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Refinishing AK Stock
- Thread starter Furious
- Start date
After fitting, I simply got my Ironwood designs stock set nice and smooth with some fine sandpaper and then wiped it with some alcohol to degrease it before applying the stain.
Im happy with the results.
Im happy with the results.
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Sand and refinish as you would any piece of wood... it all depends on what sort of appearance you're after.
Do you want a finish that's more appropriate for a military style firearm, or a hand rubbed one more commonly found on high end hunting rifles?
Do you want a finish that's more appropriate for a military style firearm, or a hand rubbed one more commonly found on high end hunting rifles?
bfm
NES Member
Pretty much what I did except for using mineral spirits to wipe it down. I think I used extra fine sandpaper. Basically just got it nice and smooth, wiped it down and let it dry. Stain and then two coats of poly.
Some laminates will start to swell in between layers depending on what you're using. I had this happen on a Romanian stock when I started to use stain because I went too heavy in the application. I probably didn't let it dry completely during the entire process at some point (possibly after the initial cleaning with mineral spirits after sanding) so that could have been it too.
One thing is for sure though, you can build up with polyurethane and sand in between coats to get a nice flat/smooth finish.
One thing is for sure though, you can build up with polyurethane and sand in between coats to get a nice flat/smooth finish.
bfm
NES Member
Also, thinner coats are better, just like paint. Do not bother with any of those extra thick polys that claim to need less coats. Overall drying time is longer and you get more imperfections. Thin coat and light sand is better.
FWIW I'd recommend Minwax's Red Sedona stain. I've used it on a few rifles and it works well. When I got my Romak the handguards were blonde and mismatched from the butt stock which was the original brown/red color. Now you can hardly tell:
This is the only pic I can find right now. The Romanian flag backdrop throws off the color of the wood a little.
This is the only pic I can find right now. The Romanian flag backdrop throws off the color of the wood a little.
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there used to be a furniture refinisher in whitman mass who did GREAT work on gun stocks, repairs, color matching, refinishing........sadly long gone.
I have used minwax products and they are easy to use and decent results. Key is not to rush. I also learned about grain sealer and filler the hardway if you plan to strip to bare wood.
I have used minwax products and they are easy to use and decent results. Key is not to rush. I also learned about grain sealer and filler the hardway if you plan to strip to bare wood.
