Does anyone have experience with bright aniline dyes on medium tone walnut?

As in what is the resultant color compared to the dye.

Red, blue, green directly on the smooth but medium dark wood?

On white birch, I can predict.

But have a one off walnut stock to do.

I haven't used any bright colors, using Homestead dyes, but have used dark walnut, red maple, etc. I think you could experiment using an extremely diluted solution, and "sneak up" on adding more dye, until you get the result you're looking for. I've done that trying to acheive "Winchester Red", by adding red maple to Walnut....increasing the red quantity, until I got the result I wanted.

 

I have the sort of opposite problem. Subtle is not the goal. A somewhat interested shooter kid wants a rifle with a guitar look. I have a Win67 with a stellar walnut stock holding very nice metal.

The goal is to completely “guitar” a second spare extra M67 stock so one is for shooting and the other is when musicans barbecue. Think Tejas, Texas, style show offs. We are taking here bright blue butt plate to behind the grip, finished wood forward to just ahead of the trigger guard, and then bright green to the end of the fore end.

The goal is maximum bright colors and nice walnut between. I have the spare stock inbound. I’m just not sure how “bright” the colors will be. French Lacquer goes over all of it.

The “plan” is to strip the stock, dye the ends, use Minwax Natural to seal everything, and then put the Lacquer on top.

With zero experience, prediction escapes me.

Obviously not my idea.

 

There is no way I would mess up the guns original stock.

But someone’s throw away complete stock and fittings has potential. Rough mock up.

Yes. I know. Very un-normal. 🙀

But no way am I using spray paint. Colored grain would be a goal.

 

Kinda got the concept of what you're doing...


With the Homestead dyes, you can put whatever color in a mason jar with hot water, and use an amount of dye, about the size of a pencil eraser.. See if it's bold enough, and if not, add again about another pencil eraser size, and try again. If not bold enough, again add more dye. I use a foam brush to apply, even though I've used a clean rag, also.

noremf, was the wood Guru on this forum, and taught me a lot about using dyes, and Lacquer....everything he posted was gospel. Do a search under noremf, under woodworking, staining, etc.

 

By the way...

If you apply the dye, and want to get an idea of how it's going to look with Lacquer (or a clear coat) over it.

Just get a rag with Mineral spirits (100% real stuff, not the low odor stuff), and wipe the stock down. This will give you an idea of how the color is going to "pop", when a clear coat is applied. You only get a minute or two, before the Mineral spirits begin to evaporate, so apply, and watch quickly.

Walnut is funny...i.e. I've seen some Walnut just barely darken when Mineral spirits are applied, and other Walnut will darken somewhat considerably. All of this stuff is not science, but "artistic".

 

I myself and me think its garish. But my daughter thinks it would be
great for her husband who is a band kinda guy in his youth.

I am interested only in that it was “I think I can.” So I try. Just figuring out dyes and Lacquer is interesting. If only it were white birch.

 

Isn't Birch known to have Sapwood, and end up being splotchy, due to unequal absorption of dyes?? That's what I hear

 

Another option:


Use a Wood bleaching solution (can't remember what chemical is used)...to totally bleach out the color on the whole stock. Than apply the Blue and Green dyes, leaving the center part of the rifle alone. When you acheive the blue and green depth of color you want, go back and use Walnut or dark walnut dye for the center part....just a thought??

 

Another option:


Use a Wood bleaching solution (can't remember what chemical is used)...to totally bleach out the color on the whole stock. Than apply the Blue and Green dyes, leaving the center part of the rifle alone. When you acheive the blue and green depth of color you want, go back and use Walnut or dark walnut dye for the center part....just a thought??
[/QUOTEOxalic acid maybe for wood bleach???

 

Dyetecting. Like detecting.

 

I never used the liquid dyes....just the Homestead powder dyes, that "noremf" recommended. I've always had good luck with them.

TRANSFAST Wood Dye Powder - Homestead Finishing Products

Wood Dye Powders (sometimes generically referred to as “aniline” dyes).

homesteadfinishingproducts.com

 

Test pieces of American Walnut.

Donor stock. Perfect heavy quarter sawn grainless American Walnut.

Stripped with lacquer cleaner and residue cleaned off with Formby's Furniture Refinisher.

Dyed with 3 coats on 1/3 starting from the ends, 2 coats on 2/3, and 1 coat on 3/3 to the middle. Each coat dried. Clear gradients. Dried. Cook wife supper. Came back and gradients gone.

MinWax sanding sealer did little useful even on the plain wood.

Architect kid predicts coloring brushing lacquer in green and blue sections will just make it darker, so don’t try.

I myself and me like the original factory stock and am glad it is as is.

Un-screw and re-screw switchable!

 

I would try bleaching the stock completely, using Oxalic acid...

Amazon.com

Than retry using the dye, in a more concentrated solution (or get the powder Homestead dyes)...I think starting off with an already darkened Walnut, is counter productive.

You don't have much to lose, in giving it a try.

 

If you can find a Maple or Beech wood stock, it will take the dye colors truer to the colors you want. Walnut will always have an undertone of brown no matter what you do. You could also try a solid stain color that is more of a paint than a stain. They are available in bright red, green, blue colors.

 

Colossal fail. COLOSSAL, I say.

The even dark colors were livable.

Then evil will do be do-ed.

The first coat of clear Lacquer pulled the sanding sealer out of the wood and pulled the dye unevenly out of the wood making a streaked mess. The only thing not dissolved was the wood. A second and third Lacquer coat trying to move the streaks with clear Lacquer just ended with more unevenness and lumps.

Plan B is to strip the stock again and see if its salvageable meaning can Lacquer Thinner and then Formby’s Refinisher get the crap out of the wood to start over.

Over being a try at thinner dye and varnish, not Lacquer.

 

I think I would find a specialty lumber yard wnd buy some walnut scraps about the same color as your stock and experiment on the scraps.

 

I re-stripped the stock with lacquer thinner, and two courses of the Formby’s. The dye, sanding sealer, and Lacquer with and without dye came off and out of the wood better than the factory finish stripped off the first time. Its a very nice un-sanded raw walnut stock now. Completely bare.

With that result, I am thinking the entire idea was perhaps industrious but ill advised.

Maybe I will find metal to add to the wood? Oh, Wow, that would make a gun.

 

Is this a gun you care about or just one to play with?

 

The complete original gun is for my daughter who thought a different stock would be nice. The factory stock on the factory metal is just perfect as seen above.

The idea of a spare different genre stock was an addition thought. (Of Hers.) I have no particular attachment to the complete original rifle.

The second stock was an eBay item that now with dyes, lacquer, brushes, strippers of two kinds twice over, and a separate takedown screw has it costing 1.5x the cost of the really nice original complete rifle. Other than being $invested in the second stock, I have no vested interest in it.

PITA is a better descriptor, i.e., a fun idea went south. The stock can sit stripped or I will find a metal set or my son-in-law can take the second stock to a guitar finisher.

I just got done re-explaining to my daughter there are reasons wooden walnut rifle stocks tend to be variations of Brownish and Reddish-Brownish.

 

Why not try what I posted.........

i.e. remove all of the finish, than go Nuclear option of bleaching the daylights outta the stock, than using the Homestead dyes to get the depth of color, you want. As someone else posted; The walnut color is not allowing you to get the bold colors that you want. You need to bleach it, where it's as close to white as possible, than hit it with the Dyes you want....this might just work.

 

Just have fun with the project my friend. That's what's important

 

Referencing the test walnut above where the colors were thin, but bright, I used some TruOil on the tests. Stayed thin and bright. I did the exact same thing to the second stock. Dye in three gradients blending the edges. Exact same containers of mixes. Then three times TruOil. The dye started dullish and stayed dullish. That piece of walnut is not a good canvas. Too dark inside.

t

 

Update: Decided the project was a bad idea, wrong products used, and served no useful purpose. Put back to plain naturally nice walnut with three coats of French Satin Lacquer i.e., it now looks normal. Complete stock, no gun metal.😀

M67 back in its original stock. Maybe I will find a gun with no stock?

 

Did you ever try the route of bleaching the snot out of it, than using the different dyes??


I think with a surface that is close to being white, the colors just might pop out and have greater depth of color.

That's why Automotive paints use different colored primers to act as a base for the final color...the primer color, can affect the final look, quite a bit.

 

No. Emphasis on “bad idea.”

Between the fully outfitted extra stock, dyes, Lacquer, brushes, and strippers, I spent 1.5 times the cost of the complete rifle pictured above and again below here shown in its original stock. The second stock project was turning into a boat, i.e., a hole in the water you throw money into.

Besides, someone was going to report me for elder walnut abuse.🤐

It makes more sense to find an orphaned barreled bolted receiver which would re-create a whole gun.😀

This below is the original gun. I am ever so glad I never messed with it other than un-screwing and screwing back in the takedown screw.

I appreciate the advice. I just decided stop meant stop!

 

No. Emphasis on “bad idea.”

Between the fully outfitted extra stock, dyes, Lacquer, brushes, and strippers, I spent 1.5 times the cost of the complete rifle pictured above and again below here shown in its original stock. The second stock project was turning into a boat, i.e., a hole in the water you throw money into.

Besides, someone was going to report me for elder walnut abuse.🤐

It makes more sense to find an orphaned barreled bolted receiver which would re-create a whole gun.😀

This below is the original gun. I am ever so glad I never messed with it other than un-screwing and screwing back in the takedown screw.
View attachment 386404

I appreciate the advice. I just decided stop meant stop!

understood...