Early Inland Value - Stock Restore

I posted earlier about my grand dads Inland M1 carbine. From what members tell me it is an early inland and it is mostly original besides the M2 in the lower receiver. Someone (I am assuming my grand dad) put a varnish on the stock. I really hated the way it looked because it was really shiny and scratched up. Forum members told me how to remove the shiny finish so I did it. Here are the pics. Let me know what you think. I am new to the carbine world so be gentle. lol. What can I put on the stock so it is the original finish? Thanks.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...P9280375-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...P9280374-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...P9280371-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...P9280369-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...P9280365-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...P9280364-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...P9280363-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...P9280362-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...P9280361-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...P9280359-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...P9280355-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...P9280351-1.jpg

Stocks were originaly soaked in raw linseed oil for about 3 days. [ If I remember correctly]. Very nice looking wood and should be fantastic when finihed. Their are menbers here that restore stocks, I would wait to hear from one of them before going any farther. How did you remove old finish? GK

Thanks for the info Shady. I think it came out great. I tried denatured alcohol first but it did not work at all. I then tried Acetone and 0000 steel wool and it worked great to remove the finish. I was terrified to put acetone near the cartouches though. lol. But I took my time and it worked. I picked up some BLO but I am going to try and find some RLO today.

BLO is what I put on my CMP Garand and what was the recommended thing. But I've also hear Tung oil.

I also heard that rags from BLO can spontaneously combust, so you have to treat them as such. I have no clue, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Great looking job so far!

I've used acetone and steel wool on a really nasty SA stock I had on my Std Pro and I though it did a good job. I used BLO and just rubbed in numerous coats with an old tee shirt. I let it soak 5-6 hrs between coats. I didn't use steel wool because I did not want the shine. The last coat I rubbed of the excess and left the dull finish. Watch out for products that have additives! I found BLO in the paint department at Lowes in a qt. can. Raw linseed oil can be harder to find. My Std Pro now has an S-HB stock and hand guard that I had to steam to death to get most of the dents out of it. It cooked a lot of the oil out but it reoiled nicely.
Attachment 37167Attachment 37168Attachment 37169

STOP RIGHT NOW ! Before any more damage is done. That is a very early L.A Inland stock. I know, as a few years ago I sent one that hadn't been messed with to one of our most respected members who lives in Indiana. Will try and get him to comment or give me permission to show pics of something that is now his. Thanks for joining the forum and the good post. Mike

Do not put BLO or Tung oil on a carbine stock. For a Garand, that is ok. Never a carbine. Raw Linseed Oil only. Please.

Ok. I will return the BLO and go get some RLO. Is there anything I can put on the cartouches to make them stand out more?

Didn't know that sorry!!!!!

What's the big difference between using BLO or tung oill than using RLO?

Do you plan to color the stock?
If you are, Don't oil it before staining.
By moving straight to the RLO application, you'll end up with a 'Natural Finish' stock.
Wipe a spot with mineral spirits and look at while still wet, this will be the color of your stock if you decide to not color/stain the wood.

Charlie-painter777

Mike, The stock when he got the carbine was covered in varnish and it was peeling off. He wanted to remove it and I told him to use a striper and no sand paper and it appears that he did. It now looks to be in excellent shape and does need the stain and the RLO treatment to protect it. I also told him the stock was very early and was worth more then the carbine. I am sure if Marcus is around he could post some photos of the stock he got from you if he is not too busy harvesting the corn that is.

Oct-Nov is corn harvesting time. :rofl:

No I do not plan on coloring the stock. I like the natural color of the walnut. I will just put a bunch of coats of RLO on it. Thanks for everyones info.

One thing is RLO is harder to find than BLO. If needed, the stocks were stained with a red power that mixed with alcohol. I would suggest before you seal the wood think about restaining it. Then, first coat is a 50-50 mixture using minerial sprits or turpintine. Second coat is 100% RLO. Put it on heavy and when finished going over the stock, wipe off all that has not soaked into the wood. Let dry an hour at least and it is ready to go. BLO has to dry 24 to 48 hours.
If you want it shinny, use more coats of RLO or BLO (which I would never do). You can put BLO over RLO but you can not put RLO over BLO. RLO does not fill in all the grain of the wood and you can feel them. This is a more GI look and feel to it. BLO makes a more hard and slick finish, more like commerical stocks. I don't like the shinny look. Rische 6 ed., page 116, Under "STOCK FINISH". Since the stock manufacturers used an alcohol based stain, it dried very quickly.
BLO is a better wood sealer than RLO. RLO penetrates into the wood better.

You can get the RLO at Walgreens. It's in the vitamin and supplement section of the store - "Flax Seed Oil." - Bob

Flax seed oil is RLO? I've eaten that stuff.

Due to the chemicals added to the BLO, you should use rubber gloves when applying it. The drug store flax seed oil is edible. That's not going to hold true for RLO from other sources. - Bob

No matter the oil one decides to use, it can be lightly tinted to help color a stock.
One old CC newsletter has a report from a member who talked with people from Lumb Woodworking. His report stated Lumb used a tinted Tung Oil.
If I get time this weekend I'll try to find the issue. It was a very early newsletter.

What is true.... some stocks were stained, some not. Depended on the woods natural color.
Picture shows a Robert Irwin worker test fitting a stock, other shows a fellow worker sanding stocks.

FWIW,
Charlie-painter777

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...9/03/001-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...SC073632-1.jpg

Those are great photos. I wish I could go back in time and hold the carbine that I have when it was new. That would be cool.

Yeah, me too!

That is some real precision work he is doing. :rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shadycon

That is some real precision work he is doing. :rolleyes:

---

Call me crazy, and maybe I am, but I think that second picture is actually a "She". It seems like there is possibly some long hair tucked up under that hat. And possibly I see a womanly figure underneath those work duds.

The early carbines had stocks of American Black Walnut, which has a reddish-brown hue. No staining was done because the stock was already dark, and got darker with the application of linseed oil. Later, when stocks began to be recycled at the depots/arsenals, they stained them with U.S. stock stain. This is a turpentine-based stain that is nearly black with a red/brown hue. It is wiped on with a cheesecloth in one or two applications and allowed to thoroughly dry before using linseed oil. Raw Linseed Oil was the stock oil issued until the end of the wooden stocks in general issue. The stock in question seems to have been bleached, and I don't think it will look right without being stained.
The carbine stock didn't have a hard finish, because the idea was that the RLO would be used on it throughout it's service, and RLO can't penetrate a hard finish.
The OP mentioned using 'several coats' of RLO. There is no such thing - it is wiped on in small amounts, and it soaks into the wood. We use turpentine with either RLO or BLO to speed penetration.
The stock in question definitely needs to be stained before starting the oil. I wish I could recommend a substitute for U.S. stock stain, but since I have no experience with the modern replacements, I can't say if any of them would be correct for the stock.