Repairing stock ding

[KILTED COWBOY]

Well clumsy me. Stock has 6 thin coats of chambers oil on and I put a ding on the stock. Not too bad but I see it every time.
I know the trick of damp cloth and hot iron to raise wood.
Will that work through the finish.Or do I need to sand area to bare wood.

[Jerry]

Well I might just be able to help. Just yesterday I pulled a elongated dent out of the stock on my fowler, on the very first turkey hunt. It was a dent, not a scrape. I cut the head off of a copper nail then pounded the pointed end flat. Then used the wet patch and propane torch method. 95% of the dent was gone. Light sanding with 400 grit automative wet and dry sanding paper removed the dent.
Restraining and finishing to complete.

[Mike Brooks]

I generally try real hard to put dent IN  to the wood, not take them out....

[Craig Wilcox]

You and I both, Mike.  I have steamed a LOT of dents from wood, and it generally does not harm the finish at all.  Except for urethane - it kind of bubbled on the only one that I tried.
Jerry, I am curious about the copper nail with the flat point - how was it used in your dent removal process?  And I never tried dent removal with a torch - just the old steam iron turned up high.  Sounds as tho it might be faster than the iron.

[KILTED COWBOY]

Success!
Steamed out with a clothes iron and Chambers oil was not affected.
I want to put dings in this rifle in the woods, not on the work bench.
Thanks for the help y’all

[Dennis Glazener]

Success!
Steamed out with a clothes iron and Chambers oil was not affected.
I want to put dings in this rifle in the woods, not on the work bench.
Thanks for the help y’all

Well you beat me to it. I have steamed several dents out of stocks finished with both Chambers oil and also Danish oil finish.
Dennis

[Frank]

Dents in the wood give the gun character and are to be expected as they are used. Removing every scratch or dent/bruise over the years is akin to polishing the brass every time it gets tarnished.