Low Tech WASR Stock Refinishing

[Oh Shoot]

So, wound up with a couple of new WASRs in last couple months. As most probably know they come with unfinished stocks, quite light in color.
 

 
However, current series, at least my two (through Bud's and PSA, a month apart) did not have the plywood laminate butt stock, but solid wood ones, no pins through them or anything. Birch probably, but just guessing -- pretty nice looking though. I know, they're "just cheap AKs", but thought I should at least do something to the wood to seal it against moisture a bit at the least, so took all the furniture off, didn't do anything to existing wood 'cept rub all over with 0000 steel wool and rub down with alcohol.
 
At any rate, left the first one in it's natural light color, thought tung oil would be nifty, but after reading up on it, actually takes months to do a true tung oil finish correctly, so cheated and used Formby's Tung Oil finish, 5 or 6 coats over 4 days.Perhaps made it just a touch more "golden" in tint, not sure.  Put it on all surfaces, inside and out, even the hole through hand guard for the cleaning rod. Finished off with a couple of rounds of Kiwi Neutral paste shoe polish.
 

 
Yeah, I guess the butt pad will leave a different ring on it as it ages, oh well.
 
So the second one, thought maybe I'd actually make it a reddish tint, even picked up a used hand grip at gunshow with that in mind. So, after reading a bit, and being the slacker I am, opted to try mighty Kiwi Cordovan paste shoe polish. Just soused it on liberally, let sit for 20 min, buff with old sock, and do it again, about six coats.
 
Turned out pretty nice, nice enough for me anyway. 


 
For whatever reason, the second one is significantly smoother to the touch, dunno exactly why, but guess it was that the stock itself must have been better sanded when I got it, as both got handled same way, and even the first one was finished with the shoe polish, so dunno. The slight lighting glare exaggerates it some, but it's true the upper and lower hand guards didn't fully take to it quite as well as the butt stock for whatever reason, but again oh well.
 
Time will tell how it'll hold up. I note that folks who do this say it's really the carnauba wax that's the best, and Kiwi no longer uses that, but again again, oh well. :)
 
 
- OS

Edited May 9, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[jacob]

nice looking AKs...I am more a "black rifle" guy, but those look really nice....I am thinking that I have become an AK fan over the last few months...

[Oh Shoot]

nice looking AKs...I am more a "black rifle" guy, but those look really nice....I am thinking that I have become an AK fan over the last few months...

 

Yeah, I'm "AR guy" too, and they're all black,  but have found I really like the AK also. Got hooked shooting a friend's over a while. And after being really pleased with the lowly WASRs accuracy, stocked up on some ammo, and it's sort of a policy of mine not to have a single gun in any caliber that I do stock, so, yeah, the sickness grows. :)

 

- OS

Edited May 9, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[jacob]

I have 2 AKs at this point...and I gave my wife a laundry list of stuff to get me for father's day and my birthday since they are only a few days part....but, its just coming up on mother's day this weekend...am I wrong for that?? I am such a kid at heart....lol

[BJB]

Very nice

[ls3_kid]

Love my WASR.  Yours look better though.

[Garufa]

Looks good.  That second one turned out very nicely. 

[peejman]

Nice work.  I need an AK.

 

Maybe I'm just weird, but a "pristine" AK just looks odd to me.  Seems like they need some nick/dings/trench art.... gives them character. 

[Smith]

Looks good. Here are a few I've done. I personally like the combination of Minwax Gunstock (color) with a Tru-Oil finish. One little tip for AK stocks - stick them in the oven at about 200 deg for a bit, occasionally taking them out and wiping the oil, finish, and cosmoline off. The Com-Bloc countries were very liberal in the application of cosmoline and other oils on their stocks. Not to make them look good, but how else would that cheap Euro birch/Laminate/Pine last for 50+ years? ;) Even if it looks unfinished or dry it will still make a big difference in how even the finish goes on and it will also keep it from coming off in your hands the first time you shoot it and get it hot. After the oven a little conditioner works really well. Also DO NOT use steel wool to buff in between applications. You will end up with little slivers up steel in you gun that you won't see until it starts to rust. Ask me how I know. ;)

 

Mak90 - Minwax Gunstock (3 light coats), Tru-oil (2 Coats) light sand between coats. It was actually a little darker and redder. The hadngaurds were actually old Wasr handguards that were nearly black with cosmoline, oil, and dirt. Pictures wash out some of the color.

 

Vepr Wood with several heavy coats of Minwax Gunstock. It has a redder color than the pictures shows. Look much better in person.

Here is an M92 with handguards done in a similar manner. They were unfinished when I got it new.

Edited May 9, 2014 by Smith

[TrickyNicky]

Meguires (sp?) makes a goo carnauba wax with or without silicone. I use it as a polish for all my nitro finished guit-fiddles. A $10 tin has lasted me almost a decade and will likely be thrown away half full a few weeks after they put me in the ground in some 40-50 years.