Staining/refinishing birch gunstocks?

[Sxsnuf]

I have a couple birch gunstocks in need of refinishing. I've tried on an old Western Field (Stevens- Savage) model 94-c, .410 single shot, with poor results. The wood, if left unstained, just comes out white, and/or blotchy. When I tried applying a light stain, the wood didn't take it evenly and looked like crap. I tried again with a wood conditioner (Benite clear) with the same result.
I've been advised by one individual that I might be using too fine of paper. I finish with #220 grit. He suggested finishing with a #80 or #100 grit, to leave the pores more open, allowing the stain to better penetrate the wood. I haven't tried that yet, but kinda have my doubts.
I'd greatly appreciate any input/advice from the members here.
Thanx

Read More

 

[MikeInOr]

As a woodworker I am very familiar with how difficult birch and maple are to stain and achieve a uniform appearance. Any maple/birch stock (or even piece of furniture) with an attractive uniform color has not been stained. It has had some kind of colored lacquer or poly sprayed on it instead of stain.

I have had good results by spraying on Minwax colored poly finishes with a spray gun and not wiping off excess finish but letting it dry on the stock instead. You are painting the stock with a translucent finish, not staining the stock.

In your search you will probably come across aniline dyes. They have their place but haven't worked any better than conventional stain for me on birch/maple.

A courser sand paper isn't going to get you where you want to be. There will be noticeable scratches filled with stain in the hard layers of the grain. It won't be uniform.

I have never tried fuming maple or birch with household ammonia. This technique is often used for oak. I will have to try it on a scrap of maple some day.

After 45 years of working with wood I have come to the conclusion that it is best to bring out the natural beauty of the wood rather to make the wood a color it is not. If I want a dark rich finish I will start with a dark wood. I realize this is not an option when you are starting out with a birch stock and want to make it look like it is a darker wood.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I have a couple birch gunstocks in need of refinishing. I've tried on an old Western Field (Stevens- Savage) model 94-c, .410 single shot, with poor results. The wood, if left unstained, just comes out white, and/or blotchy. When I tried applying a light stain, the wood didn't take it evenly and looked like crap. I tried again with a wood conditioner (Benite clear) with the same result.
I've been advised by one individual that I might be using too fine of paper. I finish with #220 grit. He suggested finishing with a #80 or #100 grit, to leave the pores more open, allowing the stain to better penetrate the wood. I haven't tried that yet, but kinda have my doubts.
I'd greatly appreciate any input/advice from the members here.
Thanx

Weird I did a 10/22 birch stock cuz I didn't like that brown look. I finished with 220 as I recall. It definitely wasn't more course than 220. I'm pretty sure I used Sun frog deck oil stain as I recall but not sure on that. And put minwax rub on poly on top of that.

Perhaps it's old oil/stain/varnish in the wood. Maybe try heat and a paper towel to see if that old finish bleeds out of the wood? Here's the 10/22 after sun frog.

2BE8626C-84AA-4FED-962A-81D2F37BD444.jpeg

• ilikegunspdx
• Jun 13, 2021

B94995D9-585C-4EAC-A9CA-739ECF510E49.jpeg

• ilikegunspdx
• Jun 13, 2021

 

[jbett98]

I like to rub the solids you find at the bottom of a can of stain before you mix it all up with the liquids that have risen to the top.
That fills all the open pores and gives the wood a nice even look and then apply the mixed stain finish.

 

[dangerranger60]

As MikeinOr said Birch does not take stain evenly. I have had the best luck with a gel stain. it's not really a stain but a semi clear paint with a stain color in it.
then a clear finish over it. I use MinWax but other make it too. Good luck DR

 

[Sxsnuf]

Thanx for the input folks.
Yeah, I've tried the gel stain (it WAS minwax) & it just kinda laid there. Never tried heating the wood, but I have removed all the existing lacquer finish from the wood. Any underlying oils? Not so sure. I'll put some of these suggestions to work cuz, as ilikeguns' 10-22 shows, birch can have some very attractive figure.
I understand now why some manufacturers used a crappy, spray on colored varnish. What I've never understood is why they even applied the same thing to some walnut stocks. I've found some beautiful walnut under that spray on lacquer, that you couldn't see, until it was stripped.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Nitric Acid works well with most wood stocks as a stain.
Andy

 

[dangerranger60]

Thanx for the input folks.
Yeah, I've tried the gel stain (it WAS minwax) & it just kinda laid there. Never tried heating the wood, but I have removed all the existing lacquer finish from the wood. Any underlying oils? Not so sure. I'll put some of these suggestions to work cuz, as ilikeguns' 10-22 shows, birch can have some very attractive figure.
I understand now why some manufacturers used a crappy, spray on colored varnish. What I've never understood is why they even applied the same thing to some walnut stocks. I've found some beautiful walnut under that spray on lacquer, that you couldn't see, until it was stripped.

You might get some blocks of birch and practice a few times with the gel stain. it is painted on, not wiped off like a traditional stain. also different brushing techniques will give different effects. Brushing will create grainlines, and I have to follow the grain of the underlying wood to make it look right. If it's just sprayed on or wiped on it just becomes a tint. I have seen it used on a fiberglass stock that could not tell from wood. DR