Stock Project Help

[spenbour]

Hello,

I have an old cheap USSR Baikal single break action and would like to make it my first budget friendly project. I believe it has a walnut stock, or whatever would be used in the 80's. I really like the look of the dark red soviet arms so I would like to imitate it. Does anyone know what available products I can use to strip the stock's finish and maybe lighten the surface? Any staining techniques out there? Maybe some tricks of the trade? What works well for a semi or high gloss finish? How about coloured dyes? Really going for a deep red like you see on some SKS's

Cheers

 

[sidester]

You have many options. Terebentine, varsol.
Post some good pictures of the stock. It will help to assess the work to be done.

 

[jaroslav]

If the stock is made of walnut, you can't match it to the Russian SKS stock. But I think the stock is a birch wood just like my Baikal shotgun. I would use a commercial stripper and coat it with a red shellac.

 

[spenbour]

Thanks

 

[Hitzy]

Likely stained birch.

 

[sidester]

Remove the varnish with varsol, then clean the wood with turpentine.
To imitate the color you want, I would go with shoe polish.

 

[Hitzy]

Birch doesn't stain very well, get some red mahogany stain and rub the whole stock after stripping it, it will be blotchy like the Russians do it.