Staining Bulg. Wood Stocks Red like Russian Laminate???

[celt]

I would like to get a set of Ak-74 wood but would like the laminate Russian red wood. However, it is almost impossible to find, and when you do, it is very expensive.

Has anyone stained there bulg. wood red like the Russian laminate wood?

let me know.


Celt

[Cummins_4x4]

I have stained mine and been happy witht he outcome.Directions are available at: http://www.ironwooddesigns.com/1howto.html ,I'm happy with how mine came out.Good directions there and he makes fine stocks.See http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67 to see how this comes out.Hope this helps.

[johnsopi]

The ironwood instuctions are the easiest I've seen. I have a set of stocks I need to do and this might be the way to go.

Paul I

[gunnut1]

Is this close enough to Russian. Romie SAR1.
http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/856020/1064719500856_sar1.jpg

http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/856020/1067012230977_sar1butt.jpg

[Blicerode]

You can stain any wood any color with some artists oil colors and terp. or paint thinner. Mix the shade you want, thin with paint thinner and wipe on the wood. Let dry and oil or varnish.

[footlongcuban]

I read a great deal on this subject. The concensus seems to be that you do not stain the wood itself but rather color the varnish itself. This gives it that depth and luminesence. Plus it allows you to experiment with the color before applying it to your furniture. If you use stain, and you dont like the end result, your screwed as its very hard to get it back out of the wood.

[Brian in MN]

Why would you want to stain that really cool blond Bulgarian wood? Why don't you just hunt up some laminated AKM furniture?

[jlittle]

The Soviet style of finishing the stock is by tinting the final finish--stain will kill the shimmer and look of laminated wood. There are many people that have tried to do it but htere are a few that make the final product look like the real thing. People try to make it look perfect--wrong, drunk Ivan used a brush and slaped it on.

I have tried and made a few good tries and only one came out looking acceptable. What I used was the following:
1. Got red stain glass paint from Hobby Lobby and used it on the wood lightly. Sanded to where there was al ight tint of red.
2. Mixed up Writ dyes--orang, red, and yellow-2 part red, 1 part orange and 1 part yellow. You can play with this set up. Mix the Writ dye wit h Tru Oil and put in microwave for a few minutes.
3. Make a strainer out of an old cotton t-shirt. Let the writ dye drain and the salts to collect in the t-shirt. I did this a couple times. Let set for a few hours.
4. Now take a brush (horse or natural) and apply. Let dry to the touch and do again. Make sure you get brush strokes in it to make it look original.

There you are.

Then agan there are some people out there that do it for the prce that you will get tyed up in materials.
HTH

[Cummins_4x4]

I suspect there are many of us sufficiently talented to have our work come out like we have just downed several bottles of vodka!LOL

[footlongcuban]

Do a Google search for finishing Violins. You will see all the "secrets".

[jlittle]

Definetly have to have some Vodka to go along with the work!

[texengland]

Did the original russian guns use any wood besides laminate?

[gunplumber]

yes, original russian guns used non-laminate wood, but excessive wood failure, even with brass threaded rod reinforcements, forced them to switch to laminate and then to plastic.

my vote goes for tinting laquer, not staining the wood

You can also use mohawk DYE (not stain) but its water based so all the sanding needs to be done first, it will color the wood evenly, then laquer or varnish.

If I'm being really anal, I mix my own lac curls with alcohol (bags of dry product from mohawk) or for quicker work I use zinsser bullseyse amber laquer for the yellow look, and then colored with red-orange powdered tint for the russian