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Want to darken a new handguard |
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Rebel92 
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Joined: Jul 20 2021 Location: Hattiesburg, MS Status: Offline Points: 541 |
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 Topic: Want to darken a new handguardPosted: Mar 20 2022 at 8:26pm |
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howdy guys, back with another Q
Recently got a NOS (think it’s birch) handguard. I say it’s new, as when I put Raw Linseed oil on it it dries in a matter of minutes. My question is this: I want to darken it up, make a little more red. Is the RLO method im trying gonna take care of this, or is there something else I could do? It has no markings, got it for cheap. It is USGI, but want it to at least somewhat match my spare stock, ie, being darker redder. Any help is welcomed thanks y’all.
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GotSnlB28
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Joined: Jan 01 2016 Location: WI Status: Offline Points: 896 |
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Posted: Mar 20 2022 at 9:25pm |
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The RLO alone isn't going to tint it. At least not in the near term with casual use. Alcohol based stains work the best. I mix my own using Transtint dye but it wouldn't be worth it to buy the dye for one handguard. Birch can be hard to stain decently even with the right stain.
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Rebel92
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Joined: Jul 20 2021 Location: Hattiesburg, MS Status: Offline Points: 541 |
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Posted: Mar 20 2022 at 10:02pm |
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I looked it up (Transtint) and I bet it would work for me, but it’s almost what I paid for the handguard. Nobody has a small amount I could use, and send right back to them would they??
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RWS-67
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Joined: Jul 29 2021 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 28 |
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Posted: Mar 21 2022 at 6:50am |
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I've used red food coloring diluted......
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Sawbones
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Joined: Mar 04 2022 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 150 |
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Posted: Mar 21 2022 at 8:47am |
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Try brown or cordovan Kiwi wax shoe polish, or a mixture of the 2. Worked great on replacement front hand guard on my Garand. Work slow and tedious w/ many thin layers and the color can perfectly match the other. If ya screw it up hit it w/ few rubs of fine sandpaper to erase the goof.
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"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." Ernest Hemingway
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floydthecat
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Joined: Oct 13 2016 Location: Mississippi Status: Offline Points: 1998 |
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Posted: Mar 21 2022 at 8:59am |
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My 75 year old brain takes a while to warm up in the morning. I have used wax shoe polish to touch-up and blend-in light spots and scuffs myself. Works pretty good on shoes too.
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Sawbones
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Posted: Mar 21 2022 at 9:11am |
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Yeah, it would require wax polish b/c the wood has already been soaked w/ linseed oil. Water base would not penetrate. Wax shoe polish works great on old sunbleached antlers also. Rub on generously and softly wipe off w/ cloth. The pigmented wax sticks in the valleys and comes off the peaks. Polish my shoes? Not a chance!
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"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." Ernest Hemingway
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New2brass
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Dan Pinto, Photo Editor Joined: Nov 29 2015 Location: CT Status: Online Points: 4658 |
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Posted: Mar 21 2022 at 10:37am |
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Checking "The M1 Carbine, A revolution in Gun Stocking by Grafton and Barbra Cook: The book is mostly about Overton M1 carbine stock production. page 77 has the oiling process. Short version. 37. Dip in oil for 5 min, drain, wipe off excess, move to drying racks 38. Stain sap wood. This one has always baffled me as the stain is over the oil and no oil over the stain. Note, at this point Overton was not using birch. As mentioned in the linked post above, Birch does not take stain evenly. As you read through you will see my recommendations as well as others. I have never stained a gun stock, I an a hobby woodworker. As to teh reddish hue, it is thought to be oxidization which takes years to appear. This is why I always recommend to not strip a stock, only to clean with RLO, apply RLO as a protectant. I have seen birch stocks that must have some form of stain on them. I have seen some that are blond in color, unknown if they were stripped and removed the factory applied color. From here I usually refer people to look at the "where are they today" article and scroll down to the IBM factory pictures. Take a good look at the variations of stocks. There have also been pictures of original carbines with stocks and hand guards that do not match. Being that all parts were meant to be interchangeable I do not think they made any attempt to match color  Edited by New2brass - Mar 21 2022 at 10:54am |
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Rebel92
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Posted: Mar 30 2022 at 1:49pm |
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Well, I was applying the RLO, and while it was slightly helping, it wasn't getting me where I wanted to be. I know a lot of handguards and stocks didn't match in color, but these were so opposite of each other I couldn't notice anything else. While thinking, I picked an older stock, and when I did, I noticed it was almost black inside of it (from the carbon) and that got me thinking. Well, If i want to darken it, why not use the carbon? I poured some of the RLO into a little cap, then rubbed my finger all in the stock with all the carbon until my finger was black and caked in carbon. I then put the finger in my RLO, and proceeded to apply the oil/carbon mixture to the handguard. Did this for 2 days, and this is my result. The oil dried nicely, and from my rookie perspective it looks good. It does not wipe off/rub off with very hard pressure from my fingers. I had to make sure I wouldn't get back from the range and have black hands
 . Would love to hear other thoughts on my redneck method of wood work
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W5USMC
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Posted: Mar 30 2022 at 2:01pm |
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Looks good Ethan, really nice match.
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Wayne
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floydthecat
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Posted: Mar 30 2022 at 2:23pm |
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Ethan….I have a table that doesn’t match the chairs. Can you come over?
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Rebel92
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Posted: Mar 30 2022 at 2:35pm |
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Thanks, Wayne. Pretty happy with it.
Floyd, yeah sure I will be right over and Ill bring all the carbon I can find. I will make sure the carbon somehow makes its way to your best and whitest clothes also.
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GotSnlB28
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Posted: Mar 30 2022 at 6:10pm |
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Great match. Never heard of that technique before! That's a new one for the playbook.
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Rebel92
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Joined: Jul 20 2021 Location: Hattiesburg, MS Status: Offline Points: 541 |
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Posted: Mar 30 2022 at 7:01pm |
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GotSnlB28, I had never heard or thought of it until I noticed the carbon buildup. Was gonna stain the handguard (blasphemy I know, but im glad it didn’t come to that) One of those things that was so simple it’s hard to believe it worked. Plus it was a cheap fix
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