CMP Special Stock Help

[WarPig1976]

but not make it authentic.

Neither is the newly manufactured Boyds stock.

[Bob Seijas]

Flax is a heck of a plant. As stated, the seeds are crushed for linseed oil that used to be the foundation of paint, and the fiber makes... linen! I know about flax because as a very young trainee I lost a month's pay ($300) in one day trading the futures When my wife asked, "How was your day, honey?" I had to tell her we were broke until next payday.

[WarPig1976]

At least you lost it in legitimate pursuits. I would tell the first wife I was working overtime at the refinery. The truth was myself and a few other lads were at the boobie bar knocking back overpriced beer and helping young co-eds make their tuition payments. Had to tell the wife more then once we were broke for the week. Fun times, Not a single regret.

[WarPig1976]

Tru-Oil as a stock finish.

I used to think a mullet was a good idea too.

[Neal Myers]

I use Formby's tung oil, thinned with mineral spirits. I rub with 0000 steel wool after each coat to remove excess finish; also use after the final coat to eliminate gloss. This carbine stock (WW2 USGI replacement) was stripped, then finished with 3 coats of tung oil:



Neal

[Bob Seijas]

I like 'em just a TAD shinier... my standard was the SA NM finish, kind of a matte sheen. FWIW, the SA Museum Preservationist, however, said NEVER use linseed (or any) oil on the stock, he used microwax. Ditto the metal... heat in the oven to 210 degrees, coat with microwax, buff -- never rusts. He gets $200 per gun to treat it.

[WarPig1976]

He gets $200 per gun to treat it.

That's why he says not to use oil.

[13Echo]

Wax is used to preserve firearms in a museum in a controlled environment or before taking it out into the rain. In the museum at Springfield it is used on firearms that have already had the stocks finished with linseed or tung oil and is not a finish itself. Waxing a stock and even the metal may preserve a finish and may be a good idea before exposing your rifle to a harsh environment but a finish still needs to be present.

[WarPig1976]

Yup, some use carnauba wax from the auto parts store.

[Seaspriter]

I would finish with straight tung oil (no dryers) instead of BLO

I tend to use BLO. On a new CMP stock I will apply the first coat sloppy wet and rubbed in hard, allowed to stand for about an hour then the excess is wiped off. The stock is allowed to dry (polymerize) until dry to touch. If the stock has whiskered the second sloppy coat is wet sanded, gently, with fine paper just enogh to dewhisker and get a smooth surface. the oil is rubbed in hard to generate heat and wiped off in about an hour.

This is the right way to do an M-1 stock. Don't use RLO -- it never really dries, darkens with age, and picks up dirt. BLO has been chemically altered by heating to create a polymerized molecular chain that both dries and is less susceptible to darkening into a chocolate brown (which RLO will do) over the years. Be sure to hard-rub the last coat of BLO to heat the surface to make it set hard. Then treat with Tung Oil -- this is what was done on the original M-1s and is the recommended process on the CMP website. Tung oil is a better protector of the surface than BLO.

Also, be sure to melt a 50/50 mixture of candlewax & petroleum jelly (Vaseline), and when it re-hardens, coat all areas where metal and wood contact each other and especially in the area inside the receiver cavity where gun oil can saturate the wood, causing "oil rot."

---------- Post added at 09:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:46 AM ----------

Wax is used to preserve firearms in a museum in a controlled environment or before taking it out into the rain. In the museum at Springfield it is used on firearms that have already had the stocks finished with linseed or tung oil and is not a finish itself. Waxing a stock and even the metal may preserve a finish and may be a good idea before exposing your rifle to a harsh environment but a finish still needs to be present

Right On. On guns that I want a very good finish that preserves and protects, I use BriWax (available in ACE Hardware in the US). It is "British Museum Wax" used on the finest antique furniture in the world's best museums. You will be very pleased with the results.