Color to stain an AK wood stock?

[weaselchew]

I tried doing something a little different with an AK stock and I wanted to get some opinions...

I am typically fond of the darker woods, but decided to try going for a blonde stock this time for something different. I bleached the stock out and it ended up as the top one in this pic:



The bottom one is an older stock I did. Keep in mind there is no oil/finish on the top one and it would be darker after that point. The construction/materials of the laminate prevent it from being fully bleached to one shade.

I tried lightly staining it yellow, but wasn't all that happy with the results:

Dry: Wet:
Dry looks alright, but I think it'll end up looking more like the wet picture above, which sort of looks like a lighter version of the original finish.

At this point I'm not sure if I want to continue with the now "dirty blonde" style, go to a dark[er] finish like the other one pictured, or go nuts and do it green.
I have quite alot of green stain left from a guitar I built/restored - it would look like this:



Any suggestions/opinions?

[markheck1]

Dude a green AK would be killer.....ugly, but killer, LOL

I think I might do mine in Cherry, it's ugly as hell as is

[Steelblitz]

Maybe try dyeing the wood with a Rit yellow followed with a yellow varnish. I seem to remember something like that posted on the AK forum. I did a decent red dye job on one of my AK's. Once I get my Ironwood stocks for my Norinco, I'm going with primary the yellow die for the chinese AK look.

[nfafan]

This is yellow with a tung oil finish, I didn't bleach it quite as far as yours, but the PSL butt didn't have as many dark layers of lam. The foregrips were the Euro Beech as opposed to lam, so little bleaching needed there... I used yellow food coloring with 92% alcohol topped with the tung.



The next one has some of the original wood visible in my "plum stain" - which is more like a walnut depending on light. Blends in OK with the plum poly and mags.
Used purple RIT dye and a dash of my Russian Red in 92% alcohol, topped with tung.



I ditched all my pics of my shot at a Russian Red when I sold a WASR, I used Minwax Natural (clear) to pop the grain, more 3M padding to cut the shine, and no tung.

I have 2 more project WASRs that I will try and get pics of; another varaition of a Red and a Polish Brown attempt.
Made a mistake of too much Minwax topping - taking forever to dry.

Whatever you do - if you use Minwax stain - GO LIGHTLY!

[Asmodeus6]

I want to see someone do a light black.

Black. But light enough of an application the patterns are still visible in the wood. I think that might look good. I'm a fan of black.

[weaselchew]

Maybe try dyeing the wood with a Rit yellow followed with a yellow varnish. I seem to remember something like that posted on the AK forum. I did a decent red dye job on one of my AK's. Once I get my Ironwood stocks for my Norinco, I'm going with primary the yellow die for the chinese AK look.

That's actually what I did, but I haven't put any finish on yet. I used Rit dye yellow #1. I'll probably try tinting the finish as well if I continue with it this color.

[weaselchew]

This is yellow with a tung oil finish, I didn't bleach it quite as far as yours, but the PSL butt didn't have as many dark layers of lam. The foregrips were the Euro Beech as opposed to lam, so little bleaching needed there... I used yellow food coloring with 92% alcohol topped with the tung.

The next one has some of the original wood visible in my "plum stain" - which is more like a walnut depending on light. Blends in OK with the plum poly and mags.
Used purple RIT dye and a dash of my Russian Red in 92% alcohol, topped with tung.

I ditched all my pics of my shot at a Russian Red when I sold a WASR, I used Minwax Natural (clear) to pop the grain, more 3M padding to cut the shine, and no tung.

I have 2 more project WASRs that I will try and get pics of; another varaition of a Red and a Polish Brown attempt.
Made a mistake of too much Minwax topping - taking forever to dry.

Whatever you do - if you use Minwax stain - GO LIGHTLY!

Your stocks turned out well. This stock does have some dark layers, so if I do a light color, they will end up showing.

I want to see someone do a light black.

Black. But light enough of an application the patterns are still visible in the wood. I think that might look good. I'm a fan of black.

That would be interesting - I don't know if I have seen any like that yet - sorta like the attached picture...

[Steelblitz]

I forgot, like NFA fan stated, you have to cut the dye with a bunch of alcohol also. Golden yellow was the recommended Rit dye for the chicom look. Add some tan or dark brown to suit.

[Ophidian]

Make it Purple. All real men have purple AK pattern Rifles:

[RaisedByWolves]

Heres a nice green AK, one of few made like this.....Green Bakelite, yum!


Id hit it!!!