[stratcat]

I've got a laminated stock I'm going to finish, I want a blue color to it, I don't want paint, I want the grain to show through. Has anyone done this? what can I use for dye? where can I get it? I'd rather use something that's available at a hardware store than mail order a tube of dye..

thanks fellas..

 

[mutwagn]

Hey Stratcat, are you going to do one or both of the stocks you got from me that way? The friend that had the Fajen really wanted to do something like that also is why I ask. Andy
Oh yeah, did the Turner get there yet?

 

[stratcat]

got the Turner today, I couldn't wait, I've got a rough sanding done with 60 grit..

I'm thinking I want to do this one with a blue stain/dye

the next one I want to do in some kind of purple, the girlfriend has decided that would be nice (what the heck, it gives me another one to tinker with )

I'm digging that barrel, I haven't put it on anything yet, but I just may..

thanks man!!!

 

[mutwagn]

I started on the other Turner I had like yours, it's a nice walnut. I want to use it on the action and Shilen barrel I got the other day. This one will get a lot of attention, stock, action, trigger, and barrel. Wanna see how tight it can group.
Hope the belting in the stock will come in handy, lemme know how it does. Andy

 

[050]

Strat,
I was told by a stock maker that the original layers were dyed by using "Rit Dye" under pressure. Then they were dried and the laminations glued together.
So why not try Rit Dye to do it. I've dyed maple vivid red usig Rit dye.
The only thing is you have to be very close to the finish sanding because the dye won't penetrate very deep without a lot of pressure. Bill

 

[stratcat]

where did you find the Rit Dye at?

I was thinking maybe a minwax stain that is "deep ocean" their version of blue..

 

[050]

Used to be, you could buy it at any big grocery store...

 

[050]

Strat,
Rit Dye is used to dye cloth, WalMart, Varity stores, most large grocery chains, Almost any fabric stores.

 

[stratcat]

cool!! Thanks Ron and REDTIP17, I'm off to the grocery store

I'll wait till morning, I knew I've seen this stuff somewhere, I happen to have an Eagles and a Super Walmart close that I'll check at tomorrow, if not I'll stop at every grocery store on the way to the range

 

[050]

Strat,
Make sure you get a small bottle of Clorox bleach so you can clean up the stuff when you finish. I got the crap everywhere and dyed the kitchen floor spotted camo green one time. Had to bleach the whole **** floor.

 

[kingston fisher]

Let us know how it turns out, I'm thinking of getting a thumbhole stock for my bushmaster, I've found a pepper laminate for a wilson combat but I don't know if it will fit the bushmaster, anyways, I'm wanting to dye/stain it charcoal black, but like you I still want to be able to see the grain.

 

[stratcat]

Let us know how it turns out, I'm thinking of getting a thumbhole stock for my bushmaster, I've found a pepper laminate for a wilson combat but I don't know if it will fit the bushmaster, anyways, I'm wanting to dye/stain it charcoal black, but like you I still want to be able to see the grain.

oh yeah!! use me as the guinea pig

I've got "before" pictures, I suppose I'll take "after" pics for you.. I think I'll try it in the barrel channel first, if I like it there, I'll go for it..

 

[J.Solo]

I've had my best luck with alcohol based shoe dyes. Do not use the water base or paste shoe dyes. They won't go into the grain as deep as the thinner based alcohol dyes will and are generally harder to work with. I used to buy my alcohol dyes at TANDY Leather Stores. These stores are no longer open in my area so I just go to the old style shoe repair shops to find it. Old time shoe repair shops are also geting harder and harder to find as the years go by. Good luck - J.Solo

 

[spam4einstein]

Food coloring, I know of one custom riflmaker who uses it, A lot more potent than rit although im sure that would work, but you would have to soak it in a very diluted water dye, lots of water could warp things and roughen up the grain. I would try runbbing a food coloring soaked rag first, then try rit. I agree alcohol would be best cuz it will penetrate, mabey water based food coloring mixed with alcohol?

 

[050]

I wonder what would happen if you desolved RIT DYE in alcohol instead of water. Say 1 box of Rit in a pint of denatured alcohol. I don't even know if it would desolve in alcohol but sure would be worth a try. $5 investment at the most.
That sure would be concentrated more than food coloring.

 

[J.Solo]

Might be worth a try. A few drops of alcohol and some dye would tell you right away. There are also different typs of alcohol to try. The alcohol being thinner than water really gets the dye down into the wood, even in hardwood further than a water base dye. I would also warm the stock before applying the dye in order to open up the pores in the stock a little. I hang mine behind the furnace for awhile to warm it up. This could be a problem if you live in the South, but maybe not this year. Or leaving the stock out in the sun for awhile would also work. J.Solo

 

[050]

JSolo
Denatured alcohol is pretty high in pure alcohol but plain ol' rubbing or Isopropl alcohol is only 70% and the rest is mostly water.
The alcohol would also tend to desolve resins & oils in wood and make the dye penetrate deeper.

 

[larebow]

You can soak rit dye in alcohol.You will get some that doesn't dissolve and stays in the bottom.But you will get some good penetrating colors this way.Make sure that what ever you use it's UV resistant don't want all that work to fade away!
Thats why I second the alcohol leather dye.
What about a transluscent blue automotive paint?

 

[stratcat]

well, I found the Rit Dye, didn't see the alcohol part till after I started. I ended up putting a couple of coats on and then when it dried I sanded it with 600/1500 sandpaper to get rid of some, I'm still working on it, but it looks great, I'll post pics later!!

thanks for the help guys, it turned out fantastic!!!

John

 

[larebow]

I'd really like to see a pic of that when you get one.