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Posted: 12/29/2016 11:48:47 AM EDT
Is this stock worth refinishing? Has some pretty cool striping,  but not sure if it's worth refinishing with a "real" finish instead of the factory ugly brown. 
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Link Posted: 12/29/2016 12:32:26 PM EDT
[#1]
Hard to make pine look good. Besides it's only a Mini, don't waste your time.
Link Posted: 12/29/2016 3:46:32 PM EDT
[#2]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Hard to make pine birch look good. Besides it's only a Mini, don't waste your time.
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Fixed it for ya.
Link Posted: 12/30/2016 3:39:45 PM EDT
[#3]
I kinda like it. But I also like gas station food and collect commercially unsuccessful firearms.

If you haven't already been there, read up on Perfect Union. There's a lot of Mini 14/30 knowledge over there.
Perfect Union
Link Posted: 12/31/2016 5:30:21 PM EDT
[#4]
I refinished the stock on my Mini-14 a few years ago and it didn't look nearly as nice as yours; mine had very little grain. I don't remember the exact details, but after sanding the stock, I applied a black stain, then lightly sanded it again, before applying an oil finish. The black really made what little grain there was on my stock really stand out. Plus the oil finish looks so much better than any stain finish.
Link Posted: 12/31/2016 10:00:30 PM EDT
[#5]
I've had mixed results stripping and refinishing birch.  My preferred refinish on birch is a mineral spirits clean up then BLO rub downs.  The Ruger finish probably has a varnish component that seals the wood pretty good but BLO will gradually redden the finish over time.
Link Posted: 1/12/2017 3:51:55 PM EDT
[#6]
Chestnut ridge stain works really well on Birch.  Add several coats of real Tung oil and it will probably look very nice.
Link Posted: 1/13/2017 5:49:59 PM EDT
[#7]
I refinished the birch stock of my '93 Ranch rifle.  I think Ruger used a polypropylene type clear finish.  It was tough to remove. Used a citrus stripper product.

Applied some stain, light sanding, and then BLO. Came out looking nice, or at least what I think a wood  carbine stock  should look like.

Looks like any other military birch stock. Classic.

So Yes, it is definitely worth the time and effort.
Link Posted: 1/14/2017 7:33:09 PM EDT
[#8]
The varnish on the Mini stock is a real tough polyurethane finish.  Stripping it takes some time and effort.  I did one and when I was done, it wasn't any better than what I started with.  Your stock has some nice grain to it, I think I would leave it alone.  You will do a lot of work only to break even.
Link Posted: 1/16/2017 10:55:21 PM EDT
[#9]
I've refinished two of them. I think it was worth the effort.
Link Posted: 1/17/2017 11:59:14 PM EDT
[#10]
The stock in its current form looks pretty good to me.
Link Posted: 1/23/2017 1:22:52 AM EDT
[#11]
let me know if you decide you want to sell it
Link Posted: 1/29/2017 6:12:47 AM EDT
[#12]
Birch doesn't take a stain well - which is why Ruger and others use a colored urethane top coat to give it a darker look.  Its hard to replicate the factory finish.  Colored/tinted urethane wood finishes may help you get there, but they are best applied as smooth even coats - preferably sprayed on.  If you scratch them you can see the more blond wood underneath.

What does work to darken the wood more so is to use a dye like RIT - Brown/Red/Yellow RIT on a ruger birch stock  You need to experiment to get to the color you prefer.  RIT dye on wood would ordinarily deeply darken the grain of pine and other porous woods, but on birch it colors it just enough.
Link Posted: 2/28/2017 1:28:44 AM EDT
[#13]
I think that it would be worth refinishing if its something you enjoy shooting. I enjoy projects like that so I may be biased. I say go for it.
Link Posted: 3/1/2017 9:52:33 PM EDT
[#14]
My mini has a very plain stock, that one looks great.  If you want a project refinish it, otherwise I think it looks good as is!
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