Staining beech stocks ?

[Wolfer]

I just received a semi finished stock from Numrich. It was supposed to be walnut but it's not like any walnut I've seen. I'm sure it's beech. Even the pic on their site looked like beech. It's a good price and I'm keeping it.
My question, has anybody tried staining beech? I have but they were old military stocks that I didn't get all the oil out of. They didn't end up being what I was looking for.
I will cut about 2" off the fore end and play with that a little but any body else's experience would be helpful.
Thanks.

[mac60]

I use Fiebings leather dye.

[Wolfer]

Hey, I have some of that here.

[DougGuy]

Fiebing's light brown leather dye is what does the real nice looking stain on beech that you see on those classic old Beeman airguns..

[texasnative46]

Wolfer,

I've had excellent luck with RED CHERRY Minwax on European beech. = Brings out any figure in the wood & turns it into faux-walnut as if by magic.

yours, tex

[Tom W.]

When I took the finish off of my old shotgun I just used straight Tru Oil. It made for a beautiful blonde stock and forearm.

[Drm50]

I had a hard time with a few beech socks trying to get oil stain into them. They were so hard most
stain wiped back off without penatration. I finally cut stain with mineral spirits slopped it on and
wrapped stock in soft rag soaked with stain. Didn't wipe it off, let whole works dry. Looked like
a mess. Then I wiped with rag dampened with mineral spirits and it blended it in nicely. I had to
repeat this a couple times to get it to Walnut stage. These stocks had originally been finished
with tinted varnish when new.

[huntrick64]

Over my years of building selfbows, I have moved into using nothing but Fiebings leather dye (not the water based stuff). I also used this on a cheap CVA Blazer muzzleloader kit (remember those). It was "some beech", but the dye worked on it. You can almost use any piece of wood like a color mixing palette, putting some colors over others. I use a rag wetted with acetone to wipe it and blend the colors to the desired color and depth. On my bows and on a few gun stocks I simply use paraffin wax as a finish, heating up the wood with a heat gun and melting the wax into the wood. Once the wood quits taking wax, I heat it once more and buff with a cotton rag. You can also use any of the other traditional finishes with great results.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have done quite a few Beech stocks for inexpensive guns. I use mainly MiniWax stains including Red Oak, Golden Oak, really dark Jojoba and a couple of the walnut stains. I also use Brownell's French Red.

Unfortunately there is no "one method fits all" way of doing it. It is all strictly trial and error.

One thing I would recommend is trying to get a good picture of what you want firmly implanted in your mind before you start. Then you have something to shoot for.

Just starting out by staining with no end goal in mind probably won't deliver a satisfactory product,,, or maybe it will? You never know,,, Like I said,,, it is all trial and error.

Randy

[Wolfer]

I have a small section I cut off the forearm that I've been sampling on. The Fiebrings done good with a darker color and a red tint. The minwax cherry was my favorite. But this stock is for a buddy and he's leaning hard on no stain just finish.
The small section I finished with Lin-speed came out a little lighter than the cherry. I think he's liking the blond look.

[huntrick64]

Here is another tip that might produce the color you like. Mix about 1 tablespoon of potassium permanganate crystals (get this from pool chemical supply house) into 4 oz. of water (some use alcohol). Swab it on, let it dry completely, then use a refinishing pad to remove to the desired color. It is basically an oxidizer and instantly does some pretty neat things to wood. It goes on kind of dark purple, but turns into a plumb brown similar to the color of your fingers after husking black walnuts. It is hard to imagine they used to use this stuff to purify drinking water. Since it is an oxidizer, it will not cloud the grain like some stains do. It works well on weathered deer antlers, just mix it weaker.

[725]

I've done a few. I strongly suggest to start the staining process with a "pre-stain" or "stain conditioner". It goes on wet and conditions the wood to take the stain. The can has good instructions. I've done a few stains, but really like the leather die. Beech is tough and this conditioner helps a lot. Good luck.

[Wolfer]

I give it a coat of min-wax cherry a few minutes ago. I think I'm pretty pleased with it. Been having trouble posting pics on here lately but I'll try when I get it finished.

[texassako]

I've done a few. I strongly suggest to start the staining process with a "pre-stain" or "stain conditioner". It goes on wet and conditions the wood to take the stain. The can has good instructions. I've done a few stains, but really like the leather die. Beech is tough and this conditioner helps a lot. Good luck.

I meant to post something along these lines the other day when I first saw the thread, but hate typing on my phone and forgot. Beech can stain uneven and look splotchy without some kind of conditioner.

[Char-Gar]

OK....here is the straight no stuff scoop.

1. Prep the wood.
2. Brush on Min-Wax Pre-Stain as per instruction on the can and let dry.
3. Oil based stains WILL NOT work, you MUST use an alcohol based stain. I use Febeings Brown leather die. This leather die is available in several shades, I prefer Medium Brown. Wipe it on with the applicator or a rag. When die buff with 0000 steel wool to take it to your desired shade. When it looks right to you, put away the steel wool. I then finish with Johnson's Paste Wax.

This turns finishing a beech or birch stock into a no-fail easy task.

[nekshot]

Wolfer, I use walnut stain that I got from soaking and pressing walnut hulls. About 3 or 4 dips and the woods mother would not recognize it!Give a shout when you get in area and you can gladly have a container of the stain. I have way more than I will use. It is water base stain.

[Wolfer]

Thanks Jay, Ive thought about doing that same thing but never have. In this particular case I've given the gun back to my buddy there at Sparta. I thought it looked pretty good but I can't get a pic to load.

[David LaPell]

I did this old Glenfield (Marlin with a birch stock) last year. It's not a beech stock but birch is pale and this shade might be something you're looking for. I got the original stain off as it was more of a blonde yellow stain. This was done with Minwax Jacobean stain. I brushed it on, let it dry for a little while, and then wiped it off, and I repeated that 3-4 times. I then used 3 coats of Tru-oil to give it glossier look. Beech can be tricky to stain because of the nature of the wood, but when done it looks good.

[Mac118]

I've darkened a few lighter looking hard wood stocks using water based wood dye and stains. General finishes makes it and it comes in a large color selection. Had good results using the stain over the dye. Dries quick too.