The AK-47 assault rifle has been around since 1947. Lacking in finesse but cheap and sturdy, it has achieved cult status as 'the people's gun' and the 'world's favorite killing machine.' As such, owners treat it with reverence and lovingly care for it, including the AK-47 handguards and other wooden furniture.
There are a number of different methods to approaching this task. One approach is to use a common household ingredient, food coloring. To prepare the handguard and other wooden parts, isolate them from the metal parts of the rifle itself and sand them down to the bare wood under warm water. Next, smear on the food coloring using a lint-free cloth. It may look pink to begin with; don't be alarmed. Repeat several times, allowing the wood to dry in between. Carefully wipe off any excess food coloring and leave the wood to dry for at least an hour.
Next, smear on some tung oil with a new, lint-free cloth. Leave it to dry for between two and five hours. Buff to a smooth finish with some 00 steel wool. Add a second coat of tung oil, this time giving it about eight hours to a day to dry. Repeat as desired. Four or five coats will be sufficient, although using as many as 12 will result in a tough, glassy shine. Tung oil is used to seal out moisture and make it both scratch- and moisture-resistant. The color may darken with age.
You can also use a different household fluid, commercial dye. This is the same stuff you or your parents used in the '70s to tie-dye tee shirts. Using a cloth or a brush, apply lightly. The way it appears when wet is the way it will look after it has been finished with spray polyurethane.
It is important to spray, rather than wipe, the polyurethane. Wiping it on will actually remove some of the color. Spray from about twelve inches away to avoid streaks and runs. It will develop a nice bit of texture when viewed in the light.
If you think sanding is too fiddly and messy, you can remove the pre-existing finish with acetone. Take appropriate safety cautions to protect your eyes and skin. Work in a room that is well-ventilated. Do not use plastic for soaking the parts, use glass instead. Acetone will dissolve plastic. Gently scrub with steel wool as if you were washing a plate. The solvent will bring up the grain on the wood very nicely.
You may wish to soak the wood in a solution of one part household bleach to three parts water to lighten the tone of the wood. Next, using gentle strokes with a brush, apply a coat of shellac. This dries rapidly so you can get away with putting on about one coat per hour. Finally, gently smooth out any 'orange peel' look with 0000-grade steel wool. What you will end up with is a satiny smooth finish.
You can use these techniques with any wooden furniture, be it a gun, guitar or dining room table. You can mix different staining techniques with other finishing touches. Experiment to get the look you want for your AK-47 handguards.
There are a number of different methods to approaching this task. One approach is to use a common household ingredient, food coloring. To prepare the handguard and other wooden parts, isolate them from the metal parts of the rifle itself and sand them down to the bare wood under warm water. Next, smear on the food coloring using a lint-free cloth. It may look pink to begin with; don't be alarmed. Repeat several times, allowing the wood to dry in between. Carefully wipe off any excess food coloring and leave the wood to dry for at least an hour.
Next, smear on some tung oil with a new, lint-free cloth. Leave it to dry for between two and five hours. Buff to a smooth finish with some 00 steel wool. Add a second coat of tung oil, this time giving it about eight hours to a day to dry. Repeat as desired. Four or five coats will be sufficient, although using as many as 12 will result in a tough, glassy shine. Tung oil is used to seal out moisture and make it both scratch- and moisture-resistant. The color may darken with age.
You can also use a different household fluid, commercial dye. This is the same stuff you or your parents used in the '70s to tie-dye tee shirts. Using a cloth or a brush, apply lightly. The way it appears when wet is the way it will look after it has been finished with spray polyurethane.
It is important to spray, rather than wipe, the polyurethane. Wiping it on will actually remove some of the color. Spray from about twelve inches away to avoid streaks and runs. It will develop a nice bit of texture when viewed in the light.
If you think sanding is too fiddly and messy, you can remove the pre-existing finish with acetone. Take appropriate safety cautions to protect your eyes and skin. Work in a room that is well-ventilated. Do not use plastic for soaking the parts, use glass instead. Acetone will dissolve plastic. Gently scrub with steel wool as if you were washing a plate. The solvent will bring up the grain on the wood very nicely.
You may wish to soak the wood in a solution of one part household bleach to three parts water to lighten the tone of the wood. Next, using gentle strokes with a brush, apply a coat of shellac. This dries rapidly so you can get away with putting on about one coat per hour. Finally, gently smooth out any 'orange peel' look with 0000-grade steel wool. What you will end up with is a satiny smooth finish.
You can use these techniques with any wooden furniture, be it a gun, guitar or dining room table. You can mix different staining techniques with other finishing touches. Experiment to get the look you want for your AK-47 handguards.
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