Wood handle darkening and polishing

[DannyinJapan]

I have a 14" wood BDC coming, and I want to stain the wood as dark as it can get and polish it as much as possible.
Can somebody walk me through the steps as easily as possible keeping mind that I have hand tools only?
Thanky!

 

[munk]

Various gun stock refinishers have a dark walnut stain. I think Birchwood Casey has the one that you mix with water- darken it as you like. Sand the handle- get the old finish off. You may want to use a gentle finish remover- some oven cleaners even work. Paint the dye on and let dry. Lightly sand. Apply again if needed. When color is right, and you've sanded to the texture you want, seal it with true oil or a poly coat. You can put as many coats as sealer as you like on. Some people, no doubt dissatisfied with any trace of dirt under their fingernails, will apply 10 or more coats. I'd like to hire them to clean our toilets- we need that dedication here.
The main thing is this- let the dye dry. Wait two days if neccesary. And let the coat dry before continuing. That's where people screw up.

I've given up sanding wood too fine. I never see the benefits - the finish is only as soft or fine as the surface coat can produce. Don't use steel wool- it leaves tiny shreds and are very difficult to remove entirely.


hey- there are lots of colored sealers out there- you can have any look to the wood you want, and could skip the dye as a seperate operation.

munk

 

[ferguson]

Munk gave good advice. My way is essentially the same. Remove the finish and the red rouge the kamis polish everything with, using something like paint thinner and a toothbrush to get in the crevices. Sand it with the grain of the wood to whatever degree of finish you desire. Find the darkest wood stain you can. Here in the states, that would be Ebony. Apply it with a brush or rag and let dry for a while then wipe excess off with a rag. Repeat as necessary. Let stain dry for a couple of days. Finish with multiple very light coats of whatever wood finish is available in Japan. I like TruOil, which is a linseed oil based gunstock finish. I also like Tung oil. It should be available in some form in Japan. These are both penetrating oil finishes. Let each coat dry thoroughly, and sand with very very fine sandpaper. I use 1000 grit. Apply as many coats as you like. Don't sand the last couple of coats. Apply a coat of paste wax. You're done.

Have fun!
Steve

 

[Bri in Chi]

Danny,
Japan has to be the ultimate place to find cool wood finishing supplies. Have you checked?
I agree that sanding wood finer than about 320 grit is pointless except on very dense wood. I like to sand the wood level to the bolster and even sand the bolster a bit so there is a smooth transition from wood or horn to brass (or steel). 4/0 steel wool at the end will bring up enough shine on the metal parts for my taste.
Any penetrating stain will do -if you can't locate a penetrating wood stain, leather dye, even cloth dye will work fine. You want to avoid the stain that just sits on the surface - it wears off quickly. Stain always seems to lighten with the subsequent steps, so going a little dark is OK, and you can apply successive coats until it's right.
If you can't locate Birchwood Casey Tru Oil, 1/3 Polyurethane or spar varnish 1/3 Tung or boiled linseed oil, 1/3 mineral spirits or turpentine will give you good results after a few coats. I believe Pen puts some acetone in to make it penetrate better and dry quicker(?) I rub it in with my hand, wipe off excess with a paper towel or rag. I usually do 6 to 8 coats, sometimes more if needed, sanding lightly between. I like to put on enough coats of finish so the pores of the wood are filled level. As I said, 4/0 steel wool when you're done and the results are a non shiny sort-of flat finish.If you want a little more gloss, a few coats of paste wax will do it, but wait a week before using it to make sure the varnish/oil is dry.
Be patient, it takes time. A warm place will speed drying, but sanding a still-tacky finish just makes a big mess. Have fun
Best, Brian

 

[ddean]

Low tech alternative:
Black shoe polish,
then burnish wood with metal rod.

 

[Nasty]

Flat black spray paint, squint when you look at it.

If you want really black and really shiny, buy one with horn.

 

[Spectre]

Danny,

I'm a big fan of tung oil. Nope, definitely not as dark as possible, but brings out the true natural beauty of the wood. All my bo's have had multiple coats of tung oil.

John

For Sale:
Glock 24 w/ high caps
SUB-9

 

[DannyinJapan]

leather dye ?
really?

 

[Yvsa]

leather dye ?
really?

Yup, really. I've used leather dye on wood before. Most leather dye is alcohol based and dries quickly. If it brings up the splinter grain you can lightly sand with 320 grit and restain. Repeat as needed until you get it the darkness you desire. The alcohol helps the dye to penetrate very well so it is more than just a surface treatment.
Any finish you put on over the dye will also darken the wood further as well as to bring out the grain patterns.