+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Making a stock a lighter color

Click here to increase the font size Click here to reduce the font size
  1. #1
    Legacy Member daveboy's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Last On
    @
    Location
    Alabama
    Posts
    208

    Making a stock a lighter color

    I've refinished/restored many milsurp stocks. So, I know the basics, and would never do anything to harm an original, valuable stock. However, I am restoring a 1903 Springfield. The stock is an arsenal replacement, and is not "correct" for the original rifle. Also, it has been sanded and any cartouches left are barely visible. So, I'm not worried about harming anything of collector value. I've chemically stripped the old finish, steamed out any minor blemishes and am almost ready to lightly sand and apply BLO. However, this stock is slightly darker than I would like it. I know it will only darken more with the oil application. My question is this: Is there a way to lighten the stock color slightly? Would an application of household bleach do anything? How else can I lighten it?

  2. #2
    Contributing Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Last On
    @
    Location
    St. Louis, MO Area
    Posts
    1,645
    Give wood bleach a try (oxalic acid).
    You can find it in any home improvement store. Probably near the paint section.

  3. #3

    Test procedure

    Endless apologies if you already knew this:

    After you bleach the stock and begin recoloring, you can "test" the wood for the end result by letting the stock dry thoroughly and wetting the surface with plain water. This will temporarily simulate the effect of the final oil finish.
    If recoloring with spirit dye, you can darken the coloration by simply repeating with another application.
    Fieblings Medium Brown is a good compromise color with a bit of red. You can thin it beforehand with a bit of denatured alcohol or use it full strength.

  4. #4
    Legacy Member daveboy's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Last On
    @
    Location
    Alabama
    Posts
    208
    I might give the wood bleach a try. I just know that household bleach will lighten anything it touches. So, I wondered about wood.

    ---------- Post added at 09:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:37 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by MasterChief View Post
    Endless apologies if you already knew this:

    After you bleach the stock and begin recoloring, you can "test" the wood for the end result by letting the stock dry thoroughly and wetting the surface with plain water. This will temporarily simulate the effect of the final oil finish.
    If recoloring with spirit dye, you can darken the coloration by simply repeating with another application.
    Fieblings Medium Brown is a good compromise color with a bit of red. You can thin it beforehand with a bit of denatured alcohol or use it full strength.
    No need to apologize. Actually, I use my own homemade dye with denatured alcohol and Rit dye. I use the dark brown and the dark red. I thin them so that they barely color the wood and do many applications until I get it like I want it. However, this particular stock, when bare, is a bit darker than I'd like.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by rcathey View Post
    Give wood bleach a try (oxalic acid).
    You can find it in any home improvement store. Probably near the paint section.

    AFAIK, oxalic acid (wood bleach) can only take wood back to it's natural state (before oiling). If that's not light enough, I'd guess you're out of luck. I cannot recall any treatment to "lighten" the color of wood past it's natural color...

    HTH,

    Russ

  6. #6
    Legacy Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Last On
    @
    Posts
    281
    On more than one occasions i have cleaned wood with TSP.
    It will not alter the wood color but it will remove a lot of the grime, grease and oil that has accumulated over the decades in the wood pores, contributing in darkening of a stock.
    It will also remove the top layer of a stain that might have been applied at some point.
    I do not let it soak in, was and brush the soapy solution and rince right away with hot water, that way there is less chance to affect the wood itself.

    I did try bleach on one occasion, but i didn't like the end result. It might have been me and the way i did it but the wood was affected and turned out pretty ugly.
    In the end i find that wood is a living medium that does it's own thing... if it has a tendency to go dark it will go dark, anything you will do to it to lighten it will look out of place and not ''real''.
    The only real way to get a light colored stock is to find one that is light to begin with.

+ Reply to Thread

Similar Threads

  1. Original stock color of early M1s?
    By jesse_ in forum M1 Garand/M14/M1A Rifles
    Replies: 40
    Last Post: 10-21-2022, 06:23 PM
  2. No1 stock color stain, closest match for dark furniture.
    By waw44 in forum The Lee Enfield Knowledge Library Collectors Forum
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 01-23-2021, 07:32 AM
  3. Arisaka Stock Color Question
    By MilsurpMM in forum Japanese Rifles
    Replies: 40
    Last Post: 02-01-2016, 09:42 AM
  4. Redish Color of Stock
    By reed12b in forum M1903/1903A3/A4 Springfield Rifle
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 06-23-2010, 07:10 AM
  5. Handguards too dark & need lighter color ???
    By Bear57 in forum M1 Garand/M14/M1A Rifles
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 06-20-2009, 10:49 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts