A work In progress. :-) Sorry if it is not all there yet.

I bought a second hand MK3 with an RT stock recently and really wanted to have a go at re-finishing it. It had a couple of marks and a chip in the rosewood cap. So I sanded off all of the old oiled finish and stripped only the handgrip. I then oiled it with Napier London Stock Oil. But here lies my problem. I over did it! It easy to get carried away with the number of coats and when using oil less is more so to speak.

The shiny stock you see here is the one with too many to quick coats of oil and it was sticky to the touch.

So what follows is hopefully a more thoughtful guide to how to do the job properly.

Since then I have acquired another RT stock that again I wanted to remove the factory two pack lacquer from. So below I will detail what is involved and how I got on.

I was under the impression that all Daystate stocks came with the two pack finish from the factory, but this may not be the case on some of the newer ones.

This will need to be removed with Nitromors paint and varnish remover first.

It is a messy job that need proper hand and eye protection.
The Nitromors is very aggressive, us it in a well ventilated area.

The good news is that any small dings or surface scratches will probably disappear when you remove the two pack finish.

Remove the action and mask off the rubber butt pad. Don't try and remove it as they are normally glued on and difficult to remove.

I use an old brush to dab the Nitromors on. Use plenty and keep it wet and re-apply as needed. Be gentle with the wood. You don't want to mark the surface whilst stripping the varnish. Use an old toothbrush to work the stripper into the dimples or chequering.

It takes about 20 minutes for it to really work into the varnish. You should see it air bubbles as the finish lifts away from the wood.

Remove the Nitromors with water and a very fine wire wool. I do this in an old stainless steel sink or a bucket. Make sure you get into all of the small spaces and get all to the sludge off the the woodwork. Use paper towels to get into the stock attachment point and trigger guard areas.

You may need a second go with the Nitromors if any finish remains once you have dried the stock.

Let the stock dry thoroughly. Possibly over night if it is really damp. Don't heat it rapidly though as it may split and crack the wood.

You should now have a nice bare wood stock that looks a bit lighter than it did with the finish on it.

If you have any dints still visible you can use a damp cloth and a hot iron to gently steam the wood and raise the grain. Be careful not to mark the wood with the iron.

It is then ready for careful fine sanding. Use a small rubber as a sanding block. Do not use your fingers alone on the abrasive. If you do you will create grooves and round off the edges in the detail.

Use a fine grade garnet or glass paper. I usually start with 180-300 grit and move up the grades as required.

You are only getting the surface smooth. Leave any of the dimples round the grip alone as you don't want to smooth them away. Always sand along the direction of the grain pattern.

Keep going until everything feels nice and smooth and the surface is free of any blemishes. I then go to a finer grade of abrasive ending up with 1200 grade wet and dry paper. Remember the finish must be perfect before the oil is applied as it is so thin it will not hide any mark left on the surface of the wood.

Now carefully wipe the stock with a clean cloth to remove any dust.

Some people now fill the grain with a good quality grain sealer. But again I prefer just an oiled finish as it is easier to maintain.

You now need a good London Gunstock Finish or Oil.

I have only used the Napier London Gunstock Finish on mine.
This contains Linseed oil and hardeners to make is set a bit faster.

To apply the oil I used a small foam pad cut from a car wax applicator. I have since started to apply the stock oil with just my fingers. It seems to work better than the foam pad and you tend to use less oil (which is better).

The trick with the oil is to apply a very small amount for each coat.
Just invert the bottle with the pad over the top and this small amount
should cover about 1/5 of the stock.

Be careful when oiling round the chequering or any dimples. I use the foam pad after making sure there is hardly any oil on it. The chequering will probably only need a couple of coats in total so avoid the area on subsequent coats if you are after a glossy finish.

Wipe it thoroughly into the wood following the grain. The first coat should
soak in and leave a matt finish. You can rub the oil in till the friction generates some heat, this seems to help the process and results in a better finish. Check and wipe away any excess oil or dust.

Let the stock dry for at least 24 hours between coats.

Depending on if you want a matt or shiny finish depends on how many coats you apply.

2-3 for a matt finish.

5-7 or more for shiny.

I was tempted to wax the finish on one of my stocks and this does keep the water out and protect the wood a little more. But it does cause a problem if you want to touch up the oiled finish if you get a scratch or rub mark.

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