Finishing Wood Stocks on AK47
My beautiful little Bulgarian Arsenal SLR95 is getting a face lift. I can no longer tolerate the black thumbhole stocks, and have purchased walnut stocks from Ironwood.
I am not a painter and was hoping some of you guys who have done this would walk me through a refinishng procedure. Also, I would appreciate any advice on pitfalls when doing a job like this.
I was thinking a deep orange-red or just oiling up the natural dark Walnut.
Thanks in advance.
BEFORE>>>
AFTER>>>
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Mateomasfeo
"I am what I am!" - Popeye
I am not a painter and was hoping some of you guys who have done this would walk me through a refinishng procedure. Also, I would appreciate any advice on pitfalls when doing a job like this.
I was thinking a deep orange-red or just oiling up the natural dark Walnut.
Thanks in advance.
BEFORE>>>
AFTER>>>
?????????????????????????
Mateomasfeo
"I am what I am!" - Popeye
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Depending on how muh finish is on the wood you can sand off the old finish or if there is alot of finish, use some stripper. what kind of finish do you want/ Big thick glossy weatherby like enamel? Or just functional, or colored.
When I redid my wood thumbholes (since bonfired to celebrate the end of the ban) i just sanded them down and ised birchwood-casey gunstock wax on them ant they turned out fine...
Lately I have been painting alot of wood stocks. 60 grit sand down, 2 -3 layers of grey primer, 2-3 layers of granite paint, and 3-4 layers of exterior clear coat. (trick is to apply layers when the layer before it is still a little tacky, then bake it in a greenhouns, or car dash, or over a furnace for a week or so). Looks spiffy, feels comfy, and if I mess it up, I just spray more paint on it.0 -
I think the stocks from Ironwood are completely unfinished. Here is how I finish my stocks, and while it takes a lot of work and time, it gives a nice finish that is equal to the time spent. First thing is to make sure the fit is correct. Mount the parts like they are done, and then make any adjustments. Then sand with progressively finer sandpaper until you are at 400 grit. For rough wood I start with 80 grit. Always sand with the grain. When you have the scratches gone from the last grit, then go to the next finer. After sanding with 400 grit, steel wool the pieces with 000 steel wool. Then prepare a pot with boiling water, and place the parts above the water in the steam. This raises the wood that is in the pores(this happens when sanding). You will notice when the wood dries that it feels fuzzy. Use the steel wool from the small areas going in the direction to the large areas. This cuts off the fuzzy stuff. Repeat this until no more fuzzy stuff comes up. Now you are ready for stain. I prefer an alcohol base. Always try the stain in a place that you can't see when the stock is on the rifle. If you have nice walnut, you don't have to stain. When the stain is dry, steam and steel wool the stock and parts one more time. Now you are ready for oil. I prefer Birchwood Caseys Tru oil. Make the parts hang in a dust free area that won't be disturbed. Apply a couple of drops at a time and rub them into the wood. Do this on each part until they are coated(Use it like hand lotion, you don't want to have excess on it when you do a coat. Do this once a day, for 5 days. Then take the steel wool, and rub the parts until all is smooth again. This fills the pores in the wood. Rehang the parts, and repeat the oil for 10 more days. If you get a run in the oil, it will cost a couple of days waiting for it to dry, and then you have to steel wool the part to get rid of the run. The best way to avoid this setback is be careful and don't apply enough to run. If you do this right it will be as nice as any stock you have ever seen. I have one here that I did over 20 years ago, and still get comments about it. I just finished one on a rifle kit I built, and it looks just as nice. Good luck. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by haroldchrismeyer
I think the stocks from Ironwood are completely unfinished. Here is how I finish my stocks, and while it takes a lot of work and time, it gives a nice finish that is equal to the time spent. First thing is to make sure the fit is correct. Mount the parts like they are done, and then make any adjustments. Then sand with progressively finer sandpaper until you are at 400 grit. For rough wood I start with 80 grit. Always sand with the grain. When you have the scratches gone from the last grit, then go to the next finer. After sanding with 400 grit, steel wool the pieces with 000 steel wool. Then prepare a pot with boiling water, and place the parts above the water in the steam. This raises the wood that is in the pores(this happens when sanding). You will notice when the wood dries that it feels fuzzy. Use the steel wool from the small areas going in the direction to the large areas. This cuts off the fuzzy stuff. Repeat this until no more fuzzy stuff comes up. Now you are ready for stain. I prefer an alcohol base. Always try the stain in a place that you can't see when the stock is on the rifle. If you have nice walnut, you don't have to stain. When the stain is dry, steam and steel wool the stock and parts one more time. Now you are ready for oil. I prefer Birchwood Caseys Tru oil. Make the parts hang in a dust free area that won't be disturbed. Apply a couple of drops at a time and rub them into the wood. Do this on each part until they are coated(Use it like hand lotion, you don't want to have excess on it when you do a coat. Do this once a day, for 5 days. Then take the steel wool, and rub the parts until all is smooth again. This fills the pores in the wood. Rehang the parts, and repeat the oil for 10 more days. If you get a run in the oil, it will cost a couple of days waiting for it to dry, and then you have to steel wool the part to get rid of the run. The best way to avoid this setback is be careful and don't apply enough to run. If you do this right it will be as nice as any stock you have ever seen. I have one here that I did over 20 years ago, and still get comments about it. I just finished one on a rifle kit I built, and it looks just as nice. Good luck.
I really appreciate the effort your reply took! And very informative!
I read up on the Birchwood and it sounds like the ticket. Since it is nice walnut I am not going to stain it.
Do you put any sealer on the finished stocks?
Do you have to reapply the oil ever?
How much Birchwood TruOil should I get for AK47 forestocks, pistol grip and stock?
Thanks again!!
Mateomasfeo
"I am what I am!" - Popeye0 -
#1 The Tru Oil is the sealer
#2 The finish will last just about forever, but if you want to add more depth to the finish, all you have to do is steel wool it a little, and reapply the finish. If a scratch or any other damage happens, just sand out the scratch, and reapply the finnish.
#3 One bottle will do all you will ever want to put on a stock. It really doesn't take that much. The last stock I just finished(large full length stock)used a little over half a bottle, and has 15 coats.0 -
Thanks for the great info!
Mateomasfeo
"I am what I am!" - Popeye0 -
Or, you could just get a can of Watco Danish Oil finish and follow
the instructions on the can for the best possible oil finish avail-
able. Since walnut already has plenty of color use the "natural"
color, which has no color in it. Watco soaks in and sets up "in" the wood, not on it. Any scratches can be instantly repaired invisibly
with a little sanding or rubbing with steel wool, and then reapplying some oil. Since the stocks bought that way are presanded,
just sand once with the grain using fine, (220), apply liberally,
rub in with 400 wet or dry in a circular motion, let set 1 hr, rub some more oil in with your hands alone until the friction warms the wood, let dry and wipe completely dry with course paper towels (like
Brawny or Scott)and you will have one beautiful, well-sealed stock.
I've been doing custom cabinets, furniture and woodwork for 30 years
and danish oil is my favorite finish for walnut, oak, cherry, ash,
mahogany and many of the exotic woods.
You're welcome,
F.0 -
btt 0 -
I'm telling my age here.
If the wood has a nice grain you'd like to show off, boiled linseed oil is what I would use. You will have to apply several coats and do some rubbing but it will be worth the effort. Will also have to occasionally apply another coat, espcially if you've been out in the rain with it. (Doubtful if it was mine)0 -
i would gow with the tru oil,.... it will look really nice and classy when finished.
until reading this i had completly forgot i had a walnut Ironwood set in a box here,... i never finished putting the several coats of clear on it,.... i think i will have to finish that set this weekend.
anyways heres my set after the first (very rough) clear coat was dry,..i used the Rit dye method to stain the stock set,... it came out a lot darker than my other sets,..but i like the way it looks
oh,.. i think i may have a extra ferule laying around for the pistol grip,.. if i find it you can have it if you want it.0 -
Shotgun News has a great stock refinishing article in their last compendium (is that a word?) edition. I plan on using it to refinish my stocks for my two rommy kits. If someone wants a copy of the article, let me know. 0
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