No. 4 stock finishing

So I'm at the stage where I'm staring at a stripped stock and wondering what to do with it. Anyone have an opinion? What works well for an Enfield? I'm thinking of just using lindseed oil ala a Garand, but I'm not sure. Heresy?

Had no choice in stripping it, there was nothing I could do to that stock that would hurt its value, it was pretty damned ugly. But the markings came through just fine, including the (English?) arrow in a circle, an L43 in a circle (Longbranch 1943? That's the maker and year of the rifle...), a stamp reading L. (or I) S. 7, 528, PTC, an E arrow up 9 in a circle, and a 296 (which is very, very odd as the last three numbers at the mag, receiver, and bolt are 295).

Appears to be walnut.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ShaveTail

So I'm at the stage where I'm staring at a stripped stock and wondering what to do with it. Anyone have an opinion? What works well for an Enfield? I'm thinking of just using lindseed oil ala a Garand, but I'm not sure. Heresy?

Had no choice in stripping it, there was nothing I could do to that stock that would hurt its value, it was pretty damned ugly. But the markings came through just fine, including the (English?) arrow in a circle, an L43 in a circle (Longbranch 1943? That's the maker and year of the rifle...), a stamp reading L. (or I) S. 7, 528, PTC, an E arrow up 9 in a circle, and a 296 (which is very, very odd as the last three numbers at the mag, receiver, and bolt are 295).

Appears to be walnut.

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A BLO job is what is needed.

Boiled Linseed Oil once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and then yearly for the rest of your life.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...yStation-1.jpg

RLO – raw linseed oil was applied during the war.

A water or alcohol base stain works the best, an oil base stain will seal the wood and prevent the linseed oil from sinking deeply into the wood.

Warning, todays BLO is fake and is toxic, read the MSDS sheets for the product you buy.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IMGP2526-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...9/06/RLO-1.jpg

Holy crap, I've been using the stuff for YEARS unprotected:

http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infpai/inflin.html

"Then, there are those dang additives. Let me quote the warning label from a typical hardware-store can of boiled linseed oil I read the other day...

'Use of this product will expose you to arsenic, beryllium, chromium, cadmium and nickel, which are known to cause cancer; and lead which is known to cause birth defects and other reproductive harm.'"

Damn. Damn. Damn.

Fairtrimmers.

I've been using BLO for years and problem not haven't it with had.

[QUOTE=ShaveTail;100667
But the markings came through just fine, including the (English?) arrow in a circle, an L43 in a circle (Longbranch 1943? That's the maker and year of the rifle...), a stamp reading L. (or I) S. 7, 528, PTC, an E arrow up 9 in a circle, and a 296 (which is very, very odd as the last three numbers at the mag, receiver, and bolt are 295).

Appears to be walnut.[/QUOTE]

The arrow is most likely in a large C, commonly referred to as a C broad arrow stamp (see my avatar) which means that the item was accepted by a military inspector and that the item is Canadian military property. The Long Branch (two words) mark looks like a large letter L with a superimposed capital B.

Read the MSDS Sheets

Real boiled linseed oil gives much better durability and water protection, fake non-boiled linseed oil does NOT plus it is TOXIC.

Toxic Linseed oil
1. Hazardous Ingredients, Cobalt Neodecanoate, Cobalt 2-Ethylhexanoate, Mineral Spirits, Diethylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether, Manganese Neodecanoate, Manganese 2 Ethylhexanoate
2. Potential Chronic Health Effects:
Signs and Symptoms: Effects of overexposure include irritation of the nose and throat,
irritation of the digestive tract and signs of nervous system depression (e.g., headache,
drowsiness, dizziness, loss of coordination and fatigue).

3. Skin Protection: Prevent skin contact. Wear chemical-resistant flexible-type gloves
(neoprene, PVC, butyl, nitrile or similar). Depending on conditions of use additional protective equipment may be necessary such as face-shield, apron or coveralls.

http://www.newparks.com/PDF/MSDS/SOLVENTS/BoiledLinseedOil.pdf



Nontoxic Linseed oil

1. Linseed oil, CAS # 8001-26-1, % by Weight 100 (100% pure linseed oil)
2. Toxicological Data on Ingredients: Linseed oil LD50: Not available. LC50: Not available. (no toxic additives)
3. DOT Classification: Not a DOT controlled material (United States).

http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-Linseed_oil-9924500

Me andthousands of other Armourers the world over have been using linseed oil since the year dot. We used it cold, warm and hot. Tanks full of it, up to our elbows fishing out hundreds of No1, 4, 5, 8 and L42 fore-ends, Bren and L1A1woodwork. The smell was a positive feature about Armourers overalls and dust coats. The thing I have noticed is a greater sex drive and ability to go off at a tangent occasionally.

What were we talking about now............?

I use BLO bought in our local hardware shop in Alresford.

It appears to be made of Linseed Oil - nought else - and so, I suppose, is safe to use.

(BTW, I put the name of the town in because it is one of the place names that we pronounce idiosyncratically just to fool tourists. Actually it is more accurately New Alresford [12th/13th Century] as opposed the the neighboring village of Old Alresford which is, of course, much older.)

I use Watco Teak oil. Designed for dense woods. Works well. On my FAL"S I use truck bed liner. Gary

Each country sets its own health and safety standards and the United States lags behind the rest of the world in this respect. Canada and the UK have higher safety standards than the United States and I’m just warning my fellow Americans to read the MSDS sheets before choosing which linseed oil to use for your hand rubbed finish.

Please note that American BLO contains toxic chemicals and the British BLO does not.

http://www.newparks.com/PDF/MSDS/SOL...LinseedOil.pdf


British boiled linseed oil below

SAFETY DATA SHEET
PALE BOILED LINSEED OIL
Use / description of product: No significant hazard.
Main hazards: No significant hazard.

ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Mobility: Readily absorbed into soil.
Persistence and degradability: Biodegradable.
Bioaccumulative potential: No bioaccumulation potential.
Other adverse effects: Negligible ecotoxicity.

http://www.abbey-chemicals.co.uk/MSD...OIL%20MSDS.pdf

I've read about all the dangerous chemicals I use at times, scared the crap out me, so I quit reading.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Edward Horton

Read the MSDS Sheets

Real boiled linseed oil gives much better durability and water protection, fake non-boiled linseed oil does NOT plus it is TOXIC.

Toxic Linseed oil
1. Hazardous Ingredients, Cobalt Neodecanoate, Cobalt 2-Ethylhexanoate, Mineral Spirits, Diethylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether, Manganese Neodecanoate, Manganese 2 Ethylhexanoate
2. Potential Chronic Health Effects:
Signs and Symptoms: Effects of overexposure include irritation of the nose and throat,
irritation of the digestive tract and signs of nervous system depression (e.g., headache,
drowsiness, dizziness, loss of coordination and fatigue).

3. Skin Protection: Prevent skin contact. Wear chemical-resistant flexible-type gloves
(neoprene, PVC, butyl, nitrile or similar). Depending on conditions of use additional protective equipment may be necessary such as face-shield, apron or coveralls.

http://www.newparks.com/PDF/MSDS/SOLVENTS/BoiledLinseedOil.pdf



Nontoxic Linseed oil

1. Linseed oil, CAS # 8001-26-1, % by Weight 100 (100% pure linseed oil)
2. Toxicological Data on Ingredients: Linseed oil LD50: Not available. LC50: Not available. (no toxic additives)
3. DOT Classification: Not a DOT controlled material (United States).

http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-Linseed_oil-9924500

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Three are three types of Linseed oil on the market in the USA.

Raw linseed oil, can be food grade and is edible. No MSDS

What is commonly marketed as Boiled Linseed Oil in the USA, this BLO is a combination of RLO and driers to speed film drying and hardness, and well have a MSDS sheet. I would wear rubber gloves.

You can also get traditional BLO, also called Purified BLO now days, it is raw linseed oil that is purified and refined through the addition of oxygen to produce boiled or "cooked" linseed oil. This process eliminates proteins and improves aspects such as the drying time, shine and purity. No MSDS.

Be sure of the product you are using. Purified BLO is a specialty product and can be found at boat supply shops.


So, what is the "CORRECT" finish to use on a No4 MkI? BLO or RLO? I've read both.

BLO is the specified finish. RLO was for wartime emergency. So, if there is no war, use BLO.

Raw linseed oil is available as "flax seed oil" in the health food section of your supermarket, WalMart, and online

http://www.walgreens.com/store/catal...n=push-product

Amazon.com: Now Foods Flax Seed Oil, 24-Ounces: Health Personal Care

Raw linseed (flax seed) oil takes longer to dry than boiled linseed oil, and like all linseed oil it provides poor protection against moisture, but it oxidizes to an attractive reddish hue much more than BLO.

So I take it its a bad idea to contemplate using shellac on a restoration then, will wax bring an equivalent shine?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EnfieldNutt84

So I take it its a bad idea to contemplate using shellac on a restoration then, will wax bring an equivalent shine?

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Neither is proper for "restoration" purposes. A good hand rubbed linseed oil finish can get too shiny, it just takes more effort! I'm thinking wax may be a disaster in the long run.

Military rifles were not supposed to be shiney - over the years RLO can oxidise and with use form a semigloss surface.