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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
Happy Monday all,
I was recently given this Stevens 311a in .410 as a project gun. It needs a new buttplate, the blueing is rough and the stock could definitely use a good sanding/stain.

I’ve never done something like this before so I thought I’d ask you all for some tips/tricks to refinishing. Recommended products? Preferred procedures? I’d like to do this right so any advice is greatly appreciated!
Rectangle Helmet Wood Everyday carry Knife

Wood Sleeve Bag Waist Beige
 

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Thats a fantastic bunny gun
Strip the metal from the wood, sand it dtarting with a 120grit end with 300+. Either do an il finish or several coats of a decent varnish. Youll probably have to stain it to get back to close to that color.
Metal is steel wool to get back to the raw metal, then brake cleaner to remove any oils left behind. After that its the cold blue process, take your time and dont rush it. I run a hair dryer to heat the metal a bit before i add the blueing compound, just something i was told to do by an older hunter many years ago. Once you get it to the color you want, let it sit an extra day then oil up for storage as you would for any gun.
Take lots of pics so we can see the process, ive got an old bubba 44-40 that ill be doing over the winter
 

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I've done several guns over the years. I used wet/dry sandpaper on the metal parts. I recommend starting with 220 grit and working up to at least 800 or 1000. That should give your bluing a nice lustre when finished.
As for brand of bluing to use, I'll leave that suggestion to some of the other guys on here as I wasn't really pleased with the last stuff I got at Bass Pro. Can't remember the brand but its in a blue plastic bottle. One thing I will mention though is that degreasing/cleaning the metal parts very thoroughly before bluing is critical to getting a good result.

As to the wood, I've always carefully scraped off the old finish and then sanded with progressively finer sandpaper going up to at least 180. Here's a tip, once you feel the stock is nice and smooth after sanding with say 120 grit, wipe off the dust and then dampen the entire surface with a clean wet rag. This makes the tiny wood fibers stand up once the wood is dry. Then sand and repeat a couple times with finer grit paper. This will help any grain stand out a bit better and give you a smoother finish in the end. It doesn't take very long to dry each time, a day maybe if kept in a reasonably warm dry spot. Just don't soak the stock and then put it next to the wood stove as you might cause cracking. Unlikely but no sense taking the risk. I've used urethane on some stocks and linseed oil on others. Urethane will shine more than an oiled finish usually but either works well.
Having said that, the stock doesn't look to bad in the picture. If it isn't too bad you might want to just keep the original finish. I most cases you will find that the wood is light coloured, maple or birch or birch maybe, under the existing finish. I've found that its hard to get back to the original finish colour using stain but some of the guys on here may know of specific products that work well.
 

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I have done a few stocks that turned out so well that others wanted me to do theirs which I have. I go to the dollars store and buy a cheap turkey pan. Place the stocks in it and use furniture stripper, a paint brush, gloves and respirator to coat until the finish all lifts off. Once that's done I wash down with mineral spirts and let dry for a few days. Sand smooth to 380, then start with coats of tongue oil rubbed in. I do a coat a day, steel wool with #0000, then coat again. Usually 10-12 coats. I don't like the shinny version so I rub the coats in to give a more factory look. They come out silky smooth. The blueing well you could reblue $ or test cold blue products to see which looks more like the blueing on the rifle. Just a caution, some people will sand to much that when they reinstall the but plate etc it will be larger than the stock, same for fitting around the receiver etc. Don't get to agrressive.
 

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I posted about a project I did a few years back.

I used an Outers bluing kit from Canadian Tire only because it has very little odour and did not give me a headache.
Hello Buckmark. I was happy with the outcome. All exposed metal parts received four applications. I did a little experimenting first and found the following tricks helped: I cleaned all of the old bluing off the metal parts and used 100% cotton balls for application for degreaser and bluing, not the sponges that came with the kit. When the bluing turns hazy (after a minute ) go over with 0000 steel wool before rinsing with hot water. If you use clean steel wool during each application you only need to use the degreaser during the first application. I used tiger paper towel to wash off bluing and to dry the metal parts before next application. Hope this helps
Also as nomad states: Heating the metal with a heat gun or hair dryer before application,helps big time with cold bluing.
 

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Discussion Starter · #6 ·
Some great info here fellas, thank you. the stock looks like it may have been refinished once before as there is a small chunk out if the pistol grip that appears to have been finished over. I'm fairly proficient in wood working so I should be able to clean the stock up nicely, however the bluing is new to me.

When people say "re-blue", is that a hot bluing procedure? And cold blue is the off the shelf products?
 

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The wood part is the easiest part of the process.
Circa 1850 is the stripper of choice that I use Spencer. Everybody sells it..Kent..Home D..Rona.
Get a few cheap dollar store 1 inch brushes... a plastic left over butter container ( thoroughly cleaned out) works great to pour the stripper in. Decent rubber gloves..several pairs.
I use a small plastic body fill applicator to remove the sludge once it has lifted.
Sanding is critical...I also go to 800 or 1000 grit for finish sanding. Start with 220. I liberally run a soaked rag over it..wet sand it with 400-600 grit. Let dry..sand it again.
Any dents can be raised with a good damp cloth and an iron.
Gimme a shout before you start this project..I got some of what you need here..all the sanding papers...gloves..containers.. and several cans of good stains..various colors from ebony to colonial maple ! It'll save you that much anyways.
 

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Discussion Starter · #10 ·
Much appreciated Kev! I'll come see you in the new year, won't be starting this till after the holidays...should give me time to get all the info I need to not mess this up lol
 

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I have refinished many guns over the years. I have had good success with the cold blue from the bottle. Sand the barrel to bare metal and start bluing. Steel wool between applications. I usually do 4 applications. Once this is done … a final buffing with steel wool, and then I put a coat of tru oil on it. It gives it a nice sheen, and also protects it from rusting. This is how I do it … but as Kevin mentioned … the hot bluing is much better. As far as the receiver goes … hot bluing may give it a “purplish” hue to it. I had a few guns done and the barrels are perfect, but receivers look purple.
The stocks just get sanded down. May have to use furniture stripper to take old varnish and what not off of it. I use Tru Oil on the stocks as well. Usually about 20 applications, with extra fine steel wool between coats. I like shiny stuff … so this might be too much for you.
Keep us updated with pics when you start.
 

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The wood part is the easiest part of the process.
Circa 1850 is the stripper of choice that I use Spencer. Everybody sells it..Kent..Home D..Rona.
Get a few cheap dollar store 1 inch brushes... a plastic left over butter container ( thoroughly cleaned out) works great to pour the stripper in. Decent rubber gloves..several pairs.
I use a small plastic body fill applicator to remove the sludge once it has lifted.
Sanding is critical...I also go to 800 or 1000 grit for finish sanding. Start with 220. I liberally run a soaked rag over it..wet sand it with 400-600 grit. Let dry..sand it again.
Any dents can be raised with a good damp cloth and an iron.
Gimme a shout before you start this project..I got some of what you need here..all the sanding papers...gloves..containers.. and several cans of good stains..various colors from ebony to colonial maple ! It'll save you that much anyways.
Where do you get the finer sand paper, down here its only sold for metal? Went out the other day looking as I am presently doing a stock and 380 was the finest for wood?
 

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Where do you get the finer sand paper, down here its only sold for metal? Went out the other day looking as I am presently doing a stock and 380 was the finest for wood?
Amazon has good sandpaper for wood right up to 2000 Grit , I buy 5 inch discs by the bu!k pack from 60 grit to 600 grits and sheets from 120 -2000 all wood sand paper .
 

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Amazon has good sandpaper for wood right up to 2000 Grit , I buy 5 inch discs by the bu!k pack from 60 grit to 600 grits and sheets from 120 -2000 all wood sand paper .
I am in the sticks 😀 Even our building supply stores have none. We just must just fix cars this way, and that might be with the case the way they dump the salt each winter😀
 

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Just don't subject a 311 to any heat at all when restoring it even a stuck screw etc
The solder used is extremely low temp and the barrels will etc fall apart. It is well known for this with guys that do hot bluing
 

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Discussion Starter · #17 ·
Just don't subject a 311 to any heat at all when restoring it even a stuck screw etc
The solder used is extremely low temp and the barrels will etc fall apart. It is well known for this with guys that do hot bluing
Even a hair dryer too warm?
 

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Hot bluing only for me , cold blues just don't hold up , and results vary on metal prep and degreasing , if metal is not etched properly it's not going to turn out with best results .
 

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Even a hair dryer too warm?
Don't think but hot bluing was I was told not to do that and this came from the shotgun form in the US where there is a lot of experience. Other than it being purple in the end on the receiver looked fine mine was a 16ga 311 since remember a factory 311 was not blued on the receiver

Not my words
I think the difference is important because "soft soldered" barrels can be regulated heating the ends up and moving them in relation to one another. They can't be hot blued. Brazed barrels aren't regulated by heating them up and can be hot blued.

Probably "silver solder" means different things in different trades. Silver can be a component of both soft solder and Brazing rod.

50%/50% lead/tin solder melts at 361 degreesF

94%/6% tin/silver solder melts at 431 degreesF

 
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