I have never been lucky....but

[Char-Gar]

I bought a 1917 from a member of this board that had the stock given a heavy varnish. Today I used Formby's Furniture Refinisher to take off the varnish. Under the varnish I found a truly fine walnut stock with few hickies and strong rebuilt (San Antonio Arsenal) and inspector's cartouches. Best of all, there was the original aged military oil finish and it buffed up to a nice sheen with some 000 steel wool. A couple of coats of Tom's 1/3 was and I am done.

If I could hunt up the fellow that put the varnish on that stock, I should shake his hand. It protected the stock from scratches and preserved the original finish.

I am through decoppering the barrel (and the copper was heavy) and it is bright and shiney like new.

There are a couple of screws that have their slots pretty well boggered, but I am replacing those.

Long story short is when all back together this rifle should be 95% or better original metal and wood from the rebuild at San Antonio in WWII.

[bradh]

Please tell me what is "Tom's 1/3"?

[Char-Gar]

Tom's 1/3 is sometimes called "Gunny Paste". It has been used by the US for a hundred years in the 19th and 20th Centuries as well as militaries around the world. It is a mixture of 1/3 beeswax, 1/3 Turpentine and 1/3 linseed oil.

You can make it yourself or buy it from Tom.. Here is the link.

http://www.thegunstockdoctor.com/

[gnoahhh]

Love hearing success stories like that! Any pics?

I've been mixing my own paste to that formula for many years. It was first taught to me by an old WWII Army ordnance artificer who claimed to have mixed it up in his mobile machine shop and gave it to the guys up on the line for them to use on their Garands. I do have to jockey the exact ratios in order to end up with a 'paste' rather than a 'goop', but it works! It'll put a nice warm glow on a stock that has been finished with straight oil, as on a U.S. martial arm. The wax in it goes a long way toward making them more waterproof than if they were merely oiled, I'm sure.

[Char-Gar]

You are right. Linseed oil and later Tung oil are not very good at protecting the wood from water. This military wax will great increase the water resistance of the stock.