Wood refinishing question

[GlockCop]

Ok...I know next to nothing about woodworking. I bought an AK wood kit and it was covered in a funky orange/red paint that i have stripped most of the way off. Im going to stain it with Chestnut Ridge Walnut with a hint of red. After a couple of coats of that what is best to put over that? Is BLO the way to go or do you recommend something else? Want it to last a while and not be too shiny.

 

[bsmith918]

Generally with AK's, they use a polyeurethane. I have used BLO, RLO, and tung oil with good results too. If you have any of those laying around, I would just use it. You can mix the BLO with mineral spirits to thin it out and get it to absorb a little quicker. I would probably use BLO and keep putting on coats until I got the desired look and it quit absorbing. The poly would be a lot quicker and you could always knock the shiny finish down if it was too shiny for you. Good luck!

 

[streak]

sand it really good with a 220 grit sand paper. You should then only need to put on 1 coat of stain. Put it on with a foam brush, wipe it off with a cotton rag probably 20 seconds later. Then coat with a quality polyurethane at whatever sheen you prefer. (I like glossy or high gloss) I like to do 2 coats of the clear top coat, sand with a 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper (wet), wipe down with a lent free cloth (cheese cloth). Add another coat and thos time "sand/polish" with a super fine steel wool, again clean with cheese cloth. coat once more for super smooth finish. You can actually do the last steps of clear coat as many times as you like however if you get poly to thick it can begin to take on a fake plastic look (think cheap mexican restraunt tables)

Enjoy!

 

[ASP785]

I used a finish product called Minwax Tung Oil Finish. It is not pure Tung oil, but will provide long lasting protection to the wood while allowing you to control the sheen. I have an SKS that I used this with to create a flat appearance and an AK that I coated multiple times to create a semi gloss. It should be available at almost any hardware store.

http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/specialty-products/minwax-tung-oil-finish

 

[streak]

I used a finish product called Minwax Tung Oil Finish. It is not pure Tung oil, but will provide long lasting protection to the wood while allowing you to control the sheen. I have an SKS that I used this with to create a flat appearance and an AK that I coated multiple times to create a semi gloss. It should be available at almost any hardware store.

http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/specialty-products/minwax-tung-oil-finish

Quaility stuff, but OMG the mess! You have got to wear Dishwasher gloves and change them out regularly. I did a whole dining room table with this stuff when I first got married and still had no money. Looks and wears great but the mess, and the drying time were OMG! Best things in life dont come easy though.

 

[dennishoddy]

I used the Birchwood Casey products that one can get from Walmart to refinish this Model 12 Win. Used 200 grit sandpaper to rough sand, and went to 400 grit to finish. Put the stain on with a sponge. Not a paint brush type but a small piece held between two fingers, and rubbed in. Much more control.
Putting the final clear coat on, I tried to use a brush, sponge, etc, and nothing was working. Kept having to remove the coating, and start over. A friend finally told me to just put some of the finish on the stock and use the bare fingers to work it in and smooth it out. I called BS but tried it.

He was right. It came out perfect. The pic has about 14 coats. If your wanting to have a less glossy finish start with some 000 steel wool, and work your way up to 0 grade to get it where you want it.

If you want a stain and a more natural wood finish, stain it, and hand rub tung oil or linseed oil into the wood. Its a fun project. Have fun and post pics.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v252/dennishoddy/P1010006-1.jpg

 

[coolhandluke]

GC...I also went with Minwax tung oil finish on my AK wood with a mixture of Minwax Red Sedona stain and then tinted it with a medium brown alcohol based dye. The tung oil finish is not something that I would ever use on a milsurp stock with any value, but (for me) it is easy to work with and gives you a nice protective finish. I lightly apply the oil with my index finger...this helps keep cloth lint out of the finish and speeds up the dry time. The appearance may be glossier that what you are looking for though.







If I were to refinish another set of AK wood, I would most likely lean toward a pine tar & BLO or pine tar & shellac finish. Here are photos of each type of finish...


Pine tar & BLO





Pine tar & shellac





And here is a pine tar and shellac finish that I did on a non-laminated M44 stock...

 

[Perplexed]

The tung oil finish is not something that I would ever use on a milsurp stock with any value

You saved your bacon with this comment. I was about to call you out for heresy

 

[coolhandluke]

You saved your bacon with this comment. I was about to call you out for heresy

No poly or varnishes will touch my milsurp wood...they only get the Tru-Oil and Armor All pimp shine treatment.

I kid...I kid...

 

[Shadowrider]

GC a word from experience... Minwax stains aren't what they used to be. I tried Minwax on my Garand stock which is birch and it looked just flat out horrible. Birch is just near impossible to stain evenly so I would be prepared for a backup plan depending on what wood your stock is. The Rustoleum Ultimate stains at Lowes are very much better and a lot faster drying too. Honestly I'll probably just use Fiebings leather dye on gunstocks from now on.

For the topcoat listen to coolhand, he knows his stuff. What he said to use is probably the easiest to get a decent protective coat and the Birchwood Casey would be good too for a "working gun". If you use the "Tung Oil Finish" Formby makes a satin version of it, though it's still pretty glossy. It's essentially identical to the Minwax.

If it's something I want to look old school I use pure Tung oil from the Real Milk Paint Company. It's just awesome, but it's a whole lot of waiting and a long drawn out process to get it built up. BLO is a little better but still takes awhile, like 1 to 2 days per coat to dry.