Me and Gramps did this over the past few days.
The original GI Walnut stain was badly dinged in some areas, and concealed two (very nicely done) repair sections. I didn't think it was worth much as a collector's item, so I decided to try my hand at refinishing. This is the first time I've ever done anything like this, so I was glad that my Grandpa was here to guide the process.
This is the end result :
Before :
After :
We began by sanding the stain with 100 grit sandpaper, followed by a wipe-down with a damp rag, and a second light sanding with some 220 grit. Then another rub-down with the damp cloth. Then we applied the first coat of stain - a lighter, 'Gunstock' finish by Minwax which cost $5.49 at Lowes for a can large enough to do 30 M14 stocks. After the first coat, we rubbed some steel wool on the exterior, and prepped the stock for the Satin sealant we'd bought. One coat was applied each hour for four hours with light touching-up with the steel wool between, and a final coat was left to cure for 24 hours.
I am glad that I learned how to do this, and I am very proud of the finished product. It was a great experience to make something old look new again with Gramps and it has inspired some confidence in my own abilities to restore wood. Thanks for looking!
The original GI Walnut stain was badly dinged in some areas, and concealed two (very nicely done) repair sections. I didn't think it was worth much as a collector's item, so I decided to try my hand at refinishing. This is the first time I've ever done anything like this, so I was glad that my Grandpa was here to guide the process.
This is the end result :
Before :
After :
We began by sanding the stain with 100 grit sandpaper, followed by a wipe-down with a damp rag, and a second light sanding with some 220 grit. Then another rub-down with the damp cloth. Then we applied the first coat of stain - a lighter, 'Gunstock' finish by Minwax which cost $5.49 at Lowes for a can large enough to do 30 M14 stocks. After the first coat, we rubbed some steel wool on the exterior, and prepped the stock for the Satin sealant we'd bought. One coat was applied each hour for four hours with light touching-up with the steel wool between, and a final coat was left to cure for 24 hours.
I am glad that I learned how to do this, and I am very proud of the finished product. It was a great experience to make something old look new again with Gramps and it has inspired some confidence in my own abilities to restore wood. Thanks for looking!
