Any suggestions on how best to refinish a blond maple wood stock and hand guard set? I'd like to stain them somewhere between a medium to dark brown finish. All I had to do with a new walnut M1 Garand stock was sand it smooth and add some Tung Oil and it was near perfect. Unfortunately, I've never had much luck with maple.
Refinishing Blond Maple Wood Stock & Hand guard
- Thread starter VMass
- Start date
Bazoo
Member
Using a gel stain will help get the color consistent. Be better to find a different stock though.
Agreed. Never had any luck staining this hard wood. I'll investigate "Dutch Oil", though. Thanks.
Thanks. Did you have any particular brand of gel stain in mind? Willing to try anything. I hate blond colored wood stocks on an AK. Makes it look like an airsoft rifle.
troy fairweather
Member
I'd try some aquafortis what they use on maple stocks for muzzleloaders. I think it really makes the maple pop, use blo over top. Here's a few examples.
Bazoo
Member
Sorry I can’t suggest a particular one. I do stain stuff at work but we use oil bases liquid and even cut it further with mineral spirits to make it go farther and to get a bit different color.
I seem to recall having used gel stain in the past. But the memory banks can’t determine when. Even though I make furniture for a living, I get my stain at Lowe’s like everyone else.
Armored farmer
Member
I'm with @troy fairweather . I would check out what 'track of the wolf's has to offer for maple stock finish.
I can look into what I finished my maple flintlock in.....
It seems like I remember Laurel Mountain....but that may have been the metal browning agent.
I can look into what I finished my maple flintlock in.....
It seems like I remember Laurel Mountain....but that may have been the metal browning agent.
troy fairweather
Member
Ya that's the Browning stuff, but think LM has a wood stain to. the aqua fortis jim kibler sells looks like good stuff.
For the OP, was the stock finished before you will have to remove anything on the stock so the aquaortis can work properly. Jim kibler has some videos how to do it on his YouTube channel
troy fairweather
Member
Here's the stuff from kibler he calls it iron nitrate, which is the same or similar to aqua fortis. You need something to apply heat to the wood to make the stain to change its color. A heat gun works well you can get them for $10-$20 from harbor freight. His nitrate is pretty cheap to.
https://kiblerslongrifles.com/colle...on-nitrate-gun-stock-stain?variant=5201266947
https://kiblerslongrifles.com/colle...on-nitrate-gun-stock-stain?variant=5201266947
This could be an option. Question: Does this stuff rub off on your hands or clothes while shooting, or worse, does the color run when the barrel gets hot under the hand guards? Thanks for your input.
troy fairweather
Member
No it goes into the wood, when you heat the wood after you rub the stock with it and let try it has like a chemical reaction. It will look like a nasty green when you put it on then change to that pretty color after heating. You do that a few times and sand off any wood whiskers that may pop up. Then you just sand in some boiled linseed oil or tung and finish like any other oil finish.
This stuff is used in the outside wood that doesn't touch metal because it may rust but oh can neutralize it with water and backing soda if worried. I'll see if I can find the video where Jim goes over how to do it. I like the natural maple color but something about that reddish brown I really like.
troy fairweather
Member
Barnfixer
Member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2021
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I’m excited now!!! Can’t wait to do this on something! THANKS
Use a spray gun or airbrush to spray a very light coat of thinned oil based stain on the maple. Repeat until you get the color you want... but NEVER wipe off the excess.
Or spray a tinted finish like MinWax Polyshade "stain + polyurethane" with a spray gun or airbrush. The key is to put a lite translucent paint job of stain or Polyshade on the maple... AND NEVER WIPE IT OFF! Remember, you are painting with stain on the stock, not wipe on / wipe off staining like you can do with darker woods.
Or spray a tinted finish like MinWax Polyshade "stain + polyurethane" with a spray gun or airbrush. The key is to put a lite translucent paint job of stain or Polyshade on the maple... AND NEVER WIPE IT OFF! Remember, you are painting with stain on the stock, not wipe on / wipe off staining like you can do with darker woods.
troy fairweather
Member
Think it will look cool, should post a picture of the stock how it is now, it's a durable stain there are many 250+ year old guns with the original finishes still on them. There's tanic acid I think it's called sold by the same place that can be used so the the iron nitrate to give it even more contrast. There's a video on that as well. On a more plain stock you may not get as much of the curl to show but the color is nice.
troy fairweather
Member
I know your stock is maple but just something to know if you ever decide to use the aqua fortis stain on walnut, it will turn the walnut black.
When it comes to applying a finish coat I always use TOTW's Linspeed oil, it's like boiled linseed oil only it dries MUCH faster.
When it comes to applying a finish coat I always use TOTW's Linspeed oil, it's like boiled linseed oil only it dries MUCH faster.
This looks very promising. Many thanks for the suggestion.
Very interesting. How did you treat the maple? Meaning did you sand or strip it first, then apply the stain? And what did you do to the wood afterwards? Apply oil or some form of varnish or sealant?
Last edited:
mrcabinet
Member
A old timer's trick to getting an even stain on maple is to first give it a "tone" coat of boiled linseed oil that's cut about 30% with mineral spirits. Wipe off the excess, then let it dry for a couple days. This evens out the porosity of the wood and helps to eliminate the splotchiness. This works well on pine also.
Try using DYE, not stain. Stain is only weak paint and doesn't penetrate like dye
Guy over on RFC was a professional wood re-finisher, not sure if he is still around But I had some PMs with him and used dye on one of my 'blond) 10/22 came out great.
https://www.rockler.com/homestead-dry-dyes
Guy over on RFC was a professional wood re-finisher, not sure if he is still around But I had some PMs with him and used dye on one of my 'blond) 10/22 came out great.
https://www.rockler.com/homestead-dry-dyes
hawg
Member
I may have to strip the tung oil off of my Hawken and try that. It's figured maple but in the pics it looks like uneven finish. I like tung oil instead of BLO.
