Refinishing a Romanian AK-47?

Question

so, i bought a Romanian AK-47 kit at a gun show, but the stocks are in pretty bad condition. this is actually good for me, because i like to woodshop. unfortunately, i have entirely no idea how to strip the stain off the wood and get rid of that sticky oil. also, what kinds of finishes are good for gun stocks. and if anyone knows what kind of wood they make the stocks out of so i can extend the butt stock. here is a picture. http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa233/kloydeb/IM000533.jpg

Answer 1

I'm a Gunsmith and I refinish gunstocks as part of my business. Go to any hardware store and buy a Gel-Type Paint/Varnish Remover/Stripper. You just paint it on with a cheap disposable brush, let it sit for 5-10 minutes and wipe it off with a clean cotton rag or towel. The finish will strip off as you wipe it down. You may have to do this 2-3 times to remove all of the finish and oil. This will work on ANY wood. There is no way to know what wood was used. After stripping and drying, sand it with #000 Steel Wool (very fine) to take of any remaining finish and get the finish out of any dings or surface dents. You can also use very fine sandpaper at this point. (NOTE***It is also best to disassemble the stocks from the receiver first.) You can re-stain it using Min-wax or any name brand wood stain in any color you wish. I would suggest a finish coat of spray on varathane satin (clear coat in a spray can) and repeat 3 times using the very fine steel wool between coats. You will be pleased with how it turns out!

Answer 2

JD has some great suggestions.

I might add, in order to make sure that any/all cosmoline is removed, I recommend removing the stock from the receiver, and wrapping the wood with paper towels. Place the wrapped stock inside a black trash bag and leave it out in the sun, or on the dashboard of your car (in the sun). This will heat it up, and release as much of the oil and cosmoline as possible from the wood. Wipe it down and repeat until the paper towels don't get any more oil on them.

Then either sand the wood to remove the stain, or use the chemical remover method as outlined by JD.

After that, smooth it out with sandpaper or steel wool (start with rougher grit to smooth out really bad spots, then move to finer grit to polish/smooth out the wood. Always go with the grain, and wipe it down with mineral spirits to get an idea of where else you need to sand and smooth. Mineral spirits will also give you a quick idea of what the wood will look like once it's finished, if you leave it natural or very light stain.

As for stain, that is entirely depedent upon your tastes. Some people like dark wood, others like lighter colors, and others like "natural" tones. Darker colors will help hide flaws, and lighter colors will highlight "character."

Check out the link for more info on refinishing gunstocks.