Refinishing Ironwood AK Stocks, getting the red look.

[Bennyb747]

I want to add a bit of a reddish mahogany tint to my Ironwood Walnut stocks. The stocks were already finished when I got this AK so I'm not sure what the previous owner used, but it appears to be just walnut stain over walnut wood with either no sealer or maybe a coat or 2 of tung oil.

I was wondering if there is any way I could tint the finish slightly reddish without stripping the wood, and then sealing the stocks to a semi-gloss finish? I was thinking maybe a wood dye.

Hopefully the gun stock gurus are gonna chime in. I'm looking for mild darkish Russian Red color.

 

[Sir Aardvark]

At one time Matt from Ironwood Designs had posted on his website the recipe for making the red color you are asking about. It consisted of different colors of RIT Dye.

I just viewed his wesite and it looks like he has just updated it and some parts are still under construction, including the "Tech" section that provides finishing tips.
Try sending him an email and he might reply with the recipe.

As for trying to tint the stock if it already has a sealer applied - good luck!

Looking at your photo, it looks pretty shiny to not be sealed - stains alone don't tend to look so glossy when the light reflects off of them.

If you truly want the red look then you'll have to strip off the sealer and start over.

 

[Olympus]

RIT dyes will be the easiest. I dyed a Mosin that same reddish color that you're talking about. I bought scarlet red and a standard brown. Use the red as the base and just start mixing in small amounts of the brown color. Mix it up and try a little bit at a time. If it's too red, add a little more brown. Just remember, once you add the brown to the mix, you can't remove it. Better to add the brown a very little at a time, because you can always add more but you can't take away. Keep going until you get the desired color.

As for the sealer, try a little bit of the dye on the stock and see if it takes. If it doesn't want to take evenly then you'll have to strip the sealer, which is not a big deal. Just go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get some stripper. Brush it on, leave it for a while, and come back and wipe it off. You'll be ready to go from there. That would be a good time to get the sandpaper out as well. I like to hit stocks with 400, 600, and then finish with 0000 steel wool before I start applying any kind of stains, dyes, or finishes.

 

[dfariswheel]

If the wood has a previous finish, it has to come off or no stain will penetrate.

I had better luck with water-based leather dye than RIT.
For a previously finished wood, you might have even better luck with a SOLVENT based leather dye.
Be sure you also buy a solvent-based dye thinner so you can thin the dyes.
Solvent dyes will stain VERY dark, very fast unless well thinned.

See this post:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=472427

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

I spoke with Matt at Ironwood designs today, great guy. He said that the Tech page will be back up in a week or so.

 

[Oprod30]

AK finishing

Dark,

You just saved me some frantic phone calls to Ironwood about the Russian Red or Red Iodine finish. Just got my new laminated furniture from Matt and I could not relocate the data ref the finishing of it in the red that I am looking for. So glad that site will be up soon with all the tech stuff.
Mike in Fl

 

[justashooter in pa]

for a chinese gun you want the dark red that was standard on the poly legends of the '80's. the red/brown rit mix will give you the color, but the correct finish is a shellac, rather than a stain.

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Dark,

You just saved me some frantic phone calls to Ironwood about the Russian Red or Red Iodine finish. Just got my new laminated furniture from Matt and I could not relocate the data ref the finishing of it in the red that I am looking for. So glad that site will be up soon with all the tech stuff.
Mike in Fl

No problem, he was very helpful, heck, if you don't feel like waiting give him a call, he gave me lots of info about the RIT dyes. What he told me was basically:

Wipe the stock with a wet cloth so it is damp.
Sand it lightly with 400-600 grit
Make a mixture of isopropyl alcohol, RIT scarlet, and then brown, yellow, orange, etc. to your desired color
Brush on one coat
Sand lightly
Brush on another
Sand lightly
Once you've sand/stained to desired color, sand lightly
then apply a coat of satin or semi gloss poly eurethane
sand lightly
apply another
done!

he recommended using tablespoons to measure the amount of dye in the mix, and his info was a lot more in depth so its best to wait for the tech page or give him a call, as i'm a stain noob.

 

[fireman 9731]

If you ask me, That is some beautiful wood how it is already. Its pretty rare to see wood that nice on AK.

Either keep it how it is, or sell it and buy cheap new furniture to dye red.