[Greg_M]

I have stripped down my M60 stock and have begun sanding.
As I got down a ways, it looks like at a point there is a layer of black streaks in the grain.
At first I thought it was just a stain issue, but on the side of the butt stock you can see that where the stock is wider/thicker there is no black and where it becomes thinner there is black

Is this possible?

It almost looks like a laminated stock, but the difference is much more subtle.
I thought just to be sure I would hit it again with more stripper just to see if it is some weird lingering stain effect.

While the stripper is working I thought I would ask....

I've never seen black in wood

 

[zuikowarrior]

pics?

 

[Greg_M]

I'll try but it is pretty subtle.
I'm still in stripping mode.
It might be a bit

 

[P-bass]

What are you using for stripper?

There were some black highlights in this Model 25 stock after I stripped it. I wiped it down with mineral spirits and acetone after stripping, which lightened it up some, and what remained added character to the finish.

 

[Greg_M]

Zip-Strip

 

[Leverforever]

I'm guessing it is a Mineral Line in the wood. It could also be a cosmetic fill done at the time of manufacture.

 

[P-bass]

I use citristrip, but I believe they both use a strong alkali which may cause some oxidation to minerals naturally present in the wood.
There were some black highlights in this Model 25 stock after I stripped it. I wiped it down with mineral spirits and acetone after stripping, which lightened it up some, then lightly sanded. What remained added character to the finish.

 

[Greg_M]

Here's some not very good pics

The first one you can see that in the center of the stock the birch is not got the blackness to it like it does on the edges where the material is thinner

View attachment 106093
































The second one is a closer view of the contrast between the black and not black part

View attachment 106094

 

[P-bass]

I had plenty of that on my 25 and the 60 you liked. If you look closely it is in all the open end grain. That area has more exposed end grain. A good wipe down with acetone and light sanding will take some of it out. If you are rubbing in pigment or staining, it will blend in or add highlights. You can see similar features in the my finished Model 60 stock in these photos. Embrace it!

 

[Greg_M]

Thanks!

 

[deerhog]

That's just the woods natural grain,and quite nice to boot! ....whatever you decide to finish with will make that grain stand out even more,and that ,in my opinion, is what you should be after.Wood is supposed to have varying grain,that's what makes it beautiful!.Who wants a plain jane birch stock anyhow?
I think it will turn out great just the way your going.

 

[zuikowarrior]

Looks possible that it is laminated from perhaps two pieces of birch - not the multiple thin laminations with dardk glue of current laminated stocks. Regardless, I expect it will look great when you finish.

 

[raindawg]

My take is that it is simply a feature of that particular piece of birch. It will definitely come out when finished much as P-bass has illustrated in his photos. Often a good pre stain conditioner can help with that blotchiness if your intent is to stain it. Others really like it that way.

The first one I did that came out that way was for my business partner on an old Stevens SXS 12 gauge. I was horrified I had done something wrong, brought it to him and told him if he didn't like it I would try again.... he loved it

I then redid another old Stevens in 20 gauge for him. The finish was very similar but much lighter as I did use a bit of mineral spirits and a conditioner first. The end result was much like P-bass except a bit lighter, my partner was happy with that one too!

If you like the way Pbass's guns look I would go for it.

Keep in mind I stained both of the subject guns I mentioned. I am unsure of the results just using a hand rubbed oil or tru oil finish.

Good luck and please share some pics when you are done.

RD

 

[kayaknjames]

It almost looks like the wood was three separate pieces glued together.....still looks nice though.

 

[Greg_M]

.....Often a good pre stain conditioner can help with that blotchiness if your intent is to stain it.....
RD

I was actually going to dye it with some Transtint (liquid). A llittle bit of Dark Walnut and some Dark Vintage Maple. Maybe just enough Walnut to darken up the Maple a tad, but not too much


What kind of conditioner?


I need to run down to HD and see if they have some Birch to experiment on.

 

[srv1]

DO NOT use a pre conditioner! Pre conditioner is for softwoods, birch is a hardwood. Wipe the stock down with mineral spirits and let it dry completely. Do this a few times and then use the dye. I cannot stress this enough that you do not need any pre conditioner or any other of stuff. Stay away from tack rags since most of them contain silicone. Just a clean old cotton t-shirt is all you need. I recommend foam brushes since they can contain more of the dye and more of an even spread. Smart choice on the dye Greg.

James

 

[deerhog]

Go to your local paint store and ask for a pre stain wood conditioner.there are many as there are stains.
birch has varying densities and some areas accept stain much easier than others giving you that blotchy look.A pre stain wood conditioner is designed to open the tighter pores to accept stain easier and give a more consistent absortion.This is the norm when working with birch as it's one of the hardest woods to stain evenly.
Minwax makes a very common product that you can pick up at most any hardware store.

 

[granpa52]

I didn't know birch could look so nice...!!!

 

[Greg_M]

Does Shellac seal the wood or can you apply more coats of dye over it?

I've always been confused about that.
Seems like if you used Shellac, anything you apply over it would not soak in to the wood....