Gun rack - wood finish advice needed

[mtnman31]

I need some advice on applying a finish to a wooden gun rack I cobbled together. Woodworking is a new thing for me and I know absolutely nothing about finishes. My rack is a simple wooden rack made of mahagony. I'd like to finish it with something darker or darker w/ red tones, definitely not interested in light or blond finishes.

I know nothing about finishes and could use any advice on types of finishes and finishing processes.

Thanks in advance.


6739

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

mtnman,

Go to the store and get rit dye powder, red and brown. Get denatured alcohol. Mix a little of each until you get the dye shade you want. check it on a spot it isn't obvious. Once you're satisfied, apply over all the wood to stain it.

To finish it, use Behr 600 or equivalent. This will make it reasonably waterproof.

BTW, mahogany is a fairy reddish brown wood on it's own right. You may want to check a spare piece with just the behr 600 before you buy anything else

Regards,

Dave

[PatMarlin]

Minwax wipe on finishes are awesome. One step in a can.

I love their satin clear wipe on poly for pine (a custom gunstock finisher I know of uses it also, and his work is acceptional) , but they have any shade you wish. Comes out looking like a million bucks with no special skills.

Try a scrap to test any finish you may try,.

[MtGun44]

A pint of watco danish oil will last a long time. Sand to 320 grit,
apply watco with a soft cloth or paper towel, or you can lightly brush
it on. Rub a bit with the cloth, let dry and either stop or sand again
with 400 grit very lightly and oil again, much less required. Do this
as often as you like, but only a couple coats are required, and you
can even sand with 600 or 800 Wet or dry wet with watco to fill the
grain some more, then wipe off the "mud" and let it dry to get
a 'baby's butt' finish. Super easy, ultra forgiving. Use a stain if you
don't like the natural color of your wood - but personally, I like the
real color of the wood to come thru. If I want a diff color - I use a
diff wood. Your taste may differ, but watco is great stuff.

This is just a site with info - I have no idea if they are good or bad
and I bought mine years ago in a hardware store.

http://www.westernwooddoctor.com/watco.htm

Bill

[Le Loup Solitaire]

One old time way to finish wood particularly Mahogany was to apply a coat of linseed oil (cut half and half on the first coat and then straight..on the following coats.) the Linseed oil turns the mahogany a rich & lustrous reddish brown. Rubbing it in makes it better just like on a gunstock. The old way/formula for gunstocks was 3 drops of oil and rub for three weeks, but you don't have to do that in this case. One of the advantages of this type of finish is that you can always "touch it up" or renew it anywhere along the way and it always looks as good as when you started. LLS

[shooter93]

Pick out a stain or dye color you like. I prefer oil over water based. Mahogany is about the only wood I ever stain but I'm dealing with higher end cabinets and furniture. One stain often used on Mahogany is a very deep red-purple color that gives it a very rich tone. The use Minwax wipe on oil based poly. Atleast 4 coats sanding between coats with 200 or 320 sandpaper. The first couple coats will sink in quite a bit then it will start to build. Once it's builds it goes a very long way so watch for runs. It comes in high gloss or satin finish or you can mix the two for an inbetween sheen.

[kywoodwrkr]

I second the Watco idea.
I've used it on musical instruments(lap and hammer dulcimers) and gunstocks.
It is a real good finish for being 'repaired'.
By that I mean you can refinish a Watco finished project with it without a lot of hassle.
Surface prep and then add Watco.
It impregnates the wood and forms a hard interior shell.
FWIW
DaveP kywoodwrkr

[mtnman31]

Below is the finished product. I found out a co-worker is an avid woodworker and he provided me with some basic finishing materials. I ended up applying a little stain for color and brushed on two coats of semi-gloss polyurethane. Not perfect, but not bad for my first attempt at a wood working project.

Thanks for input and advice. I just need to come up with another project to get some more experience.

7104

[schutzen]

Very nice looking rack, but any rack would look very good with an M1 Grand and a Marine Saber in it.