I haven't tried it myself, but I have heard that a heat gun will sufficiently heat up the finish to a point where it will soften and can be scraped off. I refinished 2 old 721s this past summer using only 80 grit sandpaper to begin with. Maybe not the most conventional way, but it does remove that nasty finish without eating up too much wood.
I've refinished 4 or 5 Rem stocks over the years, and yes, removing the factory finish is a pain. I first scuff the old finish with #00 steel wool. Apply a coat of good quality paint/epoxy remover and let sit for half an hour or so. Then I scrub down with steel wool, rinsing often in laquer thinner or acetone. It usually takes two or three applications, but it will come off. Careful scraping also works once the remover has softened the finish.
Posts: 8169 | Location: humboldt | Registered: 10 April 2002
The quickest method I have found is to use aerosol gasket remover, available at any auto parts store. Spray it on a small area, let it sit for a minute, then scrap it off. I use a single edge razor blade in a holder for a scraper, but lots of other things would work too, including a putty knife. Use the scraper perpendicular to the surface. Be careful about plunging the scraper into the wood surface, particularly a razor blade, or you'll end up with a lot of little cuts to sand out. Don't ask me how I know that. Wear rubber gloves, don't huff the fumes. It may take a couple of times over, but it usually takes me 30-45 minutes to get the stock ready to sand.
Posts: 545 | Location: Liberty, MO | Registered: 21 January 2003
Having done this recently, I'll put my $.02 in here. I just got done refinishing an old 721. Now, it didn't have the heavy clear finish that some of the Remingtons have, but it was close.
Anyway, trying to sand off the old finish etc. proved impossible so I went down to Home Depot and picked up a can of "Klean Kutter - Remover" from Klean Strip. Let me tell you, this stuff did a fantastic job. I just poured some in a tin can and brushed it on, then just kept reapplying it with the brush and removing the old finish in the process. Every so often I rubbed the stock down with a paper towel to remove all of the dissolved finish. After the stripper in the can started to get to dirty, I tossed it out and started back with fresh stripper. When you think you've got most of the finish off you wiped all of the crud off and just let it dry and it dries clean. That was the best part. After it dries, if there are any spots you missed, then just hit them again. Then after it's all completely dried again give it a rub-down with mineral spirits or denatured alcohol to remove any remaining contaminants. This stuff worked great left a clean raw finish on the wood and required zero elbow grease.
Here's a link to the mfg. website. Like I said, I used the "remover" not the stripper.
Once any stripper is applied if you will wrap it up in foil or somehow put it in 'close-quarters' and allow it to fume w/o drying it will be much more effective
Posts: 896 | Location: Austin,TX USA | Registered: 23 January 2001
