Any Recommendations for Staining and Finishing AK Wood Furniture?

[Sowega86]

What stain products and colors do you guys like; and what polyurethane product is preferred? Do you apply a sealer to limit penetration of the stain prior to finishing? This is for new and unfinished Romanian AK furniture for a WASR 10/63.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[BLIP]

I recommend staying away from polyurethane. I'm assuming this is the clear stock not the laminated.

It's hard to beat boiled linseed oil on those ...

 

[GAGunguy]

It depends on the look you want. Glossy you need a finish that seals the wood (poly or two part clear coat), if you want more of a natural look go with oil. A good middle road is a wipe on poly, which is a 50/50 mix of poly and oil. I've used Miniwax Antique Oil in the past, or you can mix your own. Wipe on, wipe off, let dry, multiple coats until you get the look you want.

Personally I wouldn't go straight oil, it leaves the pores of the wood open and its going to get dirty from use. If you use a boiled linseed oil or teak oil you can get a sealed finish, but it take a few coats.

If you want super glossy, I've been using a two part clear on some of my projects. Wear a high grade industrial filter mask or risk serious lung damage or death. https://www.amazon.com/Spray-High-G...gateway&sprefix=two+part+clear,aps,143&sr=8-1

 

[Sowega86]

The wood appears to be a hard wood of some sort and it's not laminated. It may have been stained prior to import as there's some dark areas along the butt plate. When I got it, all of the wood was sanded smooth. How many coats of boiled linseed oil do you recommend?

 

[rbstern]

The commies used shellac. You can make a really nice finish very easily with it, if you do some decent wood prep. Zinsser Bullseye Shellac in Amber works very well.

 

[sovietak474u]

Just send it to pops . Only pops touches my wood

 

[GAGunguy]

Just send it to pops . Only pops touches my wood

Pops does good work.

 

[augustatrader]

I searched the interweb and read a bunch of articles so not sure of exact recipe for the AK furniture, but I dyed the stock with a mix of red rit dye with rubbing alcohol. Then applied a couple of coats of minwax Sedona red stain. Then four coats of polyurethane.

It was on the modern birchlike 922 compliant WASR furniture, not the old combloc laminate.
Here is the before and after...

 

[bulletpaluza]

I drag mine through the mud and then piss all over it to wash it off then spray some diesle on it to help water proof it and then slap it back on works great! Looks even better!

 

[augustatrader]

I drag mine through the mud and then piss all over it to wash it off then spray some diesle on it to help water proof it and then slap it back on works great! Looks even better!View attachment 2243880

That works also...