Removing Factory Finish on Traditions Kentucky.

[Frontstuffer070]

Hello All,
Does anyone know what the factory finish is on a Traditions Kentucky Pistol and how to remove it. I don't think its stain. I'm practicing finishing on this thing in preparation for the Kibler kit. I've browned the barrel, I'm pretty happy with the way that turned out. Homer Danglers cold brown is very easy if you follow the directions. I just had to bump up the humidity a tad. SO, it got hung on the shower rod in the bathroom, turned a humidifier on high, and shut the door. Worked like a charm. I've also been playing with brass black, and after a few tries I'm finally satisfied with the results I got from that. Now that all that is done, I don't like the dark finish on the stock and I want to remove it and refinish it. Thanks in advance.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

I usually just sand it off

 

[54ball]

Scrape it off.

 

[PEARL DRUMS]

I scrape most off. Be VERY careful not to take wood away around inlets or you will have to rework them deeper to get the furniture to fit flush again. Then I sand the remainder. I've done several this way and it goes fast and is quite simple.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

Thanks Genltlemen, I didn't know if it was some kind of hydro dip or something, because I know there is Beech under there. And it seems that this Beech wood has some awesome looking grain haha. I'm gonna try some Leather dye maybe light or medium then finish with oil, maybe BLO. I should have just bought a Kentucky Pistol Kit. I also need to strip the fake CCH off of the lock plate and brown it, but I have to get a main spring vise in here.

 

[reddogge]

Be very careful to not round off the corners of the lock panels with sandpaper.

 

[PEARL DRUMS]

I just refinished an old CVA double 12 I got in trade from a member on here. I used Feibings cordovan leather dye. It was very dark right off and I was regretting my decision. I let it dry a few hours and used 0000 steel wool to soften it up. I have to admit it looks sharp to my eyes. Its beech as well.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

That does look sharp, nice work!

 

[WonkyEye]

Like others said, be really careful with sandpaper it tends to round off corners, which makes things like inlays, metal fittings, for end caps have a really poor fit if you're not careful. I screwed up a Mauser stock with sandpaper. A flat, concave and convex scraper do a much better job anyway. If you don't have any they're cheap at places like woodcraft or rockler. You'll need a burnishing rod and a sharpening stone to go with them to sharpen when necessary (and some sharpening practice). If this is a 1 time thing, you can use a sharp knife. Don't cut into the wood. Just hold the knife perpendicular and very gently scrape the blade across the wood in long strokes.

 

[GregCSarver]

Never sand the finish off. You will change dimensions. Use a chemical stripper.

 

[Alan O]

If you can find some Homer Formby's furniture refinisher that always worked well for me taking old finishes off some of the family stuff we got stuck with. Should work on gunstocks too I reckon.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I have never done a CVA but stripped a couple of TCs, furniture stripper got it all off, it took two applications to clean out every nook and cranny.

I washed the stock off with a water hose after the last application did its job.

 

[CzarJL]

If you use a chemical stripper, make sure you neutralize & remove all residue.... otherwise the new finish may not stick.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I forgot to mention, I used a good scrub brush along with a water hose to make sure I had all the stripper off. I didn't neutralize anything; the stripper was water soluble. I dried the stock with my heat gun.

I have stripped two TC stocks, I used Kleen Strip on one and Citristrip on the other. I whiskered the stocks 4 times and finish sanded before I applied any finish, I used Tru-oil.

I applied the Tru-oil with a piece of green scotch bright pad and quickly wiped off the excess to have a satin finish, this is 5 coats on the finished stock.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

Beautiful Eric

 

[ronaldrothb49]

If you are going to strip it and re-finish it the in addition use this as a time to also remove all the excess wood that is on it and make it look right.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

If you are going to strip it and re-finish it the in addition use this as a time to also remove all the excess wood that is on it and make it look right.

Indeed. I need to look at some pics of others builds and maybe some originals to get some ideas. The thing does have too dang much wood everywhere.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

Indeed. I need to look at some pics of others builds and maybe some originals to get some ideas. The thing does have too dang much wood everywhere.

I am currently building an old Spanish pistol I probably picked up at a blanket shoot many years ago. Didn't have the screws or ramrod and the original owner screwed it up by double drilling the front lock bolt with overlapping holes. Found a Japanese lock in the junk cabinet, probably another blanket shoot prize, It fit the lock inlet perfectly just had to go deeper to accommodate the bridle on it. Actually a nicer lock than what was on it. So working on the stock may trying to correct as much as possible. I may do an artificial tiger stripe on it. I your thinking about using a leather dye to finish yours look into Angelus Leather Dye it is alcohol base so it doesn't raise the grain unlike Frieberg which is water base.

 

[wiscoaster]

I think stripping and scrubbing is safer than sanding, except don't use the black Scotch-Brite to remove the softened finish because it's stiff enough to be very abrasive and can easily remove wood, too.

 

[Scota@4570]

"Klean-Strip QAR4000 AIRCRAFT ULTRA PAINT REMOVER"​

This stuff will remove any finish quickly. It is nasty, burns you skin and I imagine it could blind you. Be very carful. Take all precautions. Most hardware store strippers I have tried are junk.