Stripped my Boyds Tacticool stock...now what.

[jalmeter29]

Hi All,
I have stripped the "tactical" black textured finish off this stock. my question is now what.??

I would like to stain it a dark gray or black. not sure how to do that. never stained anything. Please help.

http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w667/jalmeter/IMG-20140705-00159_zps29f8841f.jpg

[sixonetonoffun]

That really came out nicely. I just ordered a pepper as I had no clue what was beneath the black textured paint.

[Rosco]

That does look good..how did you get it off?

[foxx]

Sand smooth. Apply damp towel to all and let dry... this raises little bits of fibers you can sand off again with finer sandpaper or steel wool.

Apply a stain as per product's directions. Basically, wipe on and wipe off. Let dry and then lightly sand with steel wool. repeat if desired. Usually one or two applications are enough. You may want to use a product first that preps the wood so the stain flows and colors evenly.

Apply a varnish or lacquer a per directions. Use steel wool between coats and a tac cloth.

I would normally recommend Birchwood Casey Tru-oil, but not sure how well it goes with grey or black stains.

Don't worry about it. This type of stock can be easily sanded and done again.

I just covered mine with Duracoat. Took about10 mins with an air brush. Turned out great.

[jalmeter29]

Thanks foxx.

to get the black paint off i just sanded it. i ordered this from boyds before the offered in any other color than black.

so ill damp the wood. let dry for a day then sand smooth with increasing grits. then move on the the black/gray stain then tru-oil?

ill try and post pictures of the progress. I'm kinda glad i didn't go with a factory colored tacticool because i did a little reshaping when i was sanding this one.

thanks again guys..

[foxx]

reshaped it some? What did you do?

[jalmeter29]

I rounded out the top of the pistol grip by the safety. I didn't like how it came to a harder edge. Also trying to round out the side of the rear stock also don't like how its got a hard edge.

[foxx]

Would like to do the same but dont really know what to do or exactly what I want without trying others. I definately dont like something around the thumb.

[jalmeter29]

Here's more pictures of the little amount of reshaping i did. its a work in progress. :)

http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w667/jalmeter/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20140709_191322_zpsctzofejk.jpg

http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w667/jalmeter/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20140709_191329_zpsuyadg7aw.jpg

[foxx]

yep, I like the smoother lines you're putting on it. I might have to try the same thing with some of mine.

[jalmeter29]

I'm liking how its turning out, haven't had time to work on it this week. Does anyone have a good black/grey stain that will still show the wood grain? I would like to go darker then the boyds pepper color.

thanks guys n gals.

[FW Conch]

Minwax stains can be mixed, and come in gray and black. You could mix to suite and test in the barrel channel. Minwax stains can be found at the local hardware or home improvement stores.

[Ibex]

I purchased a Tacticool stock for a MKII from Midway un finished. I had the same general idea, go with a gray stain to end up with something similar to the pepper laminate. Well it did not come out at all like that. One coat of stain wiped on and wiped off left large patches of completely stained wood all around the pistol grip... there didn't seem to be any "grain' to give variation. the fore arm and buttstock areas did pick up some nice color variation. I did a lot of wiping and sanding around the pistol grip area before it looked acceptable. I then spent the better part of a week hand rubbing linseed oil into the stock. I did end up with a good looking stock, certainly unique. I almost think that Boyds paint covers up less than ideal laminate grain. I have another one that I purchased in the forest camo laminate, very very pretty stock with very fancy variation in the wood, as you would anticipate. Not so much with the unfinished stock.

[jalmeter29]

thanks Ibex. do you have any pictures to share?

[Ibex]

When the Minister of Photography gets home this evening I will have her snap a couple pics and post them.

[Luke45]

After it's stained, birch wood Cassidy tru oil is about as good as it gets. Put on extreamly light coats, as in put a drop on the stock and rub it into the stock untill it disappears and do that about 12 times and you will have a perfect matte finish, I've done aboût a dozen stocks that way it's amazing how good they come out with multiple thin thin coats, wait anywhere between an hour or a day between coats. After it's done and dried for a day or two, hit it with some fine steel wool. Then your done.

[Luke45]

Vinal and laquer finishes are a good way to ruin a nice piece of wood imho

[foxx]

Might try tru oil and Armor All as well. Same idea but the armor all speeds up the process so you can do a stock in an evening. Some kind of chemical reaction causes the tru oil to dry and harden in minutes. Do a web search for better info on it. I have done a couple that way.

[Ibex]

This is the stock that I had envisioned with gray tones, trying for a pepper like affect. The area around the pistol grip took the stain almost as if it was paint, the balance of the stock may have taken on more of the stain, but I wiped it off very quickly because I didn't think that I liked the direction things were headed. It did darken & give the entire stock certain gray highlights after I applied the tru oil. After it was completed I was pleased, but truthfully for awhile I thought it was going to look like a$$ and would have to be completely redone.
http://s23.photobucket.com/user/Ibexhunter/media/IMG_2144.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2
http://s23.photobucket.com/user/Ibexhunter/media/IMG_2145.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1
http://s23.photobucket.com/user/Ibexhunter/media/IMG_2146.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

[Ibex]

Obviously didn't do something right with photobucket!