Walnut or Beech

[golfish]

Or maybe something else?

Good afternoon, I couldn't take the plastic stock on my 10/22 any longer so I bought this new "take off" for my carbine. It looks like walnut to me but I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure its a factory ruger stock.

I'd like to darken it up and give it a few coats of tung oil. Would a few wipe downs with mineral spirits make it able to take some dark stain ?



TIA

fish

[6mmintl]

Beech or birch, plain Jane hard as a rock non porous wood, paint is the only way to darken it

[cabinetguy]

Not beech. I would guess birch. It won't stain evenly, but you can buy wood dye to darken in.

[kcstott]

Rockler wood workers supply has wood dye on the cheep. I'd use that then some Dalys teak oil finish cures hard as a rock in little time. Unlike tung oil

[golfish]

Thanks all, do you think it will accept tung oil after a good wipe down with mineral spirits?

[kurac]

Birch

[kcstott]

Thanks all, do you think it will accept tung oil after a good wipe down with mineral spirits?

Probably not as these finishes are usually poly based. Production guns manufactures don't have time for oil based finishes to cure, mineral spirits would just knock the grim off of it too.

sorry to tell you but if you want to refinish it you are going to have to sand off the finish, stain and apply what ever finish you desire. There are no short cuts in wood work.

[wamphyri13]

Something I learned from rimfirecentral.
Citrus based stripper will remove the finish. Can't remember the brand name.
If the wood is blotchy or just not light enough to your tastes, you can then bleach the wood. Then do a light, fine grit sanding to make it smooth. Then you can start applying your new finish. I did my factory stock, but only got as far as the stripping, sanding, cutting off the front where the clamp goes, and opening up the channel for a bull barrel with a dowel and sandpaper. I have a large block of Buckeye Burl to add to the front to increase the length, but I just haven't gotten around to doing it yet.
Ryan