[retiring]

Hi All, I want to first say thanks to everyone's greeting welcome in becoming a new member.
Just letting everyone know I already posted this on the other Marlin site, but I wanted this site to also see my project work.
This also might profit some other members to their challenge of re-finishing their rifle.
I bought this Marlin 25 back in the early 70's shot maybe 20 rounds and it's been in the closet ever since.
Now I want to restore it since the barrel is starting to rust a little. I sand down the wood stock, but I need your opinion on the finish, or continue to sand it some more?
If I use the pre stain wood conditioner would this help even out the dark spots on the stock?
Also after reading and seeing YouTube, what are some ways of finishing the wood stock, is it best to use the Birchwood Casey Tru Oil Gun Stock Finish or use vanish?
I already order Cartridge Guide Spring from Numeich Gun Parts since I broke off the one on the barrel. I will post more pictures once I finish restoring the Marlin/Glenfield 25 model.

 

[retiring]

This also came original with a Marlin model 275A 4x20 scope

 

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As you can see the barrel has some rust and I already used wet & dry Silicon Carbide 1000A paper and it's really looks good and ready to be re-blue.

 

[retiring]

The last place I left off in discussion was the stock still had some deep stain needed to be either streamed off or bleached. I decided to used 1 part bleach to 2 part water and left the stock inside a storage container I had. It fit perfect, and all I had to do was place a round stainless steel bar to hold down the stock since it was floating on top of the solution.

The next day I removed the stock and it look great except towards the butt of the stock since it still had some small dark stain color, I increased the bleach to 2 parts and equal the solution. I left the stock soaking in the solution for about half the day, removed the stock, it look great and let it dry for about 1-1/2 weeks, (I wanted to make sure it was completely dry).

I then applied one coat using a pre stain wood conditioner with a cotton cloth as per instruction. It looked good until I started to use the MinWax stain, “Early American”, which gave multi-spots of stains on stock. I didn’t want to stain it as original which was the dark Walnut color; I wanted to go lighter and something different. So I went back to lightly sanding the stock to even the color stain. After that I apply 6 more coats of the Early American stain. I applied all with one light stoke coat since I didn’t want to soak the stock with stain. After each coat of stain I let it dry 24 hrs, and then used 0000 steel wool between each coat.

I decided to not to use tru oil, or boiled linseed oil and went with Formby’s Tung Oil Finish low gloss. This finish reminds me of another product that I like and used which was Marine Rubbed Effect vanish.
I applied 7 coats Formby’s Tung Oil Finish low gloss waited 24 hrs to dry and with each coat I then lightly sanded with 0000 steel wool.
The last coat I sanded lightly with the 0000 steel wool to reduce the gloss even though the product is listed as low gloss, and now the finished product looks great to me.

The small metal parts which are the butt plate, Magazine Guard Plate, all screws, front sight, and the sling metal ring were painted black. All was put back together except for the front sight.

Now I can start to work on the receiver and barrel, and I already made some wood brace contraction to hold the receiver and barrel for the re-bluing. I still haven’t decided of which bluing product I want to use. I have read many articles and also view many of the “You Tube” of different re-bluing products. There are only three products I still need to do more reviewing before making my final bluing decision. The three are:

1- Brownell’s Oxpho Blue
2- Blue Wonder Gun
3- Van’s Instant Gun Blue
I had to remove the receiver from the barrel since I broke the tip of the Cartridge Guide Spring; and I already ordered and received the replacement. So beginning next month I will start to re-blue the receiver and barrel after I make my decision on which bluing product I want to use.
Another thing if you look at the receiver and barrel, it doesn’t look that bad to totally remove the factory finish. Is it possible to touch up the whole barrel and receiver and fill in the clouded looking finish?
I’ll keep in touch and post the results

The following picture are in sequence of progress:
After bleached bath

 

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Final coats of MinWax stain, “Early American”

 

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Final coats of Formby’s Tung Oil Finish low gloss

 

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Finished stock after light sanding of 0000 steel wool to reduce the low gloss finish

 

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Here is my wood brace contraction to hold the receiver and barrel for the re-bluing process:

 

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Here are the pictures of the receiver and barrel
Please let me know if you think I can re-blue over the existing cloud looking factory blue:

 

[Vet47]

Retiring,
That looks like nice work you are doing. I too am retired and have a Marlin 25, they are great guns. I don't know what to tell you about the blueing, but maybe you could test it out on a portion of the metal that would be hidden by the stock. Be sure to show pictures of the final product.
Vet47

 

[retiring]

Hi Vet47, Thanks for the comment
Where are you located?
I will definitely post the finish product.

 

[Gumpy]

That stock has some nice looking grain in it. Good job! I go for the low lustre finish myself. I tried reblueing an .22 that I had and it did not turn out as good as I expected. Course I was only 13 when I tried it. I just didn't think highly of the cold blueing process. WELCOME TO THE FORUM Vet47 and retiring!!

 

[retiring]

That stock has some nice looking grain in it. Good job! I go for the low lustre finish myself. I tried reblueing an .22 that I had and it did not turn out as good as I expected. Course I was only 13 when I tried it. I just didn't think highly of the cold blueing process. WELCOME TO THE FORUM Vet47 and retiring!!

Hi Gumpy, Thanks for the nice comment, and yes like I said before, a lot of work for something that looks so simply to do. This is my first time of refinishing a stock, and also a first of doing the re-bluing.

 

[retiring]

I finally finished my Marlin/Glenfield 25 project and I glad to say it really looks good.
I didn’t strip the factory barrel blue to white metal, since it didn’t look that bad to be strip. The process I used is as follows:

I used plastic gloves for the barrel and receiver and then used 0000 steel wool with the Denatured Alcohol to remove any dirt and oil.

I did research on bluing products and other members input on re-bluing and I decided not to use Blue Wonder, Oxpho Blue, or Birchwood Casey Blue, but decided to use something different product called “Van’s Instant Gun Blue”. http://www.vansgunblue.com

I used a hair dryer to heat the metal between each application of Van’s Instant Gun Blue.
The first three re-bluing coating I apply the blue with 0000 steel wool and then wipe off with paper towels. I continue heating the metal and coat the metal with cotton ball and blue product and then wipe off with paper towels and apply 15 coats of Van’s Instant Gun Blue. I apply gun oil on both barrel and receiver over night and then wipe down with paper towels and assemble stock and barrel.

I would have finish with all, but I did a rookie mistake when I started to assemble the barrel and receiver together. I place the part I order, “Blued Steel Cartridge Guide Spring” on the barrel and then slide the receiver over the barrel, and found it was just a bit off. So I tried to use 5/8” round wooded stick to push the barrel out of the receiver so I can turn the barrel to match the dowel pin hole. Two shots of the plastic hammer and then I forgot the part and realized I broke off the tip of the Blued Steel Cartridge Guide Spring. I had to wait for about one week for the replacement, and this time I order two just in case.

I want to thank all for your inputs, and opinions, Thanks again, Julio

 

[retiring]

last set of pictures
Thanks again

 

[Vet47]

Beautiful job. I'm a little jealous, yours looks a lot better than mine. Congrats.
Vet47

 

[retiring]

Beautiful job. I'm a little jealous, yours looks a lot better than mine. Congrats.
Vet47

Hi Vet47, Thanks, and you know It's funny when something that looks simple to do, until you actually start to do the project.
Then you realize how much work it is to get it the final finish result, but it worth it and I would do it again.

 

[Gumpy]

Looks very nice. If you enjoyed it, go out and find a basket case and bring it back to life. Preserve history!!

 

[axxe55]

very well done Retiring! nice job and it turned out beautiful.

 

[retiring]

Looks very nice. If you enjoyed it, go out and find a basket case and bring it back to life. Preserve history!!

Thanks Gumpy, It's funny that you must of read my mind, since I was thinking of finding another rifle in bad shape and try to see what the outcome would look like.
I do like what I used in the USMC, the M14, it's too heavy and I did see a Ruger Mini 30, and it comes in a 7.62. I need something that is left handed or the injector clip injects the casing forward like the M14.