stock refinishing question?

[Red Cabin]

The woodstock on my tikka T3 needs refinishing, is this a simple task for someone with very little woodworking experience? Or could someone recomend a shop that does this work? Thanks!

[icehousebob]

It's not a simple job to get a good stock finish. I've done lots of them(used to work in a gun smithing shop). I would never want someone to make their learning mistakes on a rifle that valuable. It's a job for a pro or an experienced amateur. I've seen refinishing done by hobbyists that was better than some pros because they could take more time on it because they weren't charging by the hour.

[harvey lee]

I did one and it turned out OK at best. If one of my more valuable guns needed it done, of to a shop it would go.

Good luck.

[SmilinBob]

It can be an easy or complicated job depending on the finish you want, the higher the gloss the tougher it is, also different finishes (oil vs. poly) require different techniques. The type of wood also influences the level of difficulty, solid woods like birch and walnut are usually fairly similar in hardness and texture throught the piece, the laminates can be a whole different ball game with open grains and such between the layers. The hardest parts of the job are typically removing the old finish, followed by getting the "whiskers" out, then making sure the stock is fully sealed and all the pores and grains are filled and smooth. There is a reason gunsmiths, or any other industry, charge a lot of money for finish work.

[Red Cabin]

Thanks for the info, Im leaning twords taking it in.