RPK Trench Art

[Mike]

Decided to do a little bit of carving on one of my Yugo M72 RPK's. This was all done with my pocket knife. I did draw the designs out with a pencil prior to cutting though.

The theme was duality. The right side of the rifle is a cross, flowers and scrollwork. The left is death and skulls.

Handguard

Stock

Still deciding what I want to do with the finish. I was thinking about getting some cosmoline and rubbing it in to darken up the carvings and stain the stock.

Mike

[zgunbear]

Use linseed oil or a stock finish with dye. Cosmoline never dries so you always grease oozing from the stock when it got warm.

[nightrunner]

Looks great especially for just using a pocket knife. Anxious to see pics after final finish.

[Caster]

The original finish on many of the weapons from that area was Linseed oil, turpentine and vinegar but I forget the ratio. A lot of that wood was teak and thats where the light colors came from.

Good idea on the cosmoline. It'll work great and look authentic, though I'd wager there's enough cosmoline in the wood already. Put them in the floor board of your truck and come back out around 3pm and see if they aren't weeping like a widow. Rub it back in and there you go.

[peejman]

Looks good. I sure couldn't do that with a pocketknife. For an authentic trench art appearance, bury them in mud for a week.

[reed1285]

Looks good man!

[Mike]

Tried heating them up, no cosmoline ooze. Not particularly wanting to do a stain as it already had one prior to me cleaning the rifle. I clean with brake parts cleaner and it stripped the finish off the wood.

This is what the wood looked like prior to BPC hitting it.

Anyone have a mag full of cosmoline grease I can borrow for a bit? I'll return it clean for you.

[Guest Revelator]

You write "Born to Kill" on your helmet and you wear a peace button. What's that supposed to be, some kind of sick joke?

No, sir. I think I was trying to suggest something about the duality of man, sir.

The what?

The duality of man. The Jungian thing, sir.

[Mike]

After a few coats of linseed oil.

[Geno]

Wow! You have some talent for that. Looks great.

[atlas3025]

Looks great!

[Caster]

Move over Esmeralda. Grips by the Danger Ranger!!!

[Murgatroy]

I really like the large skull on the stock. How did you do it if you don't mind sharing? Freehand or pattern?

[Mike]

I drew the skull on with a pencil then carved the relief area out with my pocket knife. Not too much too it.