Dying a wood stock on a Ruger 10/22

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snowman748

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Ok, my little girl (7 years old) had a pink Cricket rifle that she shot and liked pretty well but I felt like it was time to bump her up a little. I sold her gun and after a long selection process I picked up a Ruger 10/22 for her. It's the base model with a wood stock. I'm eventually going to put a Magpul Hunter stock on it (probably in pink) but in the mean time I was thinking about sanding the finish off the current wood stock and staining it purple or pink. Well apparently no one makes a vibrant purple or pink wood stain. that lead me into looking at wood dyeing instead. I don't have a lot of experience with wood staining (I've refinished four stocks) and no experience with wood dye. I do have a piece of a shotgun stock that I can practice on before jumping into the Ruger stock BUT before I start this process I thought I might ask some advice from you guys to see if y'all had any suggestions? I'm thinking about using KEDA brand, is this an ok brand or should it be avoided?

From my understanding the process is much the same but prep is different then staining. First you sand the old finish off and sand the wood down with about 100 grit paper. Mix up your dye and apply it, let it sit for a few minutes and wipe off excess. Keep doing this until desired color is achieved. Sand the wood down further with about 180-220 grit paper and seal it with a very lite first coat followed with atleast two more coats. Does this seem about right or am I way off?
 
I don't know anything about the finishes you're talking about but I would not sand the old finish off. I would use stripper on it and very, very lightly sand it afterwards or better yet go over it with 0000 steel wool. The amount of sanding you're talking about doing is going to result in poor wood to metal fit.
 
Is wood to metal finish really that big of an issue when talking about a 10/22? Only fitting issue might be the butt plate to stock fit
 
"...looking at wood dyeing instead..." That is staining. Wood doesn't get dyed. The stuff is porous as Hades and will suck up buckets of water based dye. Sanding the existing finish off will take eons as well. Use wood stripper.
I think Cricket's are painted anyway. Paint is a lot easier to apply and remove.
$66.36 will buy a pink Hogue OverMolded stock from Amazon. Has a rigid fiberglass reinforced skeleton.
https://www.amazon.com/Hogue-Rubber-Molded-Stock-Barrel/dp/B002I9FD2G
 
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Varathane

Varathane, a RustOleum company has some wonderful stains.

http://staining123.com/ProductInfo.asp?pid=14

Check out what they have on their webpage, and Home Depot sells most of them off the shelf.

I'm going to strip the walnut off my Laminate 870 stock and redo it in Carbon Gray.

I've used Varathane on furniture and have never been disappointed.

Mike in STL
 
My brother painted one pink for my niece several years ago. Turned out nice. You could dye it. It is no different than using wood stain. But I thought the paint looked better.
 
Well, first thing to say is that O'Heir's advice is way wrong. Wood can be dyed, and I do it all the time. Further, I use the powdered dye dissolved in water, which is my preferred way to apply it (rather than alcohol). I apply the dye with a sponge brush applicator, then wipe off the excess. It's usually quite easy to get a good consistent application. Of course, the water will raise the grain, so raising the grain with just water a few time before using the dye is a good idea. I use the wife's blow dryer to dry the wood. Works great.

Now, for the dye colors...google up Transtint Dye and JE Moser dye to see what they offer. You can buy the base colors and blend to the color you want if they don't already offer it. I blend in wide mouthed Nalgene bottles, but Mason Jars should work fine. Tap water is Ok. You don't need distilled water.

More details available if needed. Just PM me.
 
To answer the questions, the Crickett had a pink synthetic stock. I plan to go to a Magpul Hunter stock eventually but thought about letting her use this stock in meantime while I save up the money for a Magpul stock. Sanding the current finish isn't a big deal, I have access to sand paper and pneumatic sanders at work. Yes she prefers pink and purple guns to camo and real wood. This isn't something I have to do but thought it might be a fun project. I was planning on using the powder dye that dissolves in water.
 
You might even be able to get away with RIT dye from the fabric store. That stuff is tenacious. Not a method I've tried on wood, but I've seen it leave marks on concrete.

Just make sure your prep if up to snuff and all the old finish and oil is removed. The key to a good finish on wood is great prep.
 
Use a paint stripper if you like, but the last several stocks I did, I took the finish off with a card scraper and then sanded with grits from 150 up to 600. Then used Minwax Antique Oil on a few and then upgraded to Waterlox for the last two. Only problem for some would be putting a good hook edge on a card scraper, if you even have a card scraper. Use sandpaper. Museum quality isn't needed for the OP's stock job.

Transtint does indeed have a purple dye.
 
It works and is fast.

Use a paint stripper if you like, but the last several stocks I did, I took the finish off with a card scraper and then sanded
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Yes, on some finishes it's very effective, easy and fast. All depends on how old and hard the finish is. Sometimes it ships off in small chunks. I have used scrapers and broken pieces of glass. I still have to follow up with stripper and sanding. The stock has got to be bare wood for the dye or stain to penetrate. ..... ;)

Good luck and;
Be Safe !!!
 
Yes, the only potential problem with my approach is if the stock is old and oil soaked. The dye won't penetrate into oily wood. But, I'm thinking the OP's stock should be Ok to dye once the present finish is off. He didn't say that it was old, or either he did and I missed it.
 
Dye won't penetrate into oil soaked anything, but a good bath in mineral spirits and acetone will pull it out. He'll have to let it sit and dry for a while, but it's likely that would do it.

After it's dry, to really go at it, throw it in on old microwave for 2 minutes or so at a time, that'll boil the moisture out.
 
Good point ???

He didn't say that it was old, or either he did and I missed it.
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That's right and at this point, I won't be looking up the Bull's butt. I seriously doubt that this stock is oil soaked but in case it is, There are ways to address this !!! ...... ;)

You do however, bring up a good point. Once saw a "clear-finish" job on Birch that looked blotchy. It was caused by the owner handling the stock with slightly dirty hands. Blotches were not reviled until the clear finish dried.


Be Safe !!!
 
Some years ago a friend brought me an old 22 single shot and asked if I'd redo the stock. Sure, says I, it'll be a piece of cake. It was oil soaked, and when I got the finish off, what I thought was Walnut was actually a white wood that I think was birch. Blotched terribly and was oil soaked. Would not take a dye. Finally I took a dark Walnut colored wipe-on gel stain and after sealing the stock with shellac, I used a wadded up cotton rag to paint the stock with a fake grain pattern. Took a few tries to get it right, but it sure looked like Walnut when I got finished.
 
The stock I'll be working with is FAR from oil soaked. The gun is brand new and has only been shot once. I've never used a stripper always just sanded the finish off.
 
Entirely your call !!!

Snowman from Texas ??
The advantage that stripper has, especially on your stock, Is if you apply evenly, it will come off evenly. Sanding or scraping will not be that predictable. In either case, I always use a combination of both. Now then, use whichever method you are most comfortable with. ......... ;)

If you use a stripper, make sure it is applicable to your finish. The sale's associate will help you on this ..... :)

Be Safe !!!
 
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