Its easy enough. The hard part is deciding what finish to use. Get some nitrile gloves, they resist the chemicals in the stripper better.
Use whatever paint stripper you like. I used some stuff called Zip Strip.
1) Remove stock from gun (some people forget).
2) Apply stripper generously.
3) Use a plastic putty knife to scrape the bubbled finish off. Don't use steel, it may gouge the softened wood. If there are some hard to get to spots use a small stainless steel brush (you can get a three pack for a few bucks at ACE)
4) Reapply the stripper, some finishes are tough.
5) After you are done with the scraping, use a cloth to wipe the stock down to remove as much of the stripper as you can.
6) Wipe down the stock with mineral spirits, and allow to dry for a few hours.
7) Sand with a 220 grit sand paper. Sand lightly, some dark spots may remain, its usually not worth the effort and damage to the wood to remove them, especially if you re-staining the stock dark. Don't use steel wool on raw wood because some steel fibers may embed themselves and cause dark spots if they react with the moisture in the wood.
8 ) Stain and apply finish. If you want to you can sand lightly between coats of finish with a 400 grit paper, wiping down with mineral spirits after sanding. Sanding between coats gives a smoother finish.
I would not recommend a gloss finish, unless you are refinishing a show gun.
A satin or flat finish is more appropriate for handling a gun.
Use whatever paint stripper you like. I used some stuff called Zip Strip.
1) Remove stock from gun (some people forget).
2) Apply stripper generously.
3) Use a plastic putty knife to scrape the bubbled finish off. Don't use steel, it may gouge the softened wood. If there are some hard to get to spots use a small stainless steel brush (you can get a three pack for a few bucks at ACE)
4) Reapply the stripper, some finishes are tough.
5) After you are done with the scraping, use a cloth to wipe the stock down to remove as much of the stripper as you can.
6) Wipe down the stock with mineral spirits, and allow to dry for a few hours.
7) Sand with a 220 grit sand paper. Sand lightly, some dark spots may remain, its usually not worth the effort and damage to the wood to remove them, especially if you re-staining the stock dark. Don't use steel wool on raw wood because some steel fibers may embed themselves and cause dark spots if they react with the moisture in the wood.
8 ) Stain and apply finish. If you want to you can sand lightly between coats of finish with a 400 grit paper, wiping down with mineral spirits after sanding. Sanding between coats gives a smoother finish.
I would not recommend a gloss finish, unless you are refinishing a show gun.
A satin or flat finish is more appropriate for handling a gun.
