Gunsmithing 1890 Steyr questions

[drake]

I have a friends 1890 steyr that I want to fix up for him. I wanted to know the best way to recondition the wood stock back to the original look and feel as of right now its fairly dull from all the dirt and grim over the years that embedded into the wood.

Also, I was courious if there is anyone that could refinish the metal parts back to the original look of the grayish blue look?

drake

 

[our gang]

Re: 1890 Steyr questions

Depends what you want to end up with. Basically, clean it with a soft brush and Murphy's oil soap to get out the dirt. Then use a steam iron and damp rag to raise any dents. Avoid sandpaper and smooth it out with BRONZE (not steel) wool. I have had good results with Forby's matte furniture finish. If the Murphy's wont do it, the Forby's stripper is gentle and very effective but you will lose some of the old wood patina.
The trick is to make it look nice without losing any of the original cartouches (stamped in markings) or painted on unit markings etc.
IF you are dealing with a high value collectors gun use nothing but pure linseed oil thinned with real Turpentine and a soft cloth, followed by a high quality wood paste wax. Any "restoration" will devalue such a gun a great deal.
How about some before and after pics? Good shooting!