Both of my 2009 Rossi's 'mystery wood' stocks and forearms were not all that appealing and it's common knowledge that they don't respond well to stripping and then refinishing. I've seen examples of the stocks that were stripped and then refinished and in truth, I wasn't impressed. However, I was determined to add some life, color, and depth to my bland stocks.
My 2009 made .357mag Carbine with the it's dull, unexciting stock finish:
As you can see above, the standard finish is pretty dull with a lifeless looking color which has no depth or interest. I just couldn't let it stand so I looked around for a way to enhance both stock's appearance. It turned out I had it in my garage all along. You see, I've used WATCO Danish Medium Walnut Oil for over 25 years to touch up scratches in my baseboards, door frames, and doors. All I do is soak a small cotton rag and wipe over the scratches, let it 'dry' and it's good to go.
So, I decided to give it a try right over the standard stock finish on my Rossis. So, I removed the stock and forearm, took off the metal pieces, cleaned the stock with alcohol to remove any grease and/or wax, and then applied a couple of wet brushcoats of WATCO Danish Walnut Oil IAW the instructions on the can.
I think the picture speaks for itself. The finish came to life with color, richness, finish, and durability. Both my rifle and carbine are now much better looking and I think they even shoot a bit straighter to boot!!
The only downside to using WATCO is that it doesn't 'dry', it 'cures' so it takes a few days to harden completely. If you wanted to add a topcoat of say lacquer, they recommend you wait a full 2 weeks for it to completely cure. However, I've found that once cured, WATCO is pretty durable all by itself and it doesn't need any topcoat.
BTW, for those of you who may want a darker color, just look for WATCO Danish Dark Walnut Oil or WATCO Danish Black Walnut Oil. For those of you who want a red toned finish, try WATCO Danish Red Mahogany Oil.
A Simple Way to Enhance The Stock's Drab Color and Look
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Re: A Simple Way to Enhance The Stock's Drab Color and Look
Yep, did the same with one of my Rossi's a couple years ago! Turned out very well. Stripped it, Watco'd it, then BLO'd it.
Re: A Simple Way to Enhance The Stock's Drab Color and Look
I don't know who said that they don't respond well to stripping and re-finishing but they're definitely wrong. being in the woodworking business for years I've finished and re-finished a lot of different woods. done my share of gun stocks too. Wet sanded with Danish oil down to 600 grit rubbing the created slurry into the grain along the way. Left the stocks with a very smooth satiny feel. I get a lot of favorable comments on the guns. Also by stripping you can soften all the square blunt features of the Rossi wood.
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Re: A Simple Way to Enhance The Stock's Drab Color and Look
How is the WATCO for weather protection? Hunting season around here will either be bone dry or rain/snow, usually the later.
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- HarryAlonzo
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Re: A Simple Way to Enhance The Stock's Drab Color and Look
Not great. I always follow it up with Bri wax. Even that combination isn’t fit for long stretches of miserable weather, but mine is never exposed for more than a long weekend.