How do you refinish your rimfire beech stock?

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grauhanen

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Wood stocked rimfire rifles are usually either beech or walnut. I've refinished a few stocks and walnut is no problem as it can often be left in its natural colour and finished with something clear like Tru Oil, lacquer, or a wipe-on poly. Often less straightforward are beech stocks. The wood is very light in colour, closely grained, dense and is easy to make smooth. Beech needs colour, but they do not always accept stain very evenly, with blotching often the result. And beech grain patterns are usually nothing to write home about. Commercial stock makers invariably avoid blothing by covering their beech stocks with a "mud" finish through which the wood grain is not visible.

What do you use to give the light coloured beech an even, darker colour? Does solid stain produce better covering than regular translucent stain? How do you like wipe-on poly as a finish compared to Tru Oil? What tips can you share about finishing a beech stock.
 
use a aniline dye... then seal it then use a dark coloured gel stain but make sure you keep the stain even... i havent done it on a stock but ive refinished a coffee table that was beechwodd like this and its came out nice... ill see if i can find a pic

edit... a reddish orangeish dye
 
This is where everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask is found.There is a fellow there (noremf) that is a fountain of knowledge 30+ years.He is a retired Sherman Williams plant manager and chemist that is a gun nut and furniture finisher that really has seen it all.Just read the stickies and download in pdf's free for the taking.Extremely valuable info I have almost all of them downloaded and filed for future use.I refinished a Boyds laminate stock with min wax poly wipe on.(outstanding results)Enough of this drivel in, reading over there you will probably require a tinted top coat with poly wipe on.The answer will be there for sure.

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=275

R
 
Opex said:
use a aniline dye... then seal it then use a dark coloured gel stain but make sure you keep the stain even... i havent done it on a stock but ive refinished a coffee table that was beechwodd like this and its came out nice... ill see if i can find a pic

edit... a reddish orangeish dye
Click to expand...

Thanks. From where can aniline dye be obtained in Canada?
ronnie01 said:
This is where everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask is found.There is a fellow there (noremf) that is a fountain of knowledge 30+ years.He is a retired Sherman Williams plant manager and chemist that is a gun nut and furniture finisher that really has seen it all.Just read the stickies and download in pdf's free for the taking.Extremely valuable info I have almost all of them downloaded and filed for future use.I refinished a Boyds laminate stock with min wax poly wipe on.(outstanding results)Enough of this drivel in, reading over there you will probably require a tinted top coat with poly wipe on.The answer will be there for sure.

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=275

R
Click to expand...
I am familiar with noremf's posts on RFC and he is indeed very knowledgeable. I'm simply looking for what folks have used specifically with beech.
 
I have been using Min-Wax products and have been content with the results.
Last few I have done with their Gun Stock stain.
Usually a couple coats, then four, five, six coats of Tru-Oil.
Had a couple redone shooters on my last gun show table and the old Winchester 370 .410
drew some dear responses.

I've dabbled with leather stain for the kid's rimfires.
If you like kullors...............this is pretty bright.

Payshints for good results.
When I git me arse tired of the project, I put it away to regroup.
Sometimes it plays out well.
 
I stripped the old finish from the stock and got down to bare wood. I sanded the stock and since I had a variety Min Wax stain on hand, I thought I'd see what it looks like with a light translucent stain and Tru Oil.

First, here's what the stock looked like with the original finish.



With the original finish removed, the plain beech, which is very light, is revealed.
The pictures don't really show the grain as they were taken with a phone camera, unlike the others.




I applied Min Wax Golden Oak stain. I checked out some solid stains, but they seem little different than paint.
Of course, if the right colour is found, there's no problem with that.

I have four coats of Tru Oil on it in these photos and I will put on a few more.




I have ordered some wood dye. I think that if I find I'm not satisfied with the stain and Tru Oil finish, I'll experiment with the dye.

There are two different ways to apply the dye. One is to mix it to the colour desired and apply it to the bare wood, followed by a clear top coat, such as Tru Oil, poly, or lacquer.

The other way is to mix the dye with the top coat and then apply it to the stock. Each successive coat should make it a little darker and this will conceal the grain more with each coat.
 
Looks good. Is it the colour you're not quite satisfied with? The wood grain and natural colour is what it is, and I'm sure you're aware any staining will begin to mute the wood's character. A fine line to tip-toe, that is for sure. My own re-finishing project is taking much longer than expected, after allowing the lacquer topcoat to cure for 3 weeks, I wanted to knock the gloss down to a satin finish. The brush on application was not very smooth, and I cut down to the wood in several areas leveling out the finish. Now I will have to re-coat and cure another 3 weeks, and try again. No staining needed though, it will look great au-naturel.
 
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