Wood stain

I am converting a #4 Enfield sporter back to the original configuration. So I have 5 different pieces of wood to colour match. The only one that I am having trouble with is the front hand guard. It is dark walnut and the rest is Beech. I stained the Beech with Birchwood Casey water based Walnut stain. Those parts looks good, but I need to give the walnut hand guard a reddish tint to be able to match. Anyone have any Ideas ??? I was thinking about trying a product called " Rit" My wife tells me it is used for clothes, like as in "Tie dying" you know, like the Old Hippies :D

A dye is a dye is a dye BUT if you use "Rit" you may have to wash your Enfield in cold water to keep it color fast. :D

A "Craft Store" carries many types of dyes that will work on wood.
(Thats where I get my pure raw linseed oil)

You can also tint your linseed oil with red (Burnt Umber or Burnt Sienna) oil paint for painting on artist canvas.

Take a look at this website below.

Homestead Dry Dyes - Rockler Woodworking Tools

I've read where alcohol based dyes work better on rifle stocks because of the oils in them repel the water based dyes. Most of the Wood working speciality stores carry them. Let us know how it comes out!

The wife was saying I would have to rinse it in vinegar to make it colour fast. I think this is going to take some trial and error. Mostly Error :madsmile: Jack https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...eldstock-1.jpg

I use alcohol based leather dye. Easy color control, if you get to dark, straight alcohol lightens it up. I use Tandy brand and brown, dark brown and oxblood colors to mix and match. Water base works good on virgin wood, but used wood it can be spotty.

Hey I forgot about leather working stores carrying that stuff Madcratebuilder, so Black Lab you can look for it at one of those stores also! Keep us up to date on it, good luck!

Try Chestnut Ridge Military stock stain. It's alcohol based and will be all you need. Just Google it and order it directly from the factory in PA.

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Originally Posted by Brian Dick

Try Chestnut Ridge Military stock stain. It's alcohol based and will be all you need. Just Google it and order it directly from the factory in PA.

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I agree w/Mr. Dick. I've used the Chestnut Ridge stain on several milsurp stocks, w/excellent results. It's also easy to control the depth of color by thinning it w/alcohol. HTH.
Donzi

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brian Dick

Try Chestnut Ridge Military stock stain. It's alcohol based and will be all you need.

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Brian, After talking to you at Knob Creek, I ordered some of the Chestnut Ridge stain, but have not used it yet. Is this the product that you suggested using outside due to the strong odor?

No, you're thinking of real Suncorite 259 paint which I do spray outside in my windproof paint booth, weather permitting of course. Be sure to wear surgical gloves when using the Chestnut Ridge stain because it'll take a month to wear it off your hands if you don't!

One other thing. I use grocery store grade clear ammonia to clean woodwork before patching, gluing, etc. If you use it, be sure to use it outdoors too for obvious reasons.

I have been trying a few different things to get my front walnut hand guard to match the rest of my walnut stained Beech stock. The Birchwood Casey walnut stain made the hand guard way to dark, so I scrubbed that off and figured I would have to tint it red somehow. I looked all over town and the only thing that came close to what I wanted was a " Acrylic Artists Ink " in a " Earth Red" color. After I put that on I thought :move eek: OMG and tried to wipe it off. Well the surplus came off, but it was now Pink :dunno: Oh well, I thought maybe the Walnut stain would tone it down, if not I figured I would strip or bleach it. Any how it looked OK that night. Actually looked not bad. next day I took it out into the sun and you can see it doesn't match. Again I scrubbed everything off and thought I would try Mahogany oil stain. Way to dark, didn't even try. Got a can of Varathane brand "Traditional Cherry" stain. Looks Very Close. I'll have to see it outside tomorrow when it's dry. https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...fronthan-1.jpg

Hi,

Looks like you are having fun. I've been doing stiock finishing work for a gunsmith shop for 4+ years now and lots of jobs are a new challenge.

Let us know how the cherry stain works out. In your picture it looks a bit light, but if so you can put another layer on until it darkens.

If you haven't looked in the Brownell catalog you ought to. Pilkington Pre 64 looks like it might match. Always thin your stain down and apply multiple coats rather than trying to hit it in one coat. By the way, do you wet the wood when comparing the stain results? Many stains look really crappy when dry but match very well when wet. And the way they look wet is how they will look after you put some finish on top of the stain. You can wipe them with water or mineral spirits or alcohol to see how they will look.

Another place to look is in Woodcraft, they carry many dyes and stains. They have powder to be mixed with water and others for alcohol mixing. They also have a prepared liquid version called Transtint that can be mixed with water or alcohol. I use their red/brown and their brown

Another idea, when I get a stock too red, you can apply a thin coat of green over it and it makes the red into brown. Sometimes looks green tinted when dry but wet it and you find it really does look good when coated in finish

Phil

I applied another two coats of Cherry stain and decided that's close enough, I have run out of patients. Now it's into the bath with my Home Brew. I know it's supposed to have BLO, but like I said in the first post, the barrel had been cut back 1/4" so I figured I could take some liberties. Beside it's nothing someone can't fix after they pry it out of "My Cold Dead Hands" :rolleyes: https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...forBath2-1.jpg https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...BrewBath-1.jpg More Pictures tomorrow. :beerchug: Jack

After about 6 hours of soaking in my warm Home Brew This is what it looks like the next day. I think the cheek piece is a bit dark, but overall I am happy. The pictures cast some odd shadows that aren't really there :confused: I figure it's had enough Home Brew after 6 hours soaking. But should I repeat with BLO for another 4/5 day's ? It dried up quite fast the first night. https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...HomeBrew-1.jpg https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...wSoaking-1.jpg

Black Lab

Keep applying the linseed oil until it no longer soaks into the wood. Think of the wood as if it was a dry sponge, the deeper it soaks into the wood the better off you will be.

Mr. Laidler stated that during the yearly teardown inspection of issued Enfields the stocks were put in a tank of hot linseed oil and allowed to soak overnight.

Wallpaper wetting tray "soaking tank" ;)

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...MGP32541-1.jpg

I would of left it in the Home Brew longer, but seeing as it had stain in it as well as being only 1" deep I had to keep turning and brushing it. I finally said enough at 2:30 am. "Got to Go" to bed sometime. I'll go to the hardware store tomorrow and get some of that Good Canuck BLO. You know the Stuff that Won't make Your "Wee Wee" Fall Off :D Jack

What a fantastic and informative thread, chaps. It's been so useful for when I re-do the mismatched woodwork on mine. Thanks for posting the 'safety warnings' as well - they're appreciated.

Paul