STOCK POLISHING

[ukshooter]

I bought a stock from a well respected stock manufacture,I've no problem with the stock.
But it kinda looks shabby,small scratches and dull looking.
The guy at my gun club say this is the norm,and it needs polishing.
I've been told to use 1200 wet and dry,but be careful not to go through the gel coat.
I've seen all these wonder products that claim to remove scratches on car,any body recommend any thing/or a the better method.

Thanks

 

[ronemus]

I'd try an automotive cleaner wax before doing any sanding/polishing. A coat of wax will definitely brighten a dull finish, and will often take care of minor scratches. If that helps, you might want to follow with a coat of paste wax to provide some protection and bring up the finish even more.

 

[k80skeet]

I get a lot of high grade shotgun stocks,$3500.00 -$4000.00) they come with light fine scratches. This is how I bring to a high gloss mirror finish. First get some 2000 grit automotive wet dry paper. Wet sand until all the high spots disappear then get some Safe Cut made by the,The Wax Shop) Bakersfield, CA.,1-800-323-9192) Apply and rub hard but carefully on sharp edges until you reach a high gloss glass finish. Done right this will take 4 or 5 hours polish until you can see no haze at all. Keep removing safe cut to check progress., DON'T TRY TO RUSH PROCESS) After you are done wax with,SUPER GLOSS) also from The Wax Shop)

 

[alf]

On McMillan's, I use wet/dry automotive sandpaper and a sanding block under the dripping faucet. Start with 400 grit and work your way up to 1500 and top off with a good wax. Ends up looking like a clearcoat without the upkeep.

 

[Preacher]

Nothing like 555 on a 12 inch buffing wheel to loose scratches and apply a high shine.........
About a half hours worth of time is all thats needed using it...

 

[queen_stick]

Preacher has the right idea... DO NOT touch the edges with a buffer though. You will burn the underlying color, and create a weird looking spot that's under the final finish,this can be avoided, but it's really easy to do if you're not careful). I've done this on a few car parts after painting,fenders, hoods, etc)... you will learn fast to stay away from the edges. On a gun stock, I would do the entire thing by hand.

Use 1500 grit wet/dry paper,use it wet of course). This will make the finish cloudy. Buff out the 'cloudy' finish with a rubbing compound until it's like a mirror, and you're done with the polishing. Then use a good automotive wax to protect the finish.

As far as blowing through the gel coat... if you're using 1500 grit, you would have to sand quite a bit to get through it. But, as mentioned before, be careful on your edges. I would actually skip the edges with the sand paper, and simply use the rubbing compound.,rubbing compound is abrasive, but not much... it does remove material, so scratches will come out when you use it alone, without sanding)

If the finish is still nice, but simply dull, then skip the sanding and use the rubbing compound alone.

As far as rubbing compound... I use and recommend 3M's 'Perfect-It 3000'. It works great.

Walt

 

[ukshooter]

Done quite a bit of sanding this week,ok the stock looks a little better.There a few pin hole size hole don't know whether to sand them out or fill them.

 

[Preacher]

Fill all those little holes with Gorilla glue, let it cure and then sand it down to bare wood, and apply a finish of your choice..........
As Joel Russo mentioned, don't use a lot of it or you'll be sanding a lot.....
A few thin coats sanded between each one is your best bet....

 

[Ratwhiskers]

Duraglit and elbow grease, McM stocks really like it.

 

[ukshooter]

Thanks for all the tips so far brasso and elbow grease,will try the duraglit.
It looks better know,but one or two scratches.