Staining/coloring resin grips. Questions!

[Polish Pistolero]

 I have a couple new sets of grips for my wifes Schofields from gungrip.com N.C. Armory. The ones she selected are quite bright white. She wants them yellowed a bit so they don't look so fake! Ideas have come from a few friends and shooters to use either tea, coffee, tobacco, RIT dye, food color, and paint! Had one even suggest to get my hands sweaty, and handle the guns all day while they are sweaty!

OK, so I bet it has been discussed on here sometime! Searched several keywords, and I haven't found a thread! If you know of a forum thread that has discussed it, with success, pass it on to me please! Otherwise, if you have a sure fire recipe that will work, let me know! I mean amount of....., and hot ......, or cold ....., with heat or cold ...... and how long! They are $50 a set, so I don't want to ruin a set trying, and need to reinvest another $50 having achieved nothing! 

[St. George]

Try this:

Ask NC Armory...

Many of the replica grips won't take color of any type - no matter 'what' you try, so it's best to ask the manufacturer what they might suggest, if anything, because they're the ones who know the chemical mix of the grip's composition.

Scouts Out!

[Polish Pistolero]

Try this:

Ask NC Armory...

Many of the replica grips won't take color of any type - no matter 'what' you try, so it's best to ask the manufacturer what they might suggest, if anything, because they're the ones who know the chemical mix of the grip's composition.

Scouts Out!

Ya, I thought of that too! Their response was "I have no idea!" They could make them more yellowed, but the sets I got are not offered in anything else but Faux Ivory, and is BRIGHT white! There are scrimshaws on one of the panels for each set, so I may just use some antiquing compound and fill the lows of the designs to give it contrast! 

[Professor Marvel]

My Dear Monsieur Pistolero -

I myself am struggling with this question, as I have accumated a tiny stash of various "faux ivory" materials with the intent of making my own grips, knife handles, belt buckles, bolos, etc.

It all comes down to what exactly the material is made of.

It all depends on what kind of resin or glue is used. I have found that Some Micartas may take stain, others will not.

I have some slabs of Corian, and some slabs of "faux Corian". Real Corian will stain, whilst some of the fakes will not.

If the material is a cast resin, it is almost certainly non-absorbant and thus  impervious to stain, but it may discolor with heat or UV.

The only thing I have found is to try different things on a small area that won't show. Sometimes a stain will only penetrate after soaking for days ; Take notes and label things well or you may end up like me, with one perfect example, but I don't know how to reproduce it  :-( ....

Also, be careful trying heat or UV, as it could destroy the grip :-(

One thing that seemed to work is to gently buff on a power felt wheel with red or brown jewers rouge. It seems to discolor some materials with heat as well as the rouge putting a light brownish color - but that is more like red stag than aged ivory.

good luck
yhs
prof marvel

[Ben Beam]

I wonder if something like this would work: http://www.taubdental.com/index.cfm?Body=product&Prodtext=01

[Long Johns Wolf]

I have stained the PU Gripmaker grips of my Uberti Russian with Birchwood Tru-Oil Gun Stock Finish.
It needs ca. 2 days to dry and now I am a happy camper. See for yourself.
Long Johns Wolf