doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What do I use to darken wood?

I have a rifle that the buttstock (original) is much darker than the forearm (replacement?). I would like to try to match the color. What could I use?
Tom

If the forend is already finished, then you will have to strip it. The only way to really get a color similar is to have a piece of wood (walnut ?) that is close to the color of your forend and make samples of each stain until you get at least one (1)shade lighter than the finished piece, because the final finish should put on will be very close to the color of the buttstock.
It is very hard to tell you what to use without seeing the color of the stock. If you could take a high resolution digital picture of it and post it, someone might be able to tell you what to use.
Without a sample to use and if you have to use the forend for a sample I would stay away from annaline dyes, they penetrate too far. I like Watco for stocks and forends and for furniture. It is almost like Danish oil finishes, you can rub it in with 400 wet/dry sandpaper and the slurry will fill the grain and give you a very smooth finish to put your final finish of choice on or leave it alone.

JDW's advise is right on the money. Hopefully the two pieces are the same species of Walnut. English is usually lighter than American Black Walnut.

Get some walnut that you can sample and keep it up until you get the desired result.


Regards, Gordon

Tom I just bought two bottles of Tapadera's N-35 nad N-35B stock stain. They claimed it would stain a stock even through tru-oil. I tried the reddish brown on a stock that was finished with tru-oil but was real light. It worked like a charm. It's an alcohol based wipe on wipe off stain. $10 a bottle. They sell a brown and a reddish brown. I'm really happy with it so far. http://www.tapaderaswinchesters.com/stain.html Good luck.

I had the same problem, after making a new forend for a German single shot, I found the butt stock was the classic red/brown and the forend was CA english light. I solved this by using Garnet shellac. I find that many of the pre war (2) guns were finished with shellac and it is very easy to french polish and match the original finish and color using Garnet shellac.
bill

I am going to try and post some pictures of the wood tomorrow. I have been cleaning the dust away for 2 days. No fire here at our home, between Arrowhead and San Diego, but a lot of blowing dust.

Thanks to all. Doesn't look like I am going to be able to post pictures. I believe that the buttstock is Black Walnut and the forearm is English.
Tom

Tom,
If you can take digital pics and send them to me, I can post for you.

I just came back from So. Dakota lastnight to find Southern Calif on fire. Thick brown haze everywhere and a layer of brown ash on everything. My house is in Torrance about 2 miles from the ocean and is just now getting some clear air. One of the fires in Orange County came within a couple miles of them, but was stopped.

I'm headed out tomorrow to try to quail hunt up next to an area that burned a month ago. I don't hold much optimism since it's also been a severe drought in the last year now. Tomorrow will tell.

Chuck,
I had been wondering if things were Okey-Dokey with you. Glad to hear all is well, or, at least not on fire.

Have to pass along "Thanks" for the suggestion of Min-Wax "wipe On" poly semi-gloss finish, which I just used on a lowly pump to refinish. Outstanding results after about 13 easily wiped on coats, with 2-6 left to go. I just knocked it down with 0000 steel wool in between most of the coats, and wiped it on with cheap Wal-Mart dinner napkins. I'm thinking the last coat will get a rub down with Birchwood Casey Stock Sheen, to take down a bit of the gloss, and be called good. I only finished the butt stock of a King's Ferry (recent) Ithaca 12, and am stunned at how well it matches the front wood. I wonder if they used something similar?

Not every gun needs a London finish. Poly is pretty tough to beat for a user.
Again, Thanks for the tip.
Best,
Ted

Tom,
I've use these and both punch right through Tru-Oil and the like:Spirit Stainsfrom Brownells, and SolarLux Stains

The SolarLux Blood Red is a good alternative to 47 pages of Alkanet Alchemy.