Best way to darken the stock on my CZ 453 ?

I doubt you can get rid of the dark spot, but it looks like there is some real "character" hiding under the factory-applied stain and lacquer. Stripping with something like Circa 1850, staining (if desired), and applying an oil finish will really make it stand out.

CZ probably uses the finish they do on stocks because it is quick to apply and gives them a more uniform appearance. That said, to me, part of the appeal of wood stocks is that no two pieces are identical.
 
There are two ways to do it:

1. If you have a lacquer finish. As some said, use a lacquer remover and lacquer thinner. Don't afraid to use them. Do not use a sandpaper. To clean the checkering, use a brass brush. When the lacquer is removed, you may want to apply stain (depends on what color do you want to get) and then finish the stock with the oil. I even removed the lacquer from Benelli super black eagle stock and, believe me, it's very thick. I removed a laminated finish from Boyd's stock and finished it with the oil.

2. If you have an oil stock. This is much easier to work with as you don't need to strip the whole stock. I would recommend using Osmo color oils. You may need to sand the stock with the sand paper (depends how thick is the existing oil finish). To finish the stock you may use a hardwax oil that gives you an extra protection. These are modern European oils that are much better to work with than linseed oil.

I personally hate the lacquer and all my stocks are finished with oil. The finish is much nicer, more natural, it's easier to fix/maintain and the oil lets the wood to breathe.

Good luck!!!
 
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BTW, I think your stock was already stained. The wood absorbs moisture differently, some parts of it can suck the stainer better than others, hence the difference in color. I refinished a shotgun and when I stripped the forend and the stock, I discovered the different wood species that were used for these parts. At the factory, they just painted the forend and the stock with a paint to give a wood a "walnut type" color look.
 
mockba77 said:
BTW, I think your stock was already stained. The wood absorbs moisture differently, some parts of it can suck the stainer better than others, hence the difference in color. I refinished a shotgun and when I stripped the forend and the stock, I discovered the different wood species that were used for these parts. At the factory, they just painted the forend and the stock with a paint to give a wood a "walnut type" color look.
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New rifle stocks are not stained. Manufacturers apply a topcoat, or several topcoats, with dye in them. This gives them an even appearance that tends to hide blemishes or otherwise undesirable features of the grain pattern; it also often hides a very nice grain pattern underneath. On RFC this is often referred to as "mud". For more information, go to the gun stock refinishing forum on RFC and see the stickies authored by RFC member Noremf, who spent a career with Sherwin Williams and is an expert on transparent wood finishes.
 
If it was a 452, I'd just look for a better stock. Prices have gone up now, but you used to be able to get new take-offs for around $100. Being a 453 - and a Lux - finding a nicer stock may be near impossible. IMO I wouldn't strip it, I'd keep an eye out for one with nicer wood, and then sell this one to recover costs.

This one was a cheap transplant from a 452 varmint, on a 452 Style action:

CZ%20452%20cc_zpsxg8w6ouf.jpg
 
It's the nature of the wood. I hear that darker spotting like that is caused by the tree going through a period of drought. However, if you consider it such an eyesore, I'd look at the idea of trading you for the stock on a 453 lux in my possession.

Staining would be a very difficult task. The stain would creep some in the wood and darken part of that dark part darker with the stain. Been there, and done that. Most places that provide products with uniform wood color bleach all the color out of the wood, and stain it uniformly... With checkering, that would be a really hard job.
 
I agree with the others on leaving as is. If you must darken it, strip the wood with a varnish remover (gel works best) and then scrape off the peeling poly with a plastic card. Use a toothbrush or similar for the checkering. Assuming CZ hasn't changed anything it should still be a polyurethane finish with a brown stained wood stock. Mine came out substantially lighter and greyer after refinishing with truoil.

Tom
 
I think you can do anything you like to your stock but you won't get rid of that "dark spot". It's a character of the grain in the wood. Re-staining, oiling or anything other then painting and the spot will still be there (and I'm sure you don't want to paint it). You can strip and use a dark stain as dark as ebony but it will only make the darker grain in the stock darker, so you'll end up with a darker stock with an even darker spot that you will like even less.
I'm sure a professional wood restorer could do what you want, but at what cost. Why not just replace the stock? Rather than going through all the trouble and frustration of refinishing, just to end up with basically the same result only darker.
 
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Deuce-deuce said:
Strip and stain.

Honestly though, I think the beauty of wood may escape you.
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Meroh said:
That is a nice piece of wood; please don't touch it.
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y2k said:
I`d leave it as is. just my 2 cents
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MinuteOfDonut said:
I agree with the others on leaving as is. If you must darken it, strip the wood with a varnish remover (gel works best) and then scrape off the peeling poly with a plastic card. Use a toothbrush or similar for the checkering. Assuming CZ hasn't changed anything it should still be a polyurethane finish with a brown stained wood stock. Mine came out substantially lighter and greyer after refinishing with truoil.

Tom
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I'll post a photo of my BRNO 2E later if I remember to. It would drive the OP sideways if he owned it! :)

Kidding aside, I would side with the comments copied above. Your gun/your decision (obviously) but in my opinion...the choice of a wood stock is pretty much a decision to get whatever the good Lord made. Some wood is plain, some is remarkable, but most falls somewhere in between. Just part of the game. To look at it a different way, consider this~if a darker (but all-natural) spot like that is so bothersome, chances are something about your re-finishing job may bother you even more. Unless you're a skilled finisher, you may simply end-up with the same visible dark spot only a crappier top-coat/oil finish than the CZ factory one. Remember, a darker stain is likely to bring all the colors down equally if you apply it equally...meaning...your lighter spots will be darker, but your DARKER spot will be too. It may please you more, it may not.

I work as a production manager in a commercial wood shop (custom millwork, kitchens, retail environments) and we have a great finisher here with over 2 decades of experience. To get a superior result, you likely need someone like this who can "shade". (the term he uses) Using various stains in differing amounts to correct for differences in color on the natural wood. It's proven to be most effective if overall...you're darkening significantly. To my eye, you're hiding the natural highs/lows that occur in natural wood and creeping towards an overly-uniform that looks LESS natural. We have customers who prefer that. Pay a premium for walnut then want it stained practically black!
 
amosfella said:
Staining would be a very difficult task. The stain would creep some in the wood and darken part of that dark part darker with the stain. Been there, and done that. Most places that provide products with uniform wood color bleach all the color out of the wood, and stain it uniformly... With checkering, that would be a really hard job.
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CZ does not stain its stocks. No one "bleaches the colour out of the wood," either (unless it's some kind of bubba process). In any case, stain wouldn't "creep" into the wood any more than paint would because pigment stain is usually nothing more than thinner paint. Stains don't penetrate the wood because of the size of the colour particles are too large to get into the wood fiber and cellulose. Dyes, on the other hand, do penetrate the wood.

MinuteOfDonut said:
I agree with the others on leaving as is. If you must darken it, strip the wood with a varnish remover (gel works best) and then scrape off the peeling poly with a plastic card. Use a toothbrush or similar for the checkering. Assuming CZ hasn't changed anything it should still be a polyurethane finish with a brown stained wood stock. Mine came out substantially lighter and greyer after refinishing with truoil.
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According to the RFC stock finish guru noremf, CZ uses both lacquer and poly finishes (see h t t p://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5497495&postcount=2 ).The topcoats have dye in them to give the wood an even appearance, which tends to hide blemishes and conceals what is sometimes very nice wood.
 
Dug up a couple of photos of my BRNO 2E. What looks like a shadow in front of my left hand is actually not...it's a dramatically darker portion of wood grain. Very unusual, but I dig it.

IMG_3422_zps5nkhxufi.jpg


Another photo...

IMG_3345_zpssnvoc8tg.jpg


last two.. Not great, but you get the idea.

IMG_3289_zpsjpxnzxul.jpg


IMG_3288_zpspgpu4u2c.jpg
 
What bothers me is not a darker spot in the wood.
Its mostly because the dark spot is just on one side of the stock.

.22lr guy, I also like the stock on your BRNO #2. I would definetly live with it.
 
ben777lemay said:
What bothers me is not a darker spot in the wood.
Its mostly because the dark spot is just on one side of the stock.
.
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Strip it stain it, and refinish it, its obviously not stained as the raw wood in the barrel channel is the same colour as the 'finished ' wood. Just do it. It will all darken and reduce the noise of the dark spot. Just know you will likely devalue the rifle to any collector who likes 'original'...
 
grauhanen said:
CZ does not stain its stocks. No one "bleaches the colour out of the wood," either (unless it's some kind of bubba process). In any case, stain wouldn't "creep" into the wood any more than paint would because pigment stain is usually nothing more than thinner paint. Stains don't penetrate the wood because of the size of the colour particles are too large to get into the wood fiber and cellulose. Dyes, on the other hand, do penetrate the wood.
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I wasn't referring to gun stocks specifically... Wood used for veneer, some furniture... etc... It's a fairly specific process.
 
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