The more I looked at my Henry, the less I liked the color and finish of the stock. I know it is a mass-produced finish, every gun a clone of the other ones, but it was just too dark and let too little of the wood grain show. The stain is more solid than transparent. I decided to refinish my brand-new stock, which didn't have a single mark on it. I took the fore end and butt stock off, and removed the butt plate, and began to sand, using 220 grit paper. Took a bit over 3-1/2 hours to get the old finish off. Once it was gone, I switched to 400 grit paper and kept sanding, taking the opportunity to dull some sharp edges along the top edge of the fore end, rounding them slightly to give them a slightly worn look. You can feel it, but not really see it on the finished stock. I also rounded over the flat spot on the top of the butt stock just forward of the butt plate a bit more. After the 400 grit, I went to 600 grit and sanded some more. I left the area alone under the barrel band so the fit would still be tight when it was replaced. You don't see that part of the wood when assembled. The grain of the stock is nothing fancy, but does have some variations. You can see them below. I cleaned the sanded stock with turpentine to remove microdust and degrease any remaining oils or residue of the old finish. The sanded wood is smoother than the original finish now.
Next I started rubbing in some Minwax semitransparent stain, in a Golden Oak color. It's easier when staining to go from a lighter color to a darker one than vice-versa. I applied 2 coats about 30 minutes apart, letting them soak for that period of time before wiping them off. I then mixed in a little Early American stain and applied another coat, added a bit more and then did two more coats after seeing the color approaching what I wanted. The Early American adds brown but is a lighter color than walnut stain, so it's easier to gradually darken the finish as you continue to apply coats of stain. By the 5th coat, it was where I wanted it. I knew that the last step would add a bit more yellow hue.
Once the stain had plenty of time to dry (overnight), I then applied some Teak Oil per the instructions on the can. Apply one coat and let it soak in for about 15 minutes, then apply a second coat over the first without removing the excess from the first coat.The second coat sits for another 15 minutes, then the excess is wiped off. The Teak oil is much thicker than the stain and fills the grain, then hardens and semi-seals the wood (It's not a waterproof finish like polyurethane would be). I let the Teak Oil cure for 9 hours and then applied two coats of BRIWAX, buffing each coat to a shine. BRIWAX is a combination of carnauba and beeswax. It dries quickly and you really have to rub hard to buff it out, but it gives a nice semi-gloss finish that repels water very well. This is not a maintenance-free finish, it needs an occasional coat of wax to bring back the luster after a lot of handling. I've finished a couple of other gun stocks this way several years ago and have yet to need another wax job, and the guns get a good bit of use. These pictures are of the stain and Teak Oil before waxing. Note the color difference between the new and old color at the ring where the barrel band is.
Once I waxed and buffed the stock, I reassembled the rifle. I think it looks pretty good, now I have a hand-rubbed finish on my Henry.
Help me Obi-Wan, you're my only hope.
