Restored my Maadi...refinished a wood stock.

A former Egyptian butthole stock that started life out looking like this.



The ugliness was cut off and the whole thing was sanded down. I did the same with a set of handguards I bought from another site's E&E. I repaired the guards and sanded them too. The final step was to match an original finish and I did that following the steps a guy on theakforum.com figured out. So here is what she looks like now. The only problem I have now is deciding whether I should go for a more authentic look by going over the wood with steel wool and then waxing it, or just leaving it as is. What do you guys think???

Looks great.

You did an awesome job converting the original stock. I would have never guessed that stock was the original thumbhole.

That's beautiful.

Leave it just the way it is.

Well done. You've actually made the furniture look better than an original Maadi.

Looks great....like the ugly Duckling to a Swan.

Leave it.

tha's one of the most beautiful AK stocks I have seen––rivalling Ironwood designs.

I can't believe it looks so good. Makes me want to buy a Maadi to convert.

Excellent job!!!!

Very nice Job!

Could you post a link/explain the re-finishing method you used on the wood?

Thanks,

Aod

No problem, I will be as detailed as possible. If I miss anything or you need clarification, let me know.

1. I used Citristrip to remove most of the old finish.

2. 60 grit sandpaper to remove the remaining finish. You don't have to worry too much about using such coarse sandpaper and it will clog up quickly from the wood, left over finish, and the resin used to combine the laminate layers. Do just enough to get rid of the old finish.

3. After the 60 grit, sand everything progressively with 100, 220, then 400 grit sandpaper. Ultimately, how smooth and deep the finish comes out depends on being meticulous, taking your time, and having that surface smooth. Do it right the first time.

4. Clean the wood thoroughly with a tac cloth.

5. Apply one thick coat of MinWax Gel Stain Mahogany #605 on all the wood except the upper handguard, per the instructions on the label. I used the remaining stain left over on the t-shirt after I was done to give the upper handguard one pass with stain.

6. Apply three coats of Zinsser Bulls Eye Amber shellac to all the furniture. Let it dry thoroughly and sand with 400 grit sandpaper between coats .

7. Wait 3 days to make sure everything is completely dry.

8. Wax the whole thing with beeswax. I used Howard Feed-N-Wax wood preserver beeswax and orange oil.



Notes:

1. I did have to make some repairs to the wood (can you spot them?), including filling in one hole, so be sure to do all your repairs and wait until it is completely dry before staining. The repairs were made with stainable wood filler (PL Professional Wood Filler in natural wood color). The hole was first filled in with a combination of Elmer's wood glue mixed with sawdust from the sanding, allowed to dry, followed by stainable wood filler. You'll have to apply the filler a couple of times because it will shrink just a hair between applications. You also want to use the thin applications to get a faster dry - a thick glob will take longer to dry than several thin applications.

2. The Shellac dries very fast, so experiment a little with some other wood before you attack the stock. Do not use the shellac directly from the can. Instead, transfer some to a Dixie cup, or something similar, and use that. I used left over Tide liquid detergent cups with about 1/2 inch of shellac per coat.

3. When you're sanding, especially with the 60-grit, that is the perfect time to even out the laminate layers, if that is something you'd be interested in. You see, each layer forms a ring that is especially visible in the stock. You can remove a little here and there so the lines on the rings are continuous from front to rear. This will also help the areas of the stock that are thicker, so there is more of a uniform, defined boundary. Hard to explain, but look at the picture below and notice how each laminate layer is nicely defined.

Can you repost the pictures, please?

I fixed the links. Sorry about that. I was trying to organize my AK pics by country and forgot to update the links. If you have any questions, fire away.

Enjoy


CarlosC

what did you apply the amber shalac with a brush or what? How long did you wait between coats of amber to sand? Any tips on how to get the amber smooth?

Thanks for any info

This thread has inspired me. I have 2 Maadis from '97 or so that I'm currently de-neutering.
I was going black polymer on both, but have decided to do one of them like this.

+1
I have been searching for this thread for a while, I remember what an outstanding job you did on that wood. Thanks 156969 for bringing it back to life.
Also, was the shellac thinned and how long did you allow the gel stain to sit before wiping it off?

Sorry guys, I did not realize the thread had been revisited.

Let me answer your questions...

I used a foam brush to apply the shellac. I don't remember how long I waited before sanding, maybe a day. There really is no trick to getting the shellac that smooth other than using the foam brush as it leaves no bubbles or brush marks.

I did not thin the shellac. I don't recall how long I left the stain on there, but it was whatever the directions said.

Guys, for your restoration projects, I would like to suggest one more detail I added to my Maadi that I think really makes a difference.....I had the sight engraved by Engraving By Angela. The engraving is top notch, my attempts to fill in the engraving with white paint ar so-so, but you get the idea.

Thanks CarlosC for the help. Such great results and yet you kept it so simple. I've always read about stain recipes, thinning the shellac and using the softest china bristle brushes possible but even those didn't compare IMHO

Please leave the wood the way it is, regardless if it looks authentic or not, you did a damn good job on it and it turned out beautiful.

leave that wood alone.after all that work to restore it it would be a crime to wreck it.great job! here is mine.i used a regular brush to get the original affect.

Looks good, I'd love to see it really shine out of the shade! Same procedure except for the brush?

i did not use any stain on my wood.all i did was sand it,iron out the dents,and apply 3 coats of amber shelack.use 000 steel wool between coats.

That is beautiful.

Thos are some nice maddi's i need to get around to unbanning mine soon. I just have to get my Saiga 12 done first.

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