[spam4einstein]

Anybody know for sure what finish is used on the 452 lux and americans? Tounge oil, varnish, poly...... Polyurethane is my guess, but I would like to know for sure, The wood is really nice, but to me the semigloss thick and grainy finish is begging for a hand rubbed satin finish. I need to know so if i decide to refinish I know weather to remove old finish, or just go over whats there

 

[Jim W.]

The finish is clear acrylic lacquer on all the 452s . It is very hard and durable, and will rub out to a high gloss finish. It should be sanded with something like 2000 grit wet or dry to level it, and then polished with a fine polishing compound to get that finish your after. I used McGuires cleaner wax to polish mine and it looks like a Browning now. The stocks that are made of beech wood don't need to have the grain filled and generally have enough finish. The finish on some of the Standard or Training models is darn thin and could stand some additional coats.

Some of the Americans don't have the walnut grain filled very well, so nothing short of some additional coats of something like Tru-oil will do the job. I have not seen a Lux, as yet, so I can't say how well they are finished. You don't need to take off the finish, but you should sand it lightly, and wipe it down with mineral spirits to clean off any wax or oil. When the grain is filled and the finish has cured a few days, you can do the 2000 grit wet sanding to remove any flaws. Be very careful not to overdo the sanding on the edges and corners. The final polish is done with the McGuire's cleaner wax to a hand rubbed lustre. It usually takes a couple of applications to bring up the shine. Polish small areas at a time, and take your time.

No reason these CZs can't look as good as they shoot.

Good Luck

Jim W.

 

[spam4einstein]

Can Oil finish can go over laquer?

 

[Ledbetter]

Where does that info re: the finish come from??

I noticed that mine looked a little dry so I rubbed a tiny bit of 100% Pure Tung Oil (NOT to be confused with "Tung Oil Finish" containing varnish and solvents) all over the wood. I repeated a couple of times.

Try that and see if you need anything else. The result is a beautiful deep satin oil finish. Yes the pores still show, but some like it that way. At work now and can't post pic.

Regards.

 

[Jim W.]

True-Oil stock finish will work over the lacquer but it should be sanded very lightly with 600 grit wet or dry and wiped down with mineral spirits to eliminate any wax or oils. Be careful not to sand through the finish on the edges. Mask off the checkered areas since you don't want to fill up the cherkering with finish. The True oil coats will fill the pours after a few coats. I like to use the spray type True-Oil for the final coat, since it flows out and helps to level the finish. The checkered areas can be sprayed lightly on the final coat. The final wet sanding with 2000 grit and the polishing compound is what makes this look like a pro job. This may sound like a lot of work but it's worth it when you see the results.

Linseed oil and pure tung oil never really harden like True-Oil, but they do give a nice satin sheen that some like. The high gloss finish that the True-Oil gives can be toned down with 0000 steel wool if you want the satin look.

Jim W.

 

[spam4einstein]

If I break through the original finish, will I have to sand the whole stock finish off?

 

[Jim W.]

The danger is getting to carried away. If you get to the point that you go through the finish into the wood you will also take the stain off and it shows up as a light spot. It's possible to touch up the spot with stain but it could be tricky to match the color. The sanding is just supposed to break the glaze on the finish so the additional coats will adhere better. You can use fine steel wool to do the same thing if your worried about it.

Jim W.

P.S. The info on the Lacquer finish came from the CZ Euro Website.

 

[spam4einstein]

Thanks Jim, I didnt realize these stocks were stained, I thought it was a clear finish over the natural color, I was only asking b/c I have a few dents that dont completely steam raise out. Even so, I dont think its worth taking a chance on a vairation in color, Ill just put down about 10 coats in those areas and wet sand between coats before I do the whole stock with many coats of tru-oil,,,or at least thats the plan right now. Some of those custom stocks in another thread are beautiful and it got me thinkin.

 

[Desert Pete]

I just polished mine with a home made beeswax concoction and it looks pretty good as is. Put a little sheen on it and brought out the color of the wood. No sanding required. Paste wax car polish would do almost the same thing.