Stripped & Restained my Pietta Grips ....

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Hi,

I am a real chicken at 'improving' things ... kinda work on the 'if its not broke don't fix it' rule of thumb ....

But the used Pietta 1851 Colt had this big piece of varnish(?) that had flaked off the side of the grip ... and to make matters worse, it was the grip that would have been to the outside and show off that flake to the world ....

So, being really bored one evening, I stripped all the varnish off with plastic 0000 'steel wool' ... the only 'problem' was that that tacky red colored stain came off with the varnish.

So I used some old walnut Danish oil, and finished it with two coats of Deks Olje (kind of a scandinavian mix of clear Danish oil and polyurethane .... and I like the color and finish far better than the original ....

So much so that I am including a pic of the weapon ....

[Major 2]

Kudo's ...looks good

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Hi Major,

I really did not know wether I would like the final result ... but I knew I liked the chipped grips less.

It was really the luck of the draw that the grips turned out as well as it did ....

But thank you!

[Doc Cuervo]

Dang! That looks good.

[Noz]

It is sometimes amazing to see the pretty woods that Pietta and Uberti hide under their awful stains.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Hi,

If I may, I would like to do an endorsement of Deks Olje (Pronounced Decks Olay).

I first became aware of it when I owned/lived aboard (more like camped aboard) this 28 foot sloop.

It was about the only thing that would survive the heat of a California Delta summer ... the combination of heat and sunlight would toast any thing else right off.

BUT; the greatest thing about it is that if you scratch it, you can wet sand it with plastic 'steel' wool, and then apply another coat .. and it will FEATHER IN!

There are two types of Deks Olje  ... #1 and #2 (They must believe in the KISS system) ... just putting on #1 leaves a nice satin finish ... and afterward, adding #2 over it comes real close to a varnished finish.

My first reaction would be, 'yeah, but how long will it last?'

In the late eighties, I stripped a Brazilian Mauser 98 stock down to the wood. I steamed all the dents out as much as I could, and then put about eight coats of #1 on it.

I expected to have to redo it in a couple of years. As of 2010, the finish is still going strong ...\

Here is their website:

http://www.deksolje.com/

[44caliberkid]

I've done this to most of my Italian repro grips.   I use a varnish remover that, after it soaks in awhile, I can scrape off the old finish with a plastic scraper.  This way you don't lose any of the wood to sanding and they still fit well.   I wash off the chemical, let them dry, give a light sand with fine paper to make them smooth, sometimes just cloth buffing is enough, and then apply an oil finish like boiled linseed.   They come out great and look more original.  I don't know why the Italians screw up their good European walnut with stains and heavy varnish.   I've noticed that Pietta is starting to send through some Great Westerns and others with oil finish grips, maybe they're learning.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Good on ya, WWE!  Many of us have replaced the red stain and varnish with walnut stain and oil.  In some cases, 'tho, varnish is correct ... just not so much the Eye-tralian red stain.


I discovered some really nicely figured walnut under the red/varnish on my '66 (Uberti) Winchester.  Then, some boiled linseed oil - numerous coats - and it looks like a different rifle!

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Steel Horse,

The Deks Olje leaves a finish somewhere between an oiled and satin varnish.

The Deks product is kind of a compromise that is half Danish Oil, and half polyurethanes ... I am sure that is not entirely correct, but that is how it looks and feels ...

One just keeps applying the finish wet about every 20 minutes until the finish 'rises to the surface ... and is ready to use in about 24 hours, And if one waits over 24 hours and wants to add another coat, one can just sand with plastic 'steel wool' to scuff the surface, then reapply.

The neat thing, besides being easy to apply, is that the coatings sink into the wood rather than sitting on the surface like a varnish ... so it won't chip.

And if scratched, the surface can once more be scuffed with plastic 'steel wool' ... and then recoated.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Sounds like some good stuff.  If it's used at sea, it's probably made for really heavy-duty use and will withstand all types of weather.  And it sounds like it's pretty easy to "fix."

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Steel Horse,

Those are exactly its two best points ... and it is used on commercial wooden fishing boats ... like you said, probably the most challenging use for it.

As I said, it was used on an old Mauser that I refinished about ten years ago, and it is still in pristine shape ... but the rifle is rarely taken off the rack anymore ... so I am very interested in how it will fare on the Pietta, Shich will be in a holster and handled possibly four or five times a month ...

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Steel Horse,

Those are exactly its two best points ... and it is used on commercial wooden fishing boats ... like you said, probably the most challenging use for it.

As I said, it was used on an old Mauser that I refinished about ten years ago, and it is still in pristine shape ... but the rifle is rarely taken off the rack anymore ... so I am very interested in how it will fare on the Pietta, Shich will be in a holster and handled possibly four or five times a month ...

Have fun, pard!  Run it/them 'thru the mill and treat 'em to the torture test.  I'm interested to "see" how they turn out.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Wilco ...