It has a really bright red tent but I like it, I think after all is said and done it will look real good. I purchased mine from Palmetto State Armory, it doesn't have the shine and it's dark, overall it's ok.
I've been using McCormick food coloring applied to the raw wood. Let it soak in then wipe off, cleans with water. Then apply clear finishes, looks fantastic, many comments at local shooting ranges !
Thanks for posting and sharing this refinishing video. You may use the liquid version of the scarlet red which is in an 8 oz bottle and is ready to use either straight on the wood or the way you prepared it with or without the acetone with the polyurethane.
I am glad you are finding them helpful! Unfortunately, I did not use, nor have I used the liquid dye. Keep experimenting and you will find something that works!
Good looking wood man. My only complaint is the polyurethane. Poly shouldn't be used on firearms because it absorbs water and softens when wet. It lays on the outside of wood like a plastic coat. When I dye my AK stocks I use the Rit mixed with rubbing alcohol and dye the woode directly. Then apply Tung Oil. The Tung will absorb into the wood and seals/waterproofs it. The final coating of the tung oil is like a hard shell on the wood. Try it sometime...once you use it there is no going back.
I can only assume that it is because of some change that RIT made to their dye. If you Google a product called "trans tint" I believe that will be the best product for continuing this look. You will just have to add your color of choice to the poly.
I sanded mine and used steel wool of course then I got a sponge and used red food coloring. Now it looks like cherry wood it's so beautiful and it's a lot cheaper than buying stain.
hey, the RIT dye went to a 'water' based formula, so it won't mix with Acetone anymore, you have to mix it with water to get the RED color and then stir it into the poly
Finally started this project. The only problem I had was the scarlet dye ended up looking purple not red. I bought a bottle of cherry rit liquid dye so hope it looks better than purple. Lol.
For anyone who would like to complete the finishing steps a little bit faster : Instead of using polyurethane, try Shellac. Shellac at room temp is ready for 0000 steel wool after just 15-20 minutes. Keep in mind that shellac is not quite as durable as poly but it is very, very durable. One of the great benefits of shellac over poly is the ability to repair it quickly and easily. All you have to do is put a little more shellac over the affected area, wait 15 and buff it to sheen. My $.02
2020 Comment: FYI Amazon sells the Rit Pro by the pound for about $30. It's the old formula. Also words of advice: 1. Don't use water-based poly. I accidentally used polyacrylic and even though the manufacturer said it's okay as long as its dry, my experience says oil and water never mix. 2. Wait until everything is dry. Drying times varied likely due to humidity. If it's tacky, it ain't dry. 3. Many thin, light coats are better than one thick coat. 4. Tape carefully. Look at the surfaces exposed on the rifle and make sure they are exposed to the stain/dye/poly. Tape everything else. That includes the tops of the grips. 5. Dress accordingly. I was like a toddler and got dye everywhere. Thankfully I dress like one so my wife didn't serve me with divorce papers. Finally, don't do this just to save money. Unless you are an experienced woodworker, you won't. But to me it's just like cleaning: it's part of pride and tradition.
I hate that they changed the formula because you can only buy 1lb minimum of the "Rit ProLine". When in the hell am I ever going to need one entire pound of dye lol.... I used Fiebings Cordovan leather dye instead and it looks great and is already pre-mixed.
This method is only available now if you contact RIT directly to order their "old formula" powdered dye. They sell it in 1lb increments for $30 shipped. The methods shown in all these videos is using about 2.25oz of powdered dye. Total material costs not including furniture is about $60-70 given this colossal inconvenience. Since 2011, Rit dyes became all water based. With the new dye, Acetone turns the scarlet red into an indigo blue liquid with red mud on the bottom. Apparent Rit's parent company had NO IDEA how many applications the pre-2011 crystal powdered dye formula had given it was soluble in oils. Apparently the cost to acquire raw material skyrocketted and they were forced to switch to a water based product. Now their products can really only be used on fabrics... as if anyone wears tie dye anymore. If you can find pre-2011 boxes, you're golden. But they are getting very difficult to locate. Could also try the water based dyes in water based polyurethane, but would basically have to use a water based stain too and it doesn't appear anyone has figured out what the Colonel's secret recipe for russian red in water based products is yet.
awesome videos! do you need to use acetone if you are using the liquid dye? i mixed the poly and dye and in about an hour it turned solid.. lol any ideas? thanks
I've heard that the Rit Dye Professional line uses the old formula, you can purchase it on the rit dye website. I haven't tested it yet but ordered some.
nsz85 Just emailed Rit-dye and they responded this with: "Thank you for reaching out. The Pro Line is the old formula and can be purchased online at: store.ritstudio.com/professional-line/ Sincerely, Breanna Rit Dye"
+nsz85 Just tested it, works perfectly. Didn't turn purple like the new formula, and I can confirm it uses crystals, instead of powder. The 1lb bag is quite big and has plenty for numerous projects.
EASY WAY ! Sand it all down with rough grit, then again with fine grit until smooth, (repeat if needed). USE dark brown leather dye. " USE GLOVES " and swab that comes with bottle. Each application will make it darker. One is usually enough. Rub in linseed oil, let dry in sun for a day or two wiping off oil as it sweats out of wood. Rub down with fine steel wool until wood is a low gloss. Spay down with polyurethane, let dry. More steel wool, finish polish with rough cotton rag. DONE !
since RIT changed their formula, do you have a similar alternative to get same result? I am working on the same project for my SKS stock, the other question is why wouldn't you use a dye specific for wood? thanks
Hmm...ours ended up looking purple instead of red after adding the polyurethane. I also noticed as we were straining the acetone/dye mixture, what bled up the coffee filter looked kind of blue. We made sure the powder dye wasn't marked with ND anywhere
JUST FYI: "It's sometimes possible to find the old formula still on some retail shelves. To find the old formula, make sure the dye does NOT have ND marked on the cap of liquid bottles or on the inner pouch of the powder dyes. Again, ND designates the dye being new formula. "
I read your notice about the dye being changed. I also wanted to ask if the liquid dye would change anything? Like do you use the same amount of acetone?
From the RITdye website: "It's sometimes possible to find the old formula still on some retail shelves. To find the old formula, make sure the dye does NOT have ND marked on the cap of liquid bottles or on the inner pouch of the powder dyes. Again, ND designates the dye being new formula. "
A G.K So I have already mixed the liquide Rit and Minwax semi-gloss poly and I have already put four coats on. I first put Red mahagondy Minwax as the first coat. Now it is looking good, but whats going to happen with my water based dye and oil minwax mixture on my stock?. I mean will it melt or something? Should I use some kind of high heat finish to protect the work I have already done?
I would try it on a test piece of wood. If you use everything I used and do it as I show there shouldnt be any differences. Let me know what you find out! You are mixing it with the poly as well, yes?
What is different about the new RIT formula? is it a color difference? Or will it harm the stock of my gun? Really want to get my ak stock as close to this color as possible. Does anyone have experience using the new RIT formula?
The colors for Rit dye are Cocoa Brown, Sunshine yellow and Orange use baby jars pour rit dye in a baby jar for each color with denatured alcohol use a clean jar to mix formula in True Oil real Russian red isn't red its brown.
Crap I should've read the comments before doing this... I mixed the newer die with the old die(1 packet each) without knowing. But it doesn't look too bad. Oh well, not a total loss.
+bigsbyslur How to tell if its an old batch? I tried looking for something that didn't have ND on the bottles but it seems none do. What is another way to tell its an old batch
Your choice depending on how dark you want it before you coat with the dye. Best results I've had are from red oak, red mahogany, walnut & jacobean (heavy coffee color) He used red mahogany
Anyone please help...I just finished mixing the dye with acetone & it came out perfect but didn't stay on the glass when mixed like he did in the video, then when I went to filter it, it came out blue/purple. Is that the RIT change they speak of or could it be because I used Rustoleum acetone instead of the blue jug everyones using? Got my gun apart & 50+ bucks worth of stuff that im afraid is all useless.. Anyone have advice?
The method still works if you can find packs labeled 2010 & you can buy it from their online store in 1-10lb boxes. I got lucky & found some at store not many go to & they had it on clearance because they weren't going to carry it anymore so I bought them out. Also 1 pack itself will work good enough if you don't want it super red or your stain didn't darken up the way you wanted. Also you can ebay old vintage packs for actually cheaper then Ive found at local stores, ebay is around 2$ a box but stores want 279-345
Chem istry Good to know, but I found that varathane cabernet brand stain also produces similar results. I just could not find any of the pre- 2010 RIT dyes and tried something else. Thanks for the info though.
Glad to know there is an alternative, I didn't find anything until after the RIT hunt. I found cherry stain seemed to have similar results & one guy used a particular mix of food coloring with pre-stain. If I may ask what did you find that works good? Assuming your going for a reddish tint
It has a really bright red tent but I like it, I think after all is said and done it will look real good.
I purchased mine from Palmetto State Armory, it doesn't have the shine and it's dark, overall it's ok.
Thank you and I'm glad you like the videos! The stain is Red Mahogany.
I've been using McCormick food coloring applied to the raw wood. Let it soak in then wipe off, cleans with water. Then apply clear finishes, looks fantastic, many comments at local shooting ranges !
Comrade Yuri actually? might try it
Do you have any videos of the food coloring or anything?
Thanks for posting and sharing this refinishing video. You may use the liquid version of the scarlet red which is in an 8 oz bottle and is ready to use either straight on the wood or the way you prepared it with or without the acetone with the polyurethane.
I am glad you are finding them helpful! Unfortunately, I did not use, nor have I used the liquid dye. Keep experimenting and you will find something that works!
Good looking wood man. My only complaint is the polyurethane. Poly shouldn't be used on firearms because it absorbs water and softens when wet. It lays on the outside of wood like a plastic coat. When I dye my AK stocks I use the Rit mixed with rubbing alcohol and dye the woode directly. Then apply Tung Oil. The Tung will absorb into the wood and seals/waterproofs it. The final coating of the tung oil is like a hard shell on the wood. Try it sometime...once you use it there is no going back.
I can only assume that it is because of some change that RIT made to their dye. If you Google a product called "trans tint" I believe that will be the best product for continuing this look. You will just have to add your color of choice to the poly.
I sanded mine and used steel wool of course then I got a sponge and used red food coloring. Now it looks like cherry wood it's so beautiful and it's a lot cheaper than buying stain.
hey, the RIT dye went to a 'water' based formula, so it won't mix with Acetone anymore, you have to mix it with water to get the RED color and then stir it into the poly
@Goldneyes7 Thank you! After you put the stain on, wipe it off after about 30 seconds. Not dark enough? Just apply another coat! :)
Finally started this project. The only problem I had was the scarlet dye ended up looking purple not red. I bought a bottle of cherry rit liquid dye so hope it looks better than purple. Lol.
That should work just fine. At least I would think so. Let me know how it turns out!
Indeed it does! Thanks for the compliment :)
Sounds cool! If you can, make a video response showing it off!
For anyone who would like to complete the finishing steps a little bit faster : Instead of using polyurethane, try Shellac. Shellac at room temp is ready for 0000 steel wool after just 15-20 minutes. Keep in mind that shellac is not quite as durable as poly but it is very, very durable. One of the great benefits of shellac over poly is the ability to repair it quickly and easily. All you have to do is put a little more shellac over the affected area, wait 15 and buff it to sheen. My $.02
2020 Comment: FYI Amazon sells the Rit Pro by the pound for about $30. It's the old formula. Also words of advice:
1. Don't use water-based poly. I accidentally used polyacrylic and even though the manufacturer said it's okay as long as its dry, my experience says oil and water never mix.
2. Wait until everything is dry. Drying times varied likely due to humidity. If it's tacky, it ain't dry.
3. Many thin, light coats are better than one thick coat.
4. Tape carefully. Look at the surfaces exposed on the rifle and make sure they are exposed to the stain/dye/poly. Tape everything else. That includes the tops of the grips.
5. Dress accordingly. I was like a toddler and got dye everywhere. Thankfully I dress like one so my wife didn't serve me with divorce papers.
Finally, don't do this just to save money. Unless you are an experienced woodworker, you won't. But to me it's just like cleaning: it's part of pride and tradition.
I hate that they changed the formula because you can only buy 1lb minimum of the "Rit ProLine".
When in the hell am I ever going to need one entire pound of dye lol.... I used Fiebings Cordovan leather dye instead and it looks great and is already pre-mixed.
This method is only available now if you contact RIT directly to order their "old formula" powdered dye. They sell it in 1lb increments for $30 shipped. The methods shown in all these videos is using about 2.25oz of powdered dye. Total material costs not including furniture is about $60-70 given this colossal inconvenience. Since 2011, Rit dyes became all water based. With the new dye, Acetone turns the scarlet red into an indigo blue liquid with red mud on the bottom. Apparent Rit's parent company had NO IDEA how many applications the pre-2011 crystal powdered dye formula had given it was soluble in oils. Apparently the cost to acquire raw material skyrocketted and they were forced to switch to a water based product. Now their products can really only be used on fabrics... as if anyone wears tie dye anymore. If you can find pre-2011 boxes, you're golden. But they are getting very difficult to locate. Could also try the water based dyes in water based polyurethane, but would basically have to use a water based stain too and it doesn't appear anyone has figured out what the Colonel's secret recipe for russian red in water based products is yet.
Excellent info! Thank you!
www.ebay.com/itm/Rit-All-Purpose-Powder-Dye-Scarlet/192873017762 you think this is the old dye or the new?
Excellent! Make a video showing it off and send it to me as a video response! Did it turn out nice?
Hey, if it works, it works! Keep me updated!
@ColMajor The color was red mahogany. If you use this process, make a video response so I can see it! Good luck!
awesome videos! do you need to use acetone if you are using the liquid dye? i mixed the poly and dye and in about an hour it turned solid.. lol any ideas? thanks
I've heard that the Rit Dye Professional line uses the old formula, you can purchase it on the rit dye website. I haven't tested it yet but ordered some.
+Archaean keep us posted!
nsz85
Just emailed Rit-dye and they responded this with:
"Thank you for reaching out. The Pro Line is the old formula and can be purchased online at:
store.ritstudio.com/professional-line/
Sincerely,
Breanna
Rit Dye"
+nsz85 Just tested it, works perfectly. Didn't turn purple like the new formula, and I can confirm it uses crystals, instead of powder. The 1lb bag is quite big and has plenty for numerous projects.
@nsz85
I don't know why..... You are doing a great how to!
I am sorry Amy, but it has been a while. I honestly do not recall.
EASY WAY !
Sand it all down with rough grit, then again with fine grit until smooth, (repeat if needed).
USE dark brown leather dye. " USE GLOVES " and swab that comes with bottle. Each application will make it darker. One is usually enough. Rub in linseed oil, let dry in sun for a day or two wiping off oil as it sweats out of wood. Rub down with fine steel wool until wood is a low gloss. Spay down with polyurethane, let dry. More steel wool, finish polish with rough cotton rag. DONE !
i plan on getting a blunderbuss kit and staining it with this, thank you.
Great vid!
You are getting closer.
Thanks for your help! We will figure it out, and I will get back to you with the end result
It is a very deep and dark color when its in the jar. What does it look like when you apply it to the wood?
since RIT changed their formula, do you have a similar alternative to get same result? I am working on the same project for my SKS stock, the other question is why wouldn't you use a dye specific for wood?
thanks
Thanks for these videos man. They've become a great help to me with my project.
Great Video series BTW. You have inspired me to refinish my SKS.
Love the video. Someone linked it on AKfiles and I had to go to RUclips to like and comment
Hmm...ours ended up looking purple instead of red after adding the polyurethane. I also noticed as we were straining the acetone/dye mixture, what bled up the coffee filter looked kind of blue. We made sure the powder dye wasn't marked with ND anywhere
@ebomey Thanks, E-bomb. I believe you may be my #1 fan lol....
I like it. I will be able to do so, just as soon as I get a video camera.
Great tip! Thanks!
JUST FYI: "It's sometimes possible to find the old formula still on some retail shelves. To find the old formula, make sure the dye does NOT have ND marked on the cap of liquid bottles or on the inner pouch of the powder dyes. Again, ND designates the dye being new formula. "
I read your notice about the dye being changed. I also wanted to ask if the liquid dye would change anything? Like do you use the same amount of acetone?
you're video inspired me to stain mine, it looks great, and I will post my video response soon
From the RITdye website: "It's sometimes possible to find the old formula still on some retail shelves. To find the old formula, make sure the dye does NOT have ND marked on the cap of liquid bottles or on the inner pouch of the powder dyes. Again, ND designates the dye being new formula. "
Awesome project, man!
Good thing you didn't use the black, black and red when blended makes dark brown,
How much did all the supplies to refinish the wood cost and did you have a problem finding any supplies
Can you use the liquid if you can find the powder?
does it have to be polyurethane or can it be spar urethane. cuz thats the only one they had
Well my RIT dye turned purple with acetone
It won't work with their new formula
I'm wondering if we should redo this step again?
Does the liquid Rit Dye work the same way? 8oz Scarlet liquid Rit Dye mixed with one quart Minwax Poly semi-gloss?
A G.K What if you mix 8oz liquid with one cup minwax poly
A G.K So I have already mixed the liquide Rit and Minwax semi-gloss poly and I have already put four coats on. I first put Red mahagondy Minwax as the first coat. Now it is looking good, but whats going to happen with my water based dye and oil minwax mixture on my stock?. I mean will it melt or something? Should I use some kind of high heat finish to protect the work I have already done?
FPS FREEDOM The ratio of minwax oil is much higher than my 8oz amount of dye.
A G.K Oil rises so if I don't shake it and take some stain from the top to finish it up, let it sit 2 months buff it and seal it well.... Might work
A G.K Okay I stripped it, can I use Tung oil or rubbing alcohol instead of asetone?
Can I use paint thinner instead of acetone?
How long did you let the stain sit before you applied the poly/scarlet mix?
Thanks! ^^
I used your technique to restain my PSL furniture.
They’ve changed the formula for the dye powder; it’s purple now.
I would try it on a test piece of wood. If you use everything I used and do it as I show there shouldnt be any differences. Let me know what you find out! You are mixing it with the poly as well, yes?
What is different about the new RIT formula? is it a color difference? Or will it harm the stock of my gun? Really want to get my ak stock as close to this color as possible. Does anyone have experience using the new RIT formula?
I did the same steps but my dye turned out purple
Does the high salt content damage the metal after a while? Someone on another thread commented that? Just seeing if there full of it?
Jake Kramer I have never heard of that and I have never experienced any issues.
@ColMajor I watched it again. duh! Red mahogany. Good job!
does it come out exactly the same?
The colors for Rit dye are Cocoa Brown, Sunshine yellow and Orange use baby jars pour rit dye in a baby jar for each color with denatured alcohol use a clean jar to mix formula in True Oil real Russian red isn't red its brown.
Crap I should've read the comments before doing this... I mixed the newer die with the old die(1 packet each) without knowing. But it doesn't look too bad. Oh well, not a total loss.
did you raise the grain of the wood with a damp cloth prior to staining?
+Brandon Koehler (Operator 7445) no.
What base color did u use?
Found some 2007 on ebay...6 boxes...bought them all.
bigsbyslur Nice score!
+bigsbyslur How to tell if its an old batch? I tried looking for something that didn't have ND on the bottles but it seems none do. What is another way to tell its an old batch
What color is the stain you put on first?
Your choice depending on how dark you want it before you coat with the dye. Best results I've had are from red oak, red mahogany, walnut & jacobean (heavy coffee color)
He used red mahogany
ok cool n will do
where did you get that dye? and what is it called?
RIT dye from Walmart. They sell it by laundry detergent.
9:17 hah look's lika a earthquake. More videos!
@lhauser87 I have not, but I would be willing to if you sent me a stock :)
Anyone please help...I just finished mixing the dye with acetone & it came out perfect but didn't stay on the glass when mixed like he did in the video, then when I went to filter it, it came out blue/purple. Is that the RIT change they speak of or could it be because I used Rustoleum acetone instead of the blue jug everyones using? Got my gun apart & 50+ bucks worth of stuff that im afraid is all useless.. Anyone have advice?
Same happened to me. RIT must have changed the formula so this method is no good anymore.
The method still works if you can find packs labeled 2010 & you can buy it from their online store in 1-10lb boxes. I got lucky & found some at store not many go to & they had it on clearance because they weren't going to carry it anymore so I bought them out. Also 1 pack itself will work good enough if you don't want it super red or your stain didn't darken up the way you wanted. Also you can ebay old vintage packs for actually cheaper then Ive found at local stores, ebay is around 2$ a box but stores want 279-345
Chem istry Good to know, but I found that varathane cabernet brand stain also produces similar results. I just could not find any of the pre- 2010 RIT dyes and tried something else. Thanks for the info though.
Glad to know there is an alternative, I didn't find anything until after the RIT hunt. I found cherry stain seemed to have similar results & one guy used a particular mix of food coloring with pre-stain. If I may ask what did you find that works good? Assuming your going for a reddish tint
Chem istry Sent you a PM. Good luck on the project man.
Great tip! Thank you!
Will this work with ting oil instead of polyurethane