and dehumidifier]. Then repeat. WORKED LIKE A CHARM! Jerry
The Sons of Alvin Linden
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