Best way to refinish a military stock?

[Tripplebeards]

I just bought a W stamped M1917 enfield stock. It’s in overall great condition. It also has the eagle stamped on it. Someone at some point must have waxed it or whatever? It looks a little shiny and a little more brighter brown than darker/ service used looking. I believe the stock might have been unissued or someone probably refinished it at some point. I’d like to strip off what ever finish is on it as GENTLY as possible and then wipe it down with some oil to give it an original look. I still have to find a pair of upper hand guards for it as well and I’m sure the wood coloring won’t match exactly so I want do all three pieces with the same oil and process so they will match or at least be close. I found a new, unissued front Winchester marked handguard that looks a lot lighter...I haven’t bought it yet. If I order it tonight I still need a rear handguard.

Anyways back to my original question. In the past I normally just sand most if my stocks and then oil. I don’t want to sand...or very little as possible so I don’t remove the 102 year stamping son my stock.

How do you guys refinish yours?

...and I believe boiled linseed oil was used back a 102 years ago on my stock originally?

[Outpost75]

Fairtrimmer's military OX stock oil finish from Brownell's and follow the directions.

http://www.fairtrimmers.com/

https://www.brownells.com/userdocs/learn/fairtrimmers-inst.pdf

[bob208]

do like the military did linseed oil and black shoe polish. every stroke of the sand paper removes value.

[Tripplebeards]

Here’s the stock. It seems someone waxed it as it looks shiny. I’d like steam and iron out a few minor scratches and dents as well.

http://i.imgur.com/RH5vRNK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/1bVoqq9.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/eWXXWeO.jpg

I’d also like to see if I can steam raise the corner of the buttstock...

http://i.imgur.com/hYUjwQy.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MKMIS41.jpg


If I could at least get some of the shine off so it looks like the original dull sheen it was issued with I’d be happy.

[Hick]

Boiled linseed oil has been common for years on many military stocks. Its what I used for my Enfield and it came out great. No sanding-- just strip the old oil and re-oil.

[Tripplebeards]

Hick, how do I strip the old oil? I saw some info on using boiling water,crud remover, cheese cloth and and iron to steam it out.

I’ve used minute wax tounge oil finish “fake” finish on some my newer stocks with great success. What’s the difference between this rubbing varnish type finish and boiled linseed?

[Jack Stanley]

Linseed is an oxidizing finish and the others have a shellac or other hardening finish in them . Linseed and tung oil is what was used back then .

Jack

[Tripplebeards]

I pulled the trigger and just bought a new, unissued front upper hand guard and a used rear both marked “W” so once I receive them next week I’ll strip the set and refinish them so they will all match.

Finding Winchester stamped parts are like finding a four leaf clover!...and cost a pot of gold found at the end of a rainbow it seems! $29 for the unissued front and $35 for the used rear. I’ve seen Eddystone sets go as cheap as $25 shipped. My winny better be worth quite a bit more than an eddy or Rem.

Well, $25 into the used rifle my buddy sold me, $195 for the stock and $65 for the set of uppers. I’m into my Winchester M1917 that’s now complete for $280...guess I’m just cheap.lol

I’ve seen the Winchester enfields listed for around the $900 mark. I don’t know if their selling for that though. Figured the stock set was worth the investment.

[nekshot]

there is a sticky here somewhere from a member that had refinishing these stocks to a science. I always felt I was decent but I sure learned alot from him!

[jr612]

I've always used oven cleaner to remove old finish. It will bleach the wood slightly, but a coat or two of linseed oil will fix that.

[lefty o]

hot water mixed with a little simple green or other mild degreaser, mixed with a soft bristled scrub brush.

[Hick]

Yes on oven cleaner. I go these instructions from a book on restoring a Mauser (The Mauser 98 Performance Tuning Manual by David Watson). They are very specific: Make sure the stock is dry. Use "Easy-off" oven cleaner. Spray all surfaces of the stock until it is covered in a light white foam. Let sit 15 minutes in a cool shaded area. After 15 minutes, wash down with lots of cold water. At the same time (while washing), a light rub down can be done with '0000' grade steel wool. Dry in a cool place.

Be sure you do this somewhere where the spray won't hit anything else (doors walls, tools, etc). The oven cleaner is pretty caustic and will leave marks (don't ask how I know).

I did this to both my Mauser and Enfield. Being careful to follow directions, the wood came out beautiful and completely clean-- with no bleaching or change in the color.

[William Yanda]

You may be able to use wood stain after cleaning, before finishing to get the uppers closer in color to the stock or each other.

[Pirate69]

Number of different approaches; depending on what you want. I have refinished a number of Garand stocks, some with good markings and some I did not care about. If you want to preserve the markings and it is an oil socked stock, I have done the following in the past. Put the stock in a black plastic bag and place it on the dashboard for a couple of days. You will be surprised how much linseed oil will come to the surface and can be wiped off. Use mineral spirits to the stock with a soft plastic brush. For a stock with good markings, I avoid water. Water will swell the wood around the marks and harm them. Steaming an area just does it more efficiently. After lots of scrubbing, linseed oil rubs (5-10 coats). Just enough oil than can be rubbed into the stock and leave a dry finish. We are talking about drops of oil here. Leave too much on the surface not rubbed in and you will have a problem. Let harden/oxidize for at least a day. I have, in some cases, used Fairtrimmer over the linseed to add color.

If not worried about the markings, the oven cleaner works good but it only dissolves the oil in the first layers of wood. Will not draw it out like heating. I have placed stocks in a tray and boiled with cheap dishwashing soap. Gets a lot of oil out and may clean deeper than the oven cleaner. Need to make sure that wood is completely dry after using either approach. Once dry, look for any cracks in the wood. Best time to repair. Each stock cleaning seems to be a little different from the last to get the desired results.

Additional information added: once I decided to rub-down a stock that I had left to much linseed oil on it with light steel wool. That only intensified the mess. Good news is that any excess of linseed oil left on the stock can be cut off with a mineral spirits cloth wipe. Make sure it is lint free or you will add back to the problem. As you can see, I have made my share of mistakes.

[gnoahhh]

Oven cleaner is absolutely the worst thing to apply to wood! It attacks the cellulose of the wood irreparably, and no, applying oil to it will not "rejuvenate" it. At that point you have to scrape away the damaged surface to get to fresh wood and by doing so your stock will be a shadow of its former self.

Probably the best/simplest way to leach old oil out of a milsurp stock is to soak it in acetone, or patiently use the old timer's trick of applying whiting.

To re-create the old Armory finish simply apply straight linseed or tung oil. Stocks were soaked in vats of warm oil- either linseed or tung depending on what kind of oil the procurement officer got the best deal on- there is absolutely zero difference in the protective qualities between the two. (This knowledge I acquired from an old Army ordnance artificer who as part of his training rotated through Springfield Armory in 1941.) To maintain it afterwards melt together some beeswax and oil 50/50 and cut it with turpentine to alter the viscosity to your liking, and apply by smearing it on and buffing it off. That or a good commercial paste wax. Again from my old artificer friend- he kept the rifles of his battalion in good shape by using that stuff as they fought through France and Germany in 1944-45.

Remember though that the government was looking for the cheapest stock finish, not necessarily the best. The goal was to get as many rifles into the hands of the end users they could, as quickly and cheaply that they could.

[Pirate69]

Yes, agree that the use of an oven cleaner will soften the top layer of wood, just as water will have some impact on markings as well. I only use oven cleaner on stocks that I know I will be steaming to remove dents and I am not worried about the markings since other repairs must be made as well. These stocks are already about ready for the woodpile and are of little value. Would never do it to a stock of any value. Yes, must lightly sand to remove the soften wood to get a good finish.

Learning something new this morning, whiting. Looks like another way to pull the oil out of a stock just like heating in a black plastic bag. I have heard of using beeswax but I have never tried it. Have applied coats of Johnson Paste Wax though. Thanks for the tip. May have the opportunity to try it.

Quickly Draws Excess Oil Out Of Gun Stocks

Simple “paint-it-on, brush-it-off” process literally draws soaked-in grease and oils out of any oil-finished or oil-soaked gun stock. Especially useful on military stocks. Same method as described in the traditional gunsmithing books and just as effective now as then. Just make a thin paste of Whiting and methanol or TCE, acetone, or toluene and paint it onto the stock, then brush if off after it dries and darkens with oil. Warming gently speeds process. Repeat if needed; raise dents, sand and finish as usual.




Oven cleaner is absolutely the worst thing to apply to wood! It attacks the cellulose of the wood irreparably, and no, applying oil to it will not "rejuvenate" it. At that point you have to scrape away the damaged surface to get to fresh wood and by doing so your stock will be a shadow of its former self.

Probably the best/simplest way to leach old oil out of a milsurp stock is to soak it in acetone, or patiently use the old timer's trick of applying whiting.

To re-create the old Armory finish simply apply straight linseed or tung oil. Stocks were soaked in vats of warm oil- either linseed or tung depending on what kind of oil the procurement officer got the best deal on- there is absolutely zero difference in the protective qualities between the two. (This knowledge I acquired from an old Army ordnance artificer who as part of his training rotated through Springfield Armory in 1941.) To maintain it afterwards melt together some beeswax and oil 50/50 and cut it with turpentine to alter the viscosity to your liking, and apply by smearing it on and buffing it off. That or a good commercial paste wax. Again from my old artificer friend- he kept the rifles of his battalion in good shape by using that stuff as they fought through France and Germany in 1944-45.

Remember though that the government was looking for the cheapest stock finish, not necessarily the best. The goal was to get as many rifles into the hands of the end users they could, as quickly and cheaply that they could.

[Tripplebeards]

Well, I mounted the action I rip the lower stock today and to my surprise the shiny wax build up is comming off on my hand. It looks dull now. The more my hand are in the stick the more it heats up and comes off leaving a dull appearance.

I know my uppers will be a lot lighter than my lower if I leave it as is. I’m guessing I’ll have to use some oak stain before oiling? I’ll post pics of them when they arrive.

http://i.imgur.com/CbJon6F.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/wcKZGAh.jpg


Is it missing a pin...

http://i.imgur.com/trgXQ1g.jpg



I forgot I’m still missing a rear swivel loop if anyone has an extra to part with. Oh, I also had to install the original trigger back into it since the Timney is too wide to fit through the stock.

[Hick]

Not all oven cleaners are equal. Easy Off does not damage the wood if you clean it off in 15 minutes or so. The wood on my military rifles is not the slightest bit softened, damaged or bleached. Of course, if you want damage-- leave it on a long time or just don't wash it off properly.

[samari46]

For steaming stocks rent a steaming unit that is designed to soak old wallpaper so it can be removed. It literally blasts steam out and soaks old wallpaper. On stocks cover with an old towel So too much water doesn't hit the stock. The steam is what raises the dents and minor scratches. Be careful with the two part stock wood bleaches. One I used reacted with the gr5ease trapped in the inletting and started bubbling and fizzing and gets hot fast. Was using a paint brush from the tub of bleach to the stock and back again. I was outside so threw it on the grass and hit it with the garden hose. Didn't damage the stock but did add some oil to it as when it was dry had a bad case of whiskers. Chemical resistant gloves and goggles were used. Frank

[jr612]

Oven cleaner is absolutely the worst thing to apply to wood! It attacks the cellulose of the wood irreparably, and no, applying oil to it will not "rejuvenate" it. At that point you have to scrape away the damaged surface to get to fresh wood and by doing so your stock will be a shadow of its former self.

Probably the best/simplest way to leach old oil out of a milsurp stock is to soak it in acetone, or patiently use the old timer's trick of applying whiting.

To re-create the old Armory finish simply apply straight linseed or tung oil. Stocks were soaked in vats of warm oil- either linseed or tung depending on what kind of oil the procurement officer got the best deal on- there is absolutely zero difference in the protective qualities between the two. (This knowledge I acquired from an old Army ordnance artificer who as part of his training rotated through Springfield Armory in 1941.) To maintain it afterwards melt together some beeswax and oil 50/50 and cut it with turpentine to alter the viscosity to your liking, and apply by smearing it on and buffing it off. That or a good commercial paste wax. Again from my old artificer friend- he kept the rifles of his battalion in good shape by using that stuff as they fought through France and Germany in 1944-45.

Remember though that the government was looking for the cheapest stock finish, not necessarily the best. The goal was to get as many rifles into the hands of the end users they could, as quickly and cheaply that they could.

I'm not try in to start an argument, but I've used oven cleaner and linseed oil on several wood stocks. None have been damaged.

[gnoahhh]

Ok....

[Nick Adams]

Hick, how do I strip the old oil? I saw some info on using boiling water,crud remover, cheese cloth and and iron to steam it out.

Old military stocks first need to be properly cleaned of all the old stain, grease, oil, dirt, et al., that's built up from years of service, poor storage conditions, and/or abuse by incompetent refinishers.

The cleaning process, followed by a couple of days of letting the wood sit to dry out, needs to be done before you start applying the BLO or whatever new stain you want to use.

The best cleaning agent I've found is to use Purple Power (PP) degreaser in a spray bottle (fully concentrated, don't dilute).

The easiest set-up for cleaning the stock is a basement utility sink. Turn the hot-water tap on and let it run.

Hose the stock down with PP until the old stain, oil, grease, etc., starts to run off. As the PP loosens the old stain and crud, using a nylon bristle brush to scrub up and down the wood will hasten the process. Rinse the stock and brush frequently with the hot water.

Once you've got all the old stain and crud off, the wood will look a pale blond-ish. Put the stock aside for two or three days to let it dry out thoroughly.

Then, once the stock has dried, you can begin applying the BLO until the tone or color you want is achieved. Sanding lightly with very fine steel wool (0000) will help with the look of the final finish.

[Tripplebeards]

Well to follow up I never messed with the rifle stock and just rubbed it by hand to remove the wax build up. I bought a rear W marked hand guard that was close to the stock in color but the front hand guard I could find W marked was new, unissued. It literally looked like brand new. It had a few stains on it that I rubbed out with mineral spirits. I then applies three coats of dark oak minwax oak stain. It was still way too light so I grabbed some black shoe dressing and a toothbrush. I first let it soak in for a good minute and then wiped it off and then put some more dressing on my toothbrush and scrubbed it in. I applied one coat of boiled Linseed oil and called it a day. After it was set and done I had the idea I should have put some water on it to raise the grain a little to match the aged other wood stock set. Guess I’ll try it next time. I was going to add a few dents and dings to it as well so it doesn’t look so smooth but I’m sure I’ll do it by accident...just give me time.

Before....

http://i.imgur.com/hJes6Ss.jpg


After...

http://i.imgur.com/H3bSKdO.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fdKSJUn.jpg


I wanted to keep it old, aged, and original looking so I decided I didn’t want to refinish the stock as the “die hard” collectors would shun it.

[Nick Adams]

Well to follow up I never messed with the rifle stock and just rubbed it by hand to remove the wax build up. I bought a rear W marked hand guard that was close to the stock in color but the front hand guard I could find W marked was new, unissued. It literally looked like brand new. It had a few stains on it that I rubbed out with mineral spirits. I then applies three coats of dark oak minwax oak stain. It was still way too light so I grabbed some black shoe dressing and a toothbrush. I first let it soak in for a good minute and then wiped it off and then put some more dressing on my toothbrush and scrubbed it in. I applied one coat of boiled Linseed oil and called it a day. After it was set and done I had the idea I should have put some water on it to raise the grain a little to match the aged other wood stock set. Guess I’ll try it next time. I was going to add a few dents and dings to it as well so it doesn’t look so smooth but I’m sure I’ll do it by accident...just give me time.

Before....

http://i.imgur.com/hJes6Ss.jpg

After...

http://i.imgur.com/H3bSKdO.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fdKSJUn.jpg
I wanted to keep it old, aged, and original looking so I decided I didn’t want to refinish the stock as the “die hard” collectors would shun it.

Looks good! Nice work.

[JoeJames]

I used to use easy off oven cleaner, which will work but it is pretty tough to handle. I used it on an old K98K stock and had to rinse it constantly afterwards. The last time I had to remove varnish on an old Mark IV Enfield Buttstock I used citri - gel which seemed milder, but got the job done.