I recently came across a used remington 870 at a good price. The wood has to be re-finished. Here's the problem: The butt stock is birch (I think) and the forend appears to be maple. Both being hard and light colored and neither takes stain very well and I want the finished product to have a very dark color. Question: What can I use to get the dark finish I want? I have been told that a homemade black walnut dye will work. Anybody got any experience with it? How about leather dye? Thanks in advance.

One word: MINWAX

I refinished a muzzle loader stock that was built from a kit back in the 1970's. The stock was sycamore that seems to get harder, pores get smaller with age. Oil based stains like Minwax wouldn't penetrate, even after prepping the stock with alcohol. I was told, water based stains would work better.

I ended up making my own stain by filling a glass jar half full of white vinegar, adding some steel wool and old nails and letting it sit a couple months.
Turned the stock a beautiful brown while enhancing the grain.

I guess you got it sorted out. I was a hardwood floor installer for 30yr before i retired. If you are trying to color match two different kinds of wood. Alcohol leather dyes work real well they dry very fast and you can apply many coats fast to get the color you want. Another way to go about it is to put a some 91% Isopropyl alcohol in a bowl and add Rit powdered dye to it. Scarlet #5, Dark Brown #25 and a mustard yellow color can be combined to make any wood color. Those same colors in paint tinting colors can be mixed with Dap to make color matched repair putty.
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