...or not dying birch

[C & E]

Thanks all for the opinions on dying. I'm not so sure now. My intent was to strip down the stock to base wood and dye it a medium gray - not sure about the topcoat. If the dyes are going to obliterate the already subtle grain that may not be the best choicere. Most of the scratches are in the topcoat and have not gone into the laid-on stain. Is there a way to remedy this without getting into the superficial colorant? BTW, thanks again for the help thus far.

[Toller]

Not without knowing what it is. Lacquers can be repaired, varnishes can't be; but even then you have to know what the lacquer was.

If you don't want to sand it down, as you should, try sanding gently with fine grit and putting some shellac on. Might work, who knows...

[C & E]

Who knows, indeed. Not me - LOL. The sarin finish is on a 12 year old economy gun so I'm thinking its in the poly realm (where/ whatever that is). It seems pretty durable but that doesn't tell us anything, does it. It also seems to be layed on pretty heavy, considering the depth of the scratches without getting into the wood - colorant still present. Thanks for the follow-up!

[Mike Marlow]

If the scratches do not go through the clear coat (whatever it is), you can sand it down with a fine sandpaper - 1000 grit or so... maybe even 600 if you're careful, until you get down to the level of the scratches. Once you get the scratches out, move up to 1200 or 1500 grit and just sand enough to remove the scratches from the previous sanding. A little rubbing compound will take it up to a smooth finish with a shine. If you want more of a satin finish than a shine, then degloss with a little steel wool.