repair and refinish help

[rdstrain49]

I had to make a couple of repairs on the stock of my Pedersoli Kentucky pistol. The repairs turned out just fine, can't see them. Problem is I can't get the stain to take on the repaired and sanded surface. It looks like the stain won't penetrate the surface of the wood. Any thoughts?

 

[rdstrain49]

Really, nobody has ever run into this before?

 

[303tom]

What did you use in the repair, lets see it.............

 

[StrawHat]

You're asking for answers without giving us all the information. What is the wood on the origianl and what wood did you add to it. That's a start.

 

[robhof]

If you used the wood putty for the repair, it won't take a stain after polishing, the best way is to add some stain to the putty while wet and it will polish out with the color intact. I had same problem on my 1st repair and ended up getting a brown permanent marker and making the repair appear to be a knot, worked fine and later sold the stock to feed my pistol addiction.

 

[rdstrain49]

The stock appears to be walnut. No wood or filler was added. After the repair was made the area around the repair was sanded. The stock will not take stain period. This is a Pedersoli factory finished stock. The finish is almost like a stain and resin that was applied by spraying. Nothing will penetrate the wood even with the application of heat to open the grain.

 

[robhof]

Time to go to an actual paint stripper, the thick rubber glove and mask kind. I refinished a desk my wife got as a child in the Phillippines and it wouldn't take a finish til I stripped it with paint stripper and started from scratch, 20 yrs later it still looks great and soaked up lots of hand rubbed layers of tongue oil. Didn't realize it was a finish problem, yours was probably coated with automotive acrylic clearcoat, the Phillipinos used automotive lacquer.

 

[J-Bar]

Consider this:

http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/ll_uberti_refinishing.pdf

 

[rdstrain49]

Interesting

 

[scrat]

Jbar good info

 

[BCRider]

Likely the grain is still filled with the varnish or tinted lacquer they used. If that's the case then little you do will "open" it in any manner unless you use a good finish stripper chemical.

The article linked to by J-bar is a fine example of how a "muddy" tinted finish can be stripped and a far more natural and grain revealing oil or simple varnish finish can be achieved.

I'd also forget about any sort of stain. I find that the current "thin paint" like stains tend to muddy the grain. I'd far rather live with a lighter natural oil or varnished finish that darkens with exposure to the sun over a couple of years than mess up my wood with today's stains.

The one ray of sunlight for me is the use of leather dye to stain the wood. I've done this a couple of times now with excellent results so far. The effect is subtle. And that suits me just fine.

 

[rdstrain49]

BC, just finished the repair. Funny that you should mention leather dye. I used dark brown leather dye and an air brush. It blended perfectly and the repair is not visible at all.

 

[scrat]

you need to post some pics

 

[Mike 56]

Leather dye is perfect. If you don't have any you can do the same thing with drug store alcohol and Rit dye. Mix the dye with the alcohol to make the stain. Scarlet, Dark Brown and a mustard yellow color can be blended to make any color stain.

 

[rdstrain49]

I have LOTS of leather dye. I sell 4 or 5 holster a week. Lots of dye on hand, and on my hands