Anybody have experience applying wood dye to stocks?

RT468 · Dec 27, 2019

Haven't seen any postings about using wood dye on stocks or furniture.Or I didn't use the correct verbiage in the search function. I have seen pics on one of the M14 forums that were astounding. To the point I'd be afraid to touch the finished product. So to that end, has anybody local used wood dye and if so any pics to show results? Which dyes and how was it applied? Any surplus dye available before I order some online(cheap but hate to waste consummables) and have shipped? I picked up a few stocks to practice on but pretty sure they are Walnut and less likely to take dye as opposed to stain. Looking for motivation before I commit to working on one or both of my never issued Birch M14 Big Red or E2 stocks. I'm a visual type person post pics if you've got em and maybe one of my long term projects will get moving. I know that final results will depend on the grain of the wood,prep and mixture of solvents and dyes and what patience and skills I may have. Looking to jump start a long over due and stalled project so hoping this gets a few replies. So this is both an informational as well as motivational post.

newmuzzleloader · Dec 27, 2019

Stain I believe is the word you want to search for.

GuitarmanNick · Dec 27, 2019

I would suggest practicing on something before attempting to stain a stock.

If you are trying to match and already finished stock for a repair, select a crayon that matches the area and melt a small amount into the damaged area. No real damage can be done and it is easily removed if desired.

KRC · Dec 27, 2019

I am interested in your project. Can you provide the link to the images of the stocks treated with "wood dye"? Also, what is the product available online? (dye as opposed to stain?)

For a build project I just purchased online a "used Remington 40X" walnut stock that, upon arrival, is a beat-up, scratched, dark horrible looking piece of wood (it was cheap). I will be sanding and refinishing it, but would like to do something different.

Threeband · Dec 27, 2019

I've used Fiebing's Leather Dye on several stocks. It's an alcohol based dye, so it can be cut with alcohol. Easy to work with, but do wear gloves.

I used three different shades, Medium Brown and two others, a reddish shade, and Mahogany? It was a while ago.

No need to be scared. Just get some from Tandy Leather and mess around with it. If you're unsure about ruining a stock, just test it on your dining room table.

I use Pure Tung Oil for a finish, though I've also used BLO.

Batt816 · Dec 27, 2019

There is a guy on eBay, who sells these in an assortment of colors. I’ve been wondering how he does it.

RT468 · Dec 27, 2019

I've used stain on walnut before with acceptable/good results. Even some of the Asian variety replacement M1 wood that seems to have been formed with a dull spoon. I've done a couple of those in stain and BLO. Chu or choo wood maybe depending upon how its spelled. Cherry stain diluted a bit seems to work good with those seems to come out a dull cherry brown for lack of a better term looking like walnut. With the stocks I have that may be used being birch I'm lead to believe that dye may offer a bit more variety in color than stain. I'd be all about practicing on expendable stocks except for the fact that birch and walnut as I've gathered accept finishes differently. Birch as I have been told can take on a spotty type finish similar to beech wood if not done correctly. I'm guessing whether oil or water based and the grain of the stock stripped bare contributes to that. I've seen some grey leaning towards green and opposite side of the spectrum red orange with dye type tinting. I guess what I'm looking for is almost before and after pics.

RT468 · Dec 27, 2019

Threeband said:
I've used Fiebing's Leather Dye on several stocks. It's an alcohol based dye, so it can be cut with alcohol. Easy to work with, but do wear gloves.

I used three different shades, Medium Brown and two others, a reddish shade, and Mahogany? It was a while ago.

No need to be scared. Just get some from Tandy Leather and mess around with it. If you're unsure about ruining a stock, just test it on your dining room table.

I use Pure Tung Oil for a finish, though I've also used BLO.

My wife would literally sacrifice me on top of my skillfully old school Amish built table if I were to take your advice. I tread on thin nice as it is. That fear is real and evident I would die. Stain my hands or any other body part she wouldn't blink an eye. Defile the table or dishwasher to refinish a stock it would be like opening the seven gates of hell.

terp91 · Dec 27, 2019

Batt816 said:
View attachment 274203

There is a guy on eBay, who sells these in an assortment of colors. I’ve been wondering how he does it.

This effect is from staining several thin sheets and laminating them together, then cutting/routing out the stock from the laminated block. Look into Boyds to see other options that can be made this way. Note that the laminated stock will be heavier than an equally sized single piece of wood.

Batt816 · Dec 27, 2019

terp91 said:
This effect is from staining several thin sheets and laminating them together, then cutting/routing out the stock from the laminated block. Look into Boyds to see other options that can be made this way. Note that the laminated stock will be heavier than an equally sized single piece of wood.

I kind of figured, but he has some almost fluorescent greens, purples, oranges.
I have never seen wood stain in those kinds of colors. I’ve never heard of wood “dye” until today.

Threeband · Dec 27, 2019

RT468 said:
My wife would literally sacrifice me on top of my skillfully old school Amish built table if I were to take your advice. I tread on thin nice as it is. That fear is real and evident I would die. Stain my hands or any other body part she wouldn't blink an eye. Defile the table or dishwasher to refinish a stock it would be like opening the seven gates of hell.

Oh c'mon... live a little.

Gen. 3:4

Balzer94 · Dec 27, 2019

I’ve just recently dyed a curly maple flintlock stock. I purchased my dyes from a woodcraft in Rockville. I found solar-lux very easy to work with.

Doco Overboard · Dec 27, 2019

RT468 said:
I've used stain on walnut before with acceptable/good results. Even some of the Asian variety replacement M1 wood that seems to have been formed with a dull spoon. I've done a couple of those in stain and BLO. Chu or choo wood maybe depending upon how its spelled. Cherry stain diluted a bit seems to work good with those seems to come out a dull cherry brown for lack of a better term looking like walnut. With the stocks I have that may be used being birch I'm lead to believe that dye may offer a bit more variety in color than stain. I'd be all about practicing on expendable stocks except for the fact that birch and walnut as I've gathered accept finishes differently. Birch as I have been told can take on a spotty type finish similar to beech wood if not done correctly. I'm guessing whether oil or water based and the grain of the stock stripped bare contributes to that. I've seen some grey leaning towards green and opposite side of the spectrum red orange with dye type tinting. I guess what I'm looking for is almost before and after pics.

I use oil based stain on walnut wood if it needs it. Beech and birch just like you described are hard to pigment and alcohol stain works best to get them darker.
I colored a Boyd's repo m17 stock this afternoon. Its walnut but I colored it with min wax oil based stain to match the hand guards I have on hand. Red oak is the color. The hand guards are walnut and dark. If they were birch I never could have darkened them to match with out an alcohol based stain and even then they would have still been very lightly colored.

Soon I'm going to refit a Mk II Enfield stock to N04 and will be most likely coloring it so I can put up before and after pictures but its going to be a little while yet. Rear Hg is grooved walnut and dark but the front is beech and tightly grained so it will be hard to match.

RT468 · Dec 27, 2019

Threeband said:
Oh c'mon... live a little.

Gen. 3:4

Plan to. Live a little..slightly longer than today or tomorrow. Not planning long term because genetics and life choices stack the odds against me. Not really looking to accelerate my demise. Looking to find small, productive projects that wont shorten my life span.Not saying that I wont meet my maker due to lack of good judgement but if I experiment with the furniture that will be my end. And while I've both paid for the furniture and paying for her education I fear she knows enough to make my death look as if it were from natural causes. We get along just fine as long as long as I just modify my own body, guns or cars. She has no vested interest in those things. Dining room table she probably plans on keeping if she leaves me{27 years in} or I die. So I say this as both jokey jokey haha and also semi serious at the same time. I literally could stain one side of my face sunburst orange and she probably wouldn't question it. Chemicals,sandpaper or tools on the table would just pluck that last resilient steely nerve Ive been working at for the last few years.

RT468 · Dec 27, 2019

Balzer94 said:
I’ve just recently dyed a curly maple flintlock stock. I purchased my dyes from a woodcraft in Rockville. I found solar-lux very easy to work with.

I'd be curious to see how that turned out.

Pinecone · Dec 28, 2019

Several excellent threads on staining stocks over on CMP Forums.

With some stains, if you don't like it, it can be mostly removed.

As for final finish, I use linseed oil, both Boiled (BLO) and raw (RLO), depending for military stocks. Garands get BLO. Carbines get RLO, as per the original.

You can also use Tung Oil, but NOT the furniture stuff, which is a varnish with some tung oil in it.

I did a Fajen semi finished stock for a 10/22 and did the finish with Arrow wood finish, and was very happy with the results. I can post pics later.

https://www.arrowwoodfinish.com/

ironpony · Dec 28, 2019

I have some, pic when I get to the shop. I use water based stains now, quick drying and can apply poly almost immediately, good for what I do. I have one project to finish in oil based stain and two in water based stain this week.

Walnut gives a lot of depth naturally and the dyes accentuate this. Couple pics, Walnut table with Mahogany inlay border, Test board has maple, mahogany then teak, No stains used.

Nay_sayer · Dec 28, 2019

Wood dyes are more translucent than stain and generally better suited for dense and figured wood. Wood stains sit on top of the wood and wood dye penetrates it more and colors from within while allowing the grain to show through. When doing something like trying to blend in a Dutchman repair to the surrounding aged wood in a piece of antique furniture (or stock) this can be quite helpful.

Wood dyes alone do not protect the wood like many stains do but dye pigment powder can be added to other products like shellac or varnish to offer color and protection. Wood dyes and wood stains are also often used in combination to achieve a desired color.

Straightbolt · Dec 28, 2019

Chestnut ridge military stock stain.https://www.chestnutridge.com/products/misc.asp
It's a dead on match for US military stock color.
It's alcohol based. Oil based stains suck IMHO.
I got some from Oldcarjunkie and used it on two 1903 stocks that came out very nice and then just finished with some BLO
Contact him here I'm sure he could sell you some

Doco Overboard · Dec 28, 2019

Fiebings-alcohol

Alcohol based

Oil

Oil

Oil-no color

Anybody have experience applying wood dye to stocks?

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