Bleaching and colour matching wood

[Tactical Lever]

Recently I undertook a minor refinishing on middle aged Marlin.

Wasn't after a factory fresh look, or custom stocking job, just something to clean up the wood a little, getting rid of the old varnish, exposing some figure and keeping some character.

Did some mild sanding, rinsed off the wood, and then knocked some whiskers off with 400 grit to finish. Thought I would just do it with a "Teak oil" without any extra stain, to keep it light.

After I was more or less done, I found that the fore end darkened up much more than the butt, and in general doesn't look as finished as I was hoping.

I could probably put a darker poly on the butt, and some very light on the front, but really, I'd like to get the front lighter.

Suggestions? Not sure how it darkened so much.



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[Dean2]

Sand it back a bit with 200 grit, de-wisker, and then use some Varathane or Ming oil based walnut stain. Brush on let dry a bit and wipe off the excess with paper towel. Let dry 48 hours. Stocks should match pretty good color wise after that. If you want to add more grain and texture you can apply streaks of Espresso coloured stain, let dry about 5 minutes and then brush them out with a wider brush to create and nice grain structure..

[Bushrat]

Looks like the bottom of the buttstock is dark and matches the forend but the darkness fades toward the top of the buttstock which is probably because of a transition from heartwood to lighter colored sapwood. Often the buttstock and forend on two piece stocks are made from different pieces of wood, they shouldn't do this but we see it all the time. Not much you can do but try and stain it but it is hard to get the colors to match without staining both pieces. Even then unless you stain heavily making it look like it was dipped in chocolate and covering the grain you are trying to enhance which is why you refinished it in the first place they still won't look mismatched to you now that you have noticed it, it will probably always bug you.

[MK2750]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

Looks like the bottom of the buttstock is dark and matches the forend but the darkness fades toward the top of the buttstock which is probably because of a transition from heartwood to lighter colored sapwood. Often the buttstock and forend on two piece stocks are made from different pieces of wood, they shouldn't do this but we see it all the time. Not much you can do but try and stain it but it is hard to get the colors to match without staining both pieces. Even then unless you stain heavily making it look like it was dipped in chocolate and covering the grain you are trying to enhance which is why you refinished it in the first place they still won't look mismatched to you now that you have noticed it, it will probably always bug you.

I agree and think it looks fine. Only the completely covered with varnish cheapys match exactly and they are basically paint over wood.

We are often our own worst critics, especially when working on a piece for a long time. When working with wood we are at the mercy of what was created.

Put the piece away for a week and take another look. I bet it will look much better to your eyes. If not, your natural oils like Tung oil or Linseed can be tinted slightly with a stain. Apply the tinted to the butt stock only (obviously) and untinted to the front. I like to water down with mineral spirits to get better penetration and depth, especially for the first several coats.

You should avoid any "poly" type materials lest you cover up all the fine work you have done so far.

[Tactical Lever]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Sand it back a bit with 200 grit, de-wisker, and then use some Varathane or Ming oil based walnut stain. Brush on let dry a bit and wipe off the excess with paper towel. Let dry 48 hours. Stocks should match pretty good color wise after that. If you want to add more grain and texture you can apply streaks of Espresso coloured stain, let dry about 5 minutes and then brush them out with a wider brush to create and nice grain structure..

That's the thing that is messing me up with this stock. That I gave it a pretty good sanding until I could not see remaining finish, then I just used an untinted polymerizing oil. I purposely used a teak oil, rather than BLO as I have read that boiled linseed oil tend to impart a slightly darker finish than a teak oil. Plus I was after a slightly harder satin, or semi-gloss finish.

I have done a similar trick on my wife's Rossi, by varying the thickness of pigmented finish I put down.

[Tactical Lever]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

Looks like the bottom of the buttstock is dark and matches the forend but the darkness fades toward the top of the buttstock which is probably because of a transition from heartwood to lighter colored sapwood. Often the buttstock and forend on two piece stocks are made from different pieces of wood, they shouldn't do this but we see it all the time. Not much you can do but try and stain it but it is hard to get the colors to match without staining both pieces. Even then unless you stain heavily making it look like it was dipped in chocolate and covering the grain you are trying to enhance which is why you refinished it in the first place they still won't look mismatched to you now that you have noticed it, it will probably always bug you.

Agree that the fore end looks like it's from a different piece. It looked the same when it was the reddish Marlin colour; and I could tell the butt had some nice grain, but wanted to augment that a bit. The fore end does not have as nice a grain pattern, and might be close to the bottom of the butt stocks colour, but just doesn't look quite right.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Tactical Lever

That's the thing that is messing me up with this stock. That I gave it a pretty good sanding until I could not see remaining finish, then I just used an untinted polymerizing oil. I purposely used a teak oil, rather than BLO as I have read that boiled linseed oil tend to impart a slightly darker finish than a teak oil. Plus I was after a slightly harder satin, or semi-gloss finish.

I have done a similar trick on my wife's Rossi, by varying the thickness of pigmented finish I put down.

You don't need to sand deep, just enough to take the top coat of oil off. All you need is for it to be to the wood. So 200 for quick removal, de-wisker, 400 to smooth, then the stain. I use Tru Oil on top of the stain because it is neutral in colour and hardens up well. I will post a picture of a Zastava stock that was even more plain than yours that I grained up using two different shades of stain.

Wood Sanded. As you can see, no grain to speak of and very light colored, looked almost like beach and this was stained by the factory..



Piece of the same stock - left side with oil only. As you can see it is very plain. Virtually no grain or contrast.



Same left side Stained up so it has nice grain. This does not have the finish oil coats on it yet, this is just at the end of the stain phase.

[Tactical Lever]

Originally Posted by MK2750

I agree and think it looks fine. Only the completely covered with varnish cheapys match exactly and they are basically paint over wood.

We are often our own worst critics, especially when working on a piece for a long time. When working with wood we are at the mercy of what was created.

Put the piece away for a week and take another look. I bet it will look much better to your eyes. If not, your natural oils like Tung oil or Linseed can be tinted slightly with a stain. Apply the tinted to the butt stock only (obviously) and untinted to the front. I like to water down with mineral spirits to get better penetration and depth, especially for the first several coats.

You should avoid any "poly" type materials lest you cover up all the fine work you have done so far.

Thanks for the kind words. I don't feel it's my best work, and my best is still still pretty workmanlike.

I probably will end up putting a slightly red, light stain on the butt, as the front looks redder to my eye.

When I said poly, I meant a finishing top coat like Min Wax.

I find that most of them accentuate the grain nicely rather than cover it.

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[MK2750]

Here is one with similar light wood that was driving me to drink due to mismatch. After a little break I learned to love it. It too is topped with a min wax that does contain a bit of poly.

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This one had a very white strip that I could not learn to love. It was a looong process but I finally dulled it down.

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[Tactical Lever]

Originally Posted by Dean2

You don't need to sand deep, just enough to take the top coat of oil off. All you need is for it to be to the wood. So 200 for quick removal, de-wisker, 400 to smooth, then the stain. I use Tru Oil on top of the stain because it is neutral in colour and hardens up well. I will post a picture of a Zastava stock that was even more plain than yours that I grained up using two different shades of stain.

Wood Sanded. As you can see, no grain to speak of and very light colored, looked almost like beach and this was stained by the factory..



Piece of the same stock - left side with oil only. As you can see it is very plain. Virtually no grain or contrast.



Same left side Stained up so it has nice grain. This does not have the finish oil coats on it yet, this is just at the end of the stain phase.

Very nice work. Looks pretty glossy for only 400 grit, and only stain. Was it wet at the time?

If I am understanding you right, Tru-oil, or Ming (? not familiar with that one), would have less darkening than tung oil? That's all I used on both pieces after I got it down to raw wood.

Edited: I read it wrong at first, and thought you were saying the stock was yet unfinished, when you were speaking about the piece.

Very nice work!

[Tactical Lever]

Originally Posted by MK2750

Here is one with similar light wood that was driving me to drink due to mismatch. After a little break I learned to love it. It too is topped with a min wax that does contain a bit of poly.

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

This one had a very white strip that I could not learn to love. It was a looong process but I finally dulled it down.

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

Beautiful work! Were you selling that Enfield at one time? It looks like one of the rifles I was very tempted to buy, no small part of it being the nice wood and great work done on it.

[MK2750]

Originally Posted by Tactical Lever

Beautiful work! Were you selling that Enfield at one time? It looks like one of the rifles I was very tempted to buy, no small part of it being the nice wood and great work done on it.

Yeah, that one is off to greener pastures. Beautiful rifle but seldom saw the light of day.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Tactical Lever

Very nice work. Looks pretty glossy for only 400 grit, and only stain. Was it wet at the time?

If I am understanding you right, Tru-oil, or Ming (? not familiar with that one), would have less darkening than tung oil? That's all I used on both pieces after I got it down to raw wood.

Edited: I read it wrong at first, and thought you were saying the stock was yet unfinished, when you were speaking about the piece.

Very nice work!

The stock is not finished in this pictures and the Varathane oil based stain has been drying for 5 days so it is not wet. I will let it dry a few more then apply the finish Tru Oil. The high shine is caused by putting on two coats of Walnut color oil based Varathane brand stain, one coat of Tru-oil then one coat of Expresso color oil stain and rubbing them out after each one dries 6 days. It needs to have the top two coats of Tru Oil applied to finish it.

The cut off pice of wood from the stock only had Walnut Varathane oil stain on it, NOT Tru oil. That was a typing error.

All oil based finishes darken the wood a certain amount, I just found that most Tung oil had a redish color to it that I think is an additive. Tru Oil and Ming clear oil has no color added, though you could mix some in if you wanted to.

[Tactical Lever]

Starting to match a bit better. Now I think I need a little more red in the fore end, and once I get a little more oil on the butt stock, it should be close. I think...

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[Dean2]

Coming along real nice.