applying stain to stock

[ghchristian]

How do some of you apply stain to the stock. I just finished a stock and I had trouble with the stain streaking. I use the swab that comes with the little bottle of stain. Should I use somthing different?

[Long John]

I use a vinegar/iron stain so there is no swab or little bottle.  I slobber it on with one of those polyurethane foam brush-like thingies, just as much as the wood will take, and then wipe down with a dry cloth or paper towel.  Once the stain has dried and I can no longer smell the vinegar I rub the stock down with de-oiled steel wool.  This de-wiskers the stock and evens out the color.  After about 3 repetions I use a brush made of 3/4 inch hemp rope to de-wisker and burnish the wood before applying the first coat of sealer.

If you are using an alcohol-based commercial stain you might find it easier to get uniform color by thinning the stain down with alcohol and applying multiple coats of thinned stain rather than one coat of thick stain.

Best Regards,

JMC

[flehto]

I wear rubber gloves and use pieces of T-shirt held in the hand and use Jim Klein's {Dangler's} alcohol stains.  If streaking is a problem and the stain is alcohol based, just even it up w/ a rag saturated w/ alcohol. After the staining is finished and dried, a piece of 0000 stl wool is used to remove the stain that's on the surface and to remove stain that's in the high wear areas. .....Fred

[jwh1947]

Sometimes I use vinegar/iron, or rotten horse chestnut stain (stinky as all get out, but good)  liberally applied and dried.  I've also had success with alcohol based leather dyes, Tandy or a similar brand.  You can mix and blend these and they go in deep.  Wear rubber gloves as it goes into skin well, too.  This stuff seems to jump onto any clean garments that you are wearing, so keep your wife happy and wear your worn out clothes.  You will at least need a bottle of dark brown, buckskin and red.  Tung oil afterwards does a nice job. 

Incidentally if you wish to replicate a U.S. Gov't arsenal military finish, use the dark brown and tung combo.  If prepped correctly, the average person cannot differentiate it from the real thing.  Letterkenny, Raritan and Ogden arsenals bought dark brown leather dye in 55 gallon barrels and dipped the stocks in an automated assembly line, air dried them on the hook, and dumped them in 10 ft. high piles for the armorers.  Point being for Kentuckies, if you want a consistent finish, really slop it on and wipe any excess off about a minute later.  You can age over these finishes and lighten "carry areas" and wear points as you wish.