Norinco m14 wood stock
- Thread starter Randy031
- Start date
The dishwasher method works very well. I ran it through the Pots n' Pans cycle and then ran it through a regular wash just to get some reminents out. I then finished it with BLO, about 6 coats of it. Here is the finished CHU stock...
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
In case you don't have a dishwasher, try Simple Green. An awesome degreaser and doesn't leave any residue.
Jerry
Jerry
Ah, a wood finishing question....
Stain only colors the wood. There's no water resistance, or at least minimal water resistance, when finished only with stain. Varnish, Danish oil or some other sealing finish applied in thin, multiple coats is where the water resistance comes from thanks to sealing up the pores of the wood.
Depending on the sort of surface shine you want I've had excellent results by just wiping on coats of water based polyurethane varnish in thin coats that soak in nicely for the first couple of coats. If you want to darken the wood I suggest Minwax tinted oil stains rather than pigment style stains. The look is far, far more natural using the tinted oil stain. But you'll need to let the stain dry for at least a week before applying the polyurethane or else the undried oils will prevent the poly from curing up hard. In fact TWO weeks to a month would be best. Basically if you can smell some of the oil stain then it's not ready for the polyurethane yet. It's winter so being patient shouldn't be a big deal....
You WILL need to lightly sand the finish between coats as fuzz is raised. If this occurs during the two coats of Minwax for color then just "wet" sand the wood using the oil stain and some 400 grit wetordry sand paper to rub it out then wipe off the excess. This apply and wipe is very typicall of any stain and helps it look more even. Successive coats applied and wiped off will darken the wood further up to a point and then it won't darken further.
For the varnish I found that applying it with a wad of paper towel or lint free rag worked best. Or brush it on and wipe away the excess briskly with paper towel. Thin is best in this case. Wet sand if needed between coats when dry. It shouldn't need sanding after the first couple of coats. Also you want to apply at least 4 coats and 6 is better. Don't cheat and leave the coat full thickness or the stock will look more like it was dipped in plastic rather than lovingly "hand rubbed". Thin is in....
Gloss is REALLY shiney and plastic'y looking. Satin is a very nice compromise and for a really low shine "natural wood" look use flat.
And post pictures as you go....
