stains

[Zonie]

Strip it if you want to.

Depending on the type of wood and its grain patterns you could improve it a lot. Or not.

Some woods have interesting grain patterns that look good when they are finished. Some are plain as Aunt Hatties white cotton blouse.

Woods like walnut often don't need a stain of any kind to look good.
Maple can be helped quite a bit with a good alcohol or acid stain.
Cherry is often rather plain but a light alcohol stain can add to its color.
Birch can be stained and often has very nice grain patterns.

The wood used on many Spanish guns like CVA and Traditions sell is a light wood that usually doesn't have much pattern to it. I think it is Poplar but might be mistaken.
It is very tight grained and absorbs oil based stains very poorly.
A good alcohol based stain works nicely on it because multiple coats can be applied until it gets dark enough to get a good even color.

Like I said, it's the luck of the draw.
It might look better or it might end up being very plain.

 

[rusty]

I have gone to my local paint store and had them make me some alcohol stain for me.I think they can all do it..

 

[b737tvc]

Being that I have not tried this, what are the steps for mixing and applying.

B.T.

 

[b737tvc]

Fred, picked up some stain from homer red brown, anything I need to know about applying or tricks to it.?

Beaver T.

 

[Zonie]

With a water based or alcohol based stain it can be easily thinned.

The advantage of thinning it is it can be applied many times and each time will change the color just a bit darker.

That allows a person to sneak up on the exact color they are after. Of course, they have to remember the stained wood will only show its "finished color" while the surface is still wet.

When the stain drys, the wood will look much lighter than it will be once it is oiled.