Got my new Dakota with XXX walnut. It has somehow acquired two dings in the wide part of the stock betwen the grip and the recoil pad. May have been malicious, when I wasn't looking at the range, or may have come from being in close proximity to other rifles in the safe.

I've heard about steaming out shallow dings. I would appreciate any advice on how to do that.

Thanks.

jet,
Everyone's got their own method, so wait for a bit and see which one you like.

I use a piece of wet cotton washcloth held over the dent and use a soldering iron to create/ push the steam into the dent. Careful not to keep pressure on if the rag has dried. It will take multiple go-rounds to lift the dented wood up. The steam might mess up the finish in the area a bit, so a touch of finishing oil to blend everything back together.

I have used a damp rag & mommas clothes iron.

If found that in some cases, even though dented, the finish itself has not been broken and the steam (depending on the type and thickness of finish) doesn't get to the wood. A couple of tiny pin pricks in the the dent will usually allow the steam to get into the wood and do it's thing.

I have used a metal pint-size can, the kind paint thinner comes in, by piercing the cap with a nail, filing it halfway with water, and bringing it to a boil on the stove. I held the ding in the steam jet to raise it. I also removed oil that was saturated in a stock around the tang of a bolt action by bathing the area in the same manner and wiping away the oil as it surfaced.

clean the can well before firing it up.

I've used all of the above ideas (except the tin can- which I really like the sound of!). They all work.

Here's another- if the dent is small, wet a small band-aid and apply it to the dent. Replace or re-wet as necessary until dent is raised. Usually several applications.

I like the can steam jet and the band-aid tips

Tin Can....there's a couple of us living 'in town'.

BT
Whitestone, NY

I ask my darling wife "Honey, would you please, when you have some time, iron out the ugly dings"... and 30mins later, she hands me the repaired stock!! Iron and wet cloth

yeti-

I recently ordered some items from Brownells, and said to the gal taking the order, "I bet I'm the only guy with my zip code that orders from you", she said, "nope, there are actually quite a few of you"

Run silent, run deep.

Do you have "Fender" stenciled on your rifle case like I do?

))

I'm near 14th & 7th Ave.

I have Yamaha Keybord stenciled on mine...


I used to live in a ghetto style suburd to Stockholm, ie somewhat like Harlem...

/C

Tin Can,
I live in Whitestone, where lots of the old time Italians are hunters. When I lived in Manhattan I used a golf club travel bag as camo.