[WNC Seabee]

Kinda gun related...I have a set of Ahrends grips that had some nasty red varnish on it. I've stripped that off and have applied boiled linseed a couple times. The old stuff has left a pink hue to the wood, it'd be okay if I were secure in my manhood, but as it is I'd like to apply some stain.

Do I need to do anything about stripping the linseed oil first? Or can I just apply stain over top of it?

 

[mckenziedrums]

Need to remove the oil to do it right.

 

[B00GER]

Yeah, that linseed oil will prevent the stain from penetrating the wood.

 

[Chdamn]

Need to remove the oil to do it right.

Yep, and look into aniline dye. Drums turned me onto that stuff and I used it on the Browning A5 stock restoration in the Shotgun forum. I was very pleased with the results.

 

[mckenziedrums]

Yep... dye is great with grips. No build up like you can get with stains sometimes.

 

[Dipper]

I have stains that will penetrate linseed oil... it takes MANY coats of linseed to fill the pores and seal off the wood.... a couple of coats won't do it, not even close... if it is true straight linseed oil.
Go to a good woodworkers supply shop and pick up a bottle of ALCOHOL based stain in the color of your choice and apply it to your grips ..... if they have a pink hue now, the color won't " be true " but will be better than pink.
I suggest you stick to a dark stain since you are going over pink.
I got some dark walnut alcohol based stain that will penetrate some varnishes.

Use this stuff at the bottom of the page, it works very well. If you were closer, I would let you use some of mine.

http://www.chestnutridge.com/products/misc.asp

 

[Pisgahboy]

Check your pms. I've got some stuff that should cure your sudden affinity for pink grips.

 

[Scsmith42]

Yes, you can stain over BLO.

Changing the color of wood is typically done in three different ways. First, a dye can be used to change the color of the wood from within. Dye's are typically applied to bare wood.

Second, shellac can be applied that contains a tint, such as amber, garnet, etc. Often times shellac is applied as a seal coat over an oil finish.

Third, a pigmented stain can be applied on top of the oil, dye, or shellac. Pigmented stains change the color of wood by forming a color layer on top of the wood, as opposed to a dye which changes the color of the wood from within.

Oil based finishes, such as boiled linseed oil and tung oil, penetrate into the wood and harden from within. They are typically applied, and wiped off about 15 minutes after application as they dont harden well. The film buildup on the surface is usually minimal, and you are not going to remove all of the oil finish by simply stipping the surface.

In some instances you can remove a color from wood by bleaching, but this is tricky and can yield some unusual results.

 

[WNC Seabee]

Before:

The finish peeled off like paint. I mean it came off in sheets. I "stripped" it with my fingernail and a small plastic scraper, no chemicals used at all.

After: