Birch stock is blonde

[sixpointfive]

What can I apply to a military birch stock to darken the wood without stripping it?

[country gent]

If its an oil finished stock you might use an oil based stain but it may not be an even color due to the oils in the stock. If its a varnish polyurethane or shellac type finish then not much may penetrate them. I doubt the water based stains will penetrate any of the above finishes. A light wipe down with acetone turpentine or other solvent may remove enough of the oil finish to help the stain penetrate. A light block sanding or steel wool rub down ( checkering or fancy work may negate these options) may also help some.

[waksupi]

What can I apply to a military birch stock to darken the wood without stripping it?

I doubt you can.

[pietro]

.

+1

It's easy enough to strip - just use some of Homer Formby's Furniture Refinisher (hardware store, home improvement store, wallyworld, etc) and new pads of 0000 steel wool, following the directions on the can.



https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/143b6643-8b69-49c6-94a0-83c7c7b3b9e5_1.b7c99c0e93e8e62a35a708a0970af15c.jp eg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF

[Geezer in NH]

Without stripping Rustoleam or Krylon.

[Texas by God]

Without stripping Rustoleam or Krylon.

Perzactly. Maybe a nice faux grain finish.

[nekshot]

fire. A butane burner can do wonders to ugly blond wood. Keep it moving in full length strokes for grain look. Then when finished coarse steel wool or 220 sand paper lightly till smooth for oil finish.

[bedbugbilly]

Birch is a difficult wood to stain - acts such like poplar in that when stain is applied to "raw unfinished" birch, it will stain "muddy". Whenever I used birch to run millwork or make cabinets, etc., I used "toners". Toners are basically a "colored lacquer" which can be applied to produce an "even" color to the birch.

If you strip the birch down to where it is raw, it will probably accept stain but be prepared for a "muddy" finish - i.e. you may not see a clear grain patter so to speak as it will be "cloudy" and not transparent. If you strip it and want to use an oil finish, you might try what you want to use on a scrap piece of birch to see the results. Try finding an oil stain in the color you like and make up some BLO - get a small can of BOILED (not raw) linseed oil, thin down with "real" turpentine (not artificial). I normally use a ration of 50/50. Then add some of the stain and shake well and try applying.

BLO finish is a durable finish but it must be applied and rubbed in - the stock set aside to dry/soak in - then repeated. The BLO finish builds up and will give a nice sheen finish when done. Us4e a soft cotton cloth/pad (an old Tee shirt) to apply and use elbow grease. Work it in good and then let sit for 24 hours and repeat. Re-eat until you are satisfied with the results - after use or if the gun gets damp while hunting, etc. - after cleaning the metal, rub in another coat on the stock and leave out to dry. I did this to a GEW98 Mauser that I have and it came out great. It already and an oil finish but was dried out from sitting around since 1919 when it was brought home from France by a WWI vet that I knew.

CAUTION: When using oil finishes - especially BLO and similar - when you are finished applying, dispose of you application/wiping rag immediately. DON'T leave it laying around on your bench. The same for any oily rags. I was a firefighter for many years and saw a number of fires started by such things due to spontaneous combustion - and it can happen in a short time. I always put mine in a sealed plastic bag - get all the air out of it - and put them in the garbage can which is a distance from my house.

[22cf45]

You can easily stain it without stripping. Fact is, I never stain a stock until I have several coats of finish on it. I use Laurel Mountain stains, I think they are alcohol based stains and they go on smoothly over your finish. Water and oil based stains won't work, they just bead up and look horrible.

After you get the stain on, you will need to put some light coats of finish on to protect it.
Phil

[waksupi]

For best results when staining unfinished birch, leather dye works well. I blend brown, yellow, and red for the desired color.

198618

198619

[22cf45]

The main reason I never stain an unfinished stock is that I have no control over what is happening. Some spots will readily soak up stain while others hardly take any which leaves a blotchy appearance. Staining on top of finish goes on uniformly and if I don't like what I see, I can take some or all off with alcohol.
Phil

[nekshot]

dang, give waksupi a cigar on that gun stock! That is sweeet.

[Char-Gar]

Working with birch or beach requires a different approach.

1. Prep the wood
2. Brush on some Min-Wax pre stain as per instruction on the can.
3. Use alcohol based stains, i.e. leathers dies and NOT oil based stains
4. Finish with your finish of choice.

Tip...forget the pre-stain and you will get streaks and splotchs in the stain.

[izzyjoe]

I've had good luck with leather dye, as I have refinished a few Marlin birch stock, and they turned out great!

[Markopolo]

Leather dye IS the way... I think this is posted somewhere on the forum....

199091
Before
199092
After leather dye...

This was was a blond stock that I did with leather die...
199093

There is a stickey somewhere on refinishing with leather die that applies to lots of different wood types...

[robg]

I prefer blond myself ,it looks nice in contrast to blued metal .OK it's just me then.

[725]

I strip 'em with a cabinet scraper, sand, use the pre-stain stuff - per instructions - and then stain to whatever color I'm fancy about at the moment. Leather dye is fantastic.

[Uncle Grinch]

Formby's is good stuff. You can strip and clean without sanding. I use it on furniture and gunstocks. Pour a small amount in a shallow pan, dab your steel wool and wipe away the finish. I keep a clean rag that has been dampened with mineral spirits or paint thinner to wipe the scrubbed surface.
.

+1

It's easy enough to strip - just use some of Homer Formby's Furniture Refinisher (hardware store, home improvement store, wallyworld, etc) and new pads of 0000 steel wool, following the directions on the can.



https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/143b6643-8b69-49c6-94a0-83c7c7b3b9e5_1.b7c99c0e93e8e62a35a708a0970af15c.jp eg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF

[Tokarev]

Potassium permanganate solution would darken birch.

[TRX]

Undyed birch stocks are sometimes found on SMLEs and AK-47s, where they're referred to as "blonde" and command a premium price.

I like the light color. Aulde wal-nut gets old after a while.

[KCSO]

And no matter what you do there not to bright? Try brown shoe dye and finish with dark walnut Danish oil.

[Traffer]

For best results when staining unfinished birch, leather dye works well. I blend brown, yellow, and red for the desired color.

198618

198619

I am not a gun finish guy. I was a house painter/decorator for many years as I followed my father into the business. I never really tried to stain birch, knowing what kind of wood it was, I thought it would be a waste of time. I noticed that in the mid to late 70's furniture manufactures came up with a stain/finish, which was color in the finish that would be semi transparent. It was acceptable for cheap furniture but I wouldn't want it on a gun stock. I have used color in finish to "fix" blotchy worn mottled finish to blend the color. That looks OK from a distance but again not for a gun stock. Your results in these pictures is nothing short of amazing. Congratulations on figuring out a way to stain birch. These guns look fantastic.

[waksupi]

I am not a gun finish guy. I was a house painter/decorator for many years as I followed my father into the business. I never really tried to stain birch, knowing what kind of wood it was, I thought it would be a waste of time. I noticed that in the mid to late 70's furniture manufactures came up with a stain/finish, which was color in the finish that would be semi transparent. It was acceptable for cheap furniture but I wouldn't want it on a gun stock. I have used color in finish to "fix" blotchy worn mottled finish to blend the color. That looks OK from a distance but again not for a gun stock. Your results in these pictures is nothing short of amazing. Congratulations on figuring out a way to stain birch. These guns look fantastic.

Considering how many guns I have done, and that one of my jobs at a gun company was experimenting with different finishes, I can tell you it doesn't come easy!

[2152hq]

Most any alcohol stain or any of the proprietary solvent stains will work nicely to stain birch, elm, maple,,any of the light colored hard woods.

Leather dye works well because it is just that,,a solvent based stain.
Laurel Mtn makes some very nice working solvent based stains, I use them a lot.
Most fine wood working sites carry different brands and even have powdered dye that is mixed with alcohol or sometimes water for staining. Some mfg'rs blend their powdered dyes to be mixed with only their own solvent,,Behr does or at least used to do that.

The powdered dyes that are alcohol solvent are nice as they can be used to color shellac also for tinting finish.

You can turn a piece of birch to ebony black in color w/ alcohol/solvent based dyes.

[gwpercle]

Minwax makes three one step stain & finish products that can be used on finished wood. Polyshade is brushed on.
Woodsheen and their Wiping Stain and Finish are wiping stains , these are the two I like , applied with a foam rubber pad .
The color will be in the finish and does not penetrate into the wood, but it will darken. I like the wiping stain & finish for stock work.

[BAGTIC]

My first center fire rifle was a SAKO L46 222 with a arctic birch stock. It was light blonde-honey colored. I thought it was attractive. It has been refinished twice in the last 60 years. I used a Min-Wax 'Fruit Wood' stain that darkened it some and, I thought, was rather attractive. OTOH I never did like the very dark almost muddy black colors of some black walnut stocks.

[waksupi]

My first center fire rifle was a SAKO L46 222 with a arctic birch stock. It was light blonde-honey colored. I thought it was attractive. It has been refinished twice in the last 60 years. I used a Min-Wax 'Fruit Wood' stain that darkened it some and, I thought, was rather attractive. OTOH I never did like the very dark almost muddy black colors of some black walnut stocks.

A big mistake many make with walnut stocks, is immediately thinking they need to use a stain. If the wood has any decent color or figure at all, a simple oil finish brings out it's best qualities. The only walnut I like to stain is some that has definite whitewood, as is seen in some cheaper kit stocks.

[Herb in Pa]

A couple of light ones refinished..........