The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Gunsmithing Stock finishing question when using dyeGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| Stock finishing question when using dye | Login/Join |
One of Us |
I tried something new this time - using Solarlux Blood Red dye on a stock I am doing. I reduced it some and after applying oil over it, it's the exact color I was after for this stock. Here's the problem - I can't wet sand the stock like I normally do. I had to fix two areas that needed some wood removed and the dye wasn't in very deep. I didn't have any problem matching the areas to the rest of the stock, but my usual process of wet sanding 400, 600, 800, and 1,000 grit isn't going to work this time. The stock is already sanded to 400 grit. After the dye dried, I sealed with 2:1 mineral spirits spar urethane. Then I applied straight Velvet oil (what I normally finish with). I was thinking of using Duane's technique of multiple applications of rottenstone to fill the grain. Any other suggestions? BTW - I originally did a test a few months ago before I finished the stock with Velvet Oil Mahogany and being a stain, it was WAY dark and I had to strip. Here are some pics of the stock: Stock Pic Recommendations? "Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan "Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians." Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness. | ||
|
| One of Us |
What are you using for a medium to wet sand? | |||
|
| One of Us |
For past stocks, velvet oil with wet/dry sand paper. I use wood blocks and big erasers for backers. "Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan "Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians." Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness. | |||
|
| One of Us |
That's what I was going to try. That's what you outline on your website (you recommend making a paste first, but think the result is the same). Do you leave a slight glaze of the mixture on the surface between applications? I even thought about adding some Japan drier to harden it up quicker. "Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan "Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians." Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness. | |||
|
| One of Us |
If wood has been removed during the finishing process you need to re saturate these areas with your original finish. Wet sand to match surrounding finish and then apply stain to these areas. You generally can blend to the surrounding areas with oil/stain and rottenstone. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I wipe down my rifles once a year as well. While I don't finish with it, I use BLO for the yearly wipe down. I have a 8x57 a few years old and it has a great patina/glow to it now. looks like it's been around forever. "Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan "Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians." Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I use Solarlux all the time. Over top of it I apply 3-4 coats of spar varnish, light scuff sanding between coats for adhesion purposes. Sand back as far as I dare without burning through. If pores aren't filled (depends on how porous the walnut is- cheap utility grade black walnut takes a lot of it, high grade thin shell walnut not as much), repeat with a couple more coats if necessary. Then apply the "oil" finish, if that's what the goal is. I learned long ago to not trust any kind of sanded in oil finish for long term viability when filling pores. Actually, substituting thin clear epoxy for the early coats will yield the very best pore fillage, IMO. Oil finishes tend to shrink over time leaving the pores somewhat "porous" once again, plus, I've had oil filled pores wash out in monsoon-like rain storms. Never again for me. Once I've gone to that much trouble I usually keep on going and build up a couple more coats of spar varnish (always use gloss) and then rub it out to remove the shine, finish with a good paste wax to give it a soft luster. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Do you seal your stocks before using Solarluxe? I used mine straight up on bare wood sanded to 400 grit and thoroughly cleaned of all dust (maybe I should have left some in the pores!). I reduced it 50% with their reducer and used their retarder as well. Went on a bit darker than I wanted, so I used a clothe rag soaked in reducer and wiped down the stock. Good color. It was a little pink before I applied the oil, then it evened out to a nice mahogany color. I have a couple of "wipe coats" of velvet oil that I'm building up and will see if prodigious amounts of said oil with high grit sand paper will work as intended without impacting the dye. "Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan "Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians." Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness. | |||
|
| One of Us |
No I don't seal the wood beforehand. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I'm not sure I understand, Duane. It seems counter intuitive to thoroughly seal the wood before dying/staining, or are you doing the sealing protocol after the coloring? I always assumed that allowing the dye to penetrate to the max was a good thing, giving me some leeway regarding "burn through" during subsequent finishing steps. | |||
|
| one of us |
An established technique using urethane might work in this case. Get a good quality spar urethane in a spray can. Spray on multiple thin coats at 10-15 minute intervals-before the previous coat dries but is still tacky. Once you reach a coat depth that fills or nearly fills the pores stop. Take the edge of a credit card hold at a 45 degree angle and scrape off the excess urethane cross grain leaving the pores filled. Let dry. Scuff and apply oil finish. | |||
|
| One of Us |
For this method, and six other detailed explanations of stock finishing techniques as told by the pro's see Double Guns and Custom Gunsmithing.     ACGG Life Member, since 1985 | |||
|
| one of us |
stock finishing is one thing and stock finish with dye is a whole nudder ball game and a difficult addition.. One can finish a stock completely then using 400 or 600 or even rotton stone and oil to remove the top finish, let stand 24 hours then stain the wood, then rub in a few coats of Linseed with dryers to complete the job. Jerry Fisher uses this method I am told..It has worked for me quite well. I also like to use Alkanet with Brownells Gun Sav-R finish and as opposed to wet sanding I use rotten stone and alkanet/oil light rub between coats as it does not cut thru to wood..It is really pretty and you can get satin or high gloss..Its pretty quick to apply, simple to use and very weather proof for a satin finished gun..I have also used this same method with other finishes and even straight Linseed (with dryers added).. To simply darken wood, use lead oxide boiled in Linseed, paint the stock and let stand for a month or so..not sure the lead oxide is all that safe but I'm still on this side of the dirt and been using it for what most consider a full life time. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
|
| One of Us |
Well, got it done - the hard way. I got all the pores filled through successive wet sandings as a I normally do and then got it down to the "in the wood" finish level with 800 grit - which removed all the dye! Then I redyed and sealed. So net, I should have done my normal finishing process and then dyed at the end versus the beginning. I'll add some pics later today. "Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan "Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians." Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness. | |||
|
| Powered by Social Strata |
 | Please Wait. Your request is being processed... |
|
The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Gunsmithing Stock finishing question when using dye
Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia