Zombiehunter762 376 Posted March 22, 2014 Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 I'm looking at dying my Baltic birch laminate lower handguard dark, almost a black/grey. I want the grains of the wood to be seen. I don't want it pitch black. What would you suggest to get the color and finish I'm looking for? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RED333 1,025 Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Boil ya some walnut hulls, let it soak for a bit till it gets to what ya want. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YOT 3,743 Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Minwax Ebony is good and dark. A 1/2 pint is cheap enough to test before you hit the parts with. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Zombiehunter762 376 Posted March 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 I should be getting it within the next few weeks. Once I die it and put my Ultimak rail on. It will be good to go. I'm trying to go with a dark die that will give it a medium dark with the grains of the wood showing. Once I die it should I put a clear coat on it? Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YOT 3,743 Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Use Birchwood-Casey Tru-Oil. for the finish. Just follow the instructions on the bottle. I thin the first coat 50/50 with mineral spirits so it penetrates the wood fibers, and 0000 steel wool between coats. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
patriot 7,197 Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Minwax stain is the best for what you're trying to do. Yes, use a finish over the stain. It'll seal the wood, preserving it, and keep dirt out of the pores. Tru-Oil works great for the finish. I used it on the shotty I restocked and it came out gorgeous. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Natural vegetable dies soak deeper into the wood and make the grain pop more. of course they cost more too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ShadowFire 220 Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 I used Red Mahogany stain then put a polyurathane clear coat over it. It's dark but the grains stand out pretty good I think. Have a look. Louisville slugger also uses a flame treatment to make their grains stand out. I've taken the tour and seen it myself. Little blow torches overhead in the machine go over the wood a certain distance separated from the wood and it chars the more porous grain of the wood and makes look nice. Pretty neat little trick. But if you've got the right wood and the right piece of wood, it won't be an issue. Especially if it's a laminate piece of wood, that works real well. Tougher than normal wood too and less likely to warp. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poolingmyignorance 2,191 Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 I used food coloring and polyurethane.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YOT 3,743 Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 The only issues with poly are that it is not very flexible and prone to chipping when hardened, and it is very difficult to blend a fix. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Zombiehunter762 376 Posted April 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 (edited) I used Minwax Ebony with a Poly satin clear coat. I posted a pic of it in the Gallery. Edited April 13, 2014 by MfWiC 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YOT 3,743 Posted April 13, 2014 Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 Look good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MT Predator 2,294 Posted April 15, 2014 Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 If you somewhere like Lowes and they have cool people at the paint counter, you can get them to open a can of stain and sample it on a stirring stick for you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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