Redish Color of Stock

[reed12b]

I am buying a new CMP stock for my 1903 and want to know if there are any opinions on getting a finish that is similar to the original one. I plan on using boiled lendseed oil to get the dull look, but I want to have the red tone also. I have a M1 Garand with a new stock and it does not have the redish color of WW2 era rifles. Thanks for any ideas.

Information

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[Jim Tarleton]

The very early rifles were dyed with logwood stain, giving the stock the reddish hue. Logwood is readily available but it is tricky to make the stain, as well as applying it. Logwood stain is water based, and the RLO finish was oil based. I have not found any discussion or documentation of how the logwood stain was applied, except for one old single line statement that the stocks were dipped in boiling logwood, which makes sense actually, ie the logwood must be boiled to make the stain. The stocks would have had to dry and be feathered before the final RLO application.

Making logwood stain is complicated and arduous. I have spent many hours making many batches trying to get the "perfect" combination. I don't know that I have succeeded yet. Bear in mind that logwood stain is colorfast (the wife's kitchen may suffer).

Many use alternate stains to achieve the same effect.

Jim

[Kirk]

Chestnut Ridge makes a USGI type brown-red stain that is water based & can be used, when dry, with BLO. Scroll down: Miscellaneous Parts and Accessories

You may also want to consider Tung Oil. The Army switched to Tung Oil in the late '30s. It penetrates deeper & multiple coats make a stock virtually waterproof, some thing LO can not even come close to.

[reed12b]

Just so I understand, you are saying to use this stain first and then apply the tung oil, correct? I don't want to screw up this stock like the other one. Do you have any opinion if I can apply tung oil over the lineseed oil on the M1?

[Arisaka99]

Fairtrimmer's oX military finish. Easiest thing out there and makes a great finish without multiple mixings or odd techniques. You can also try a mix of 1/3 beeswax, turpentine and boiled linseed oil. You melt the beeswax, add other stuff and let harden. It makes something like a "shoe polish" for wood that absorbs well and also makes a nice finish after 3-4 hand rubbed coats.

Fairtrimmer's Military oX gunstock oil

[Kirk]

Just so I understand, you are saying to use this stain first and then apply the tung oil, correct? I don't want to screw up this stock like the other one. Do you have any opinion if I can apply tung oil over the lineseed oil on the M1?

Yes, you can apply the stain first & then the TO. But, you don't have to. Chestnut Ridge says you can apply it over an existing finish, if the stock is reasonably clean, since the stain is alcohol based. Use the "Click to enlarge" link on the CR website, Miscellaneous Parts and Accessories The photo is a bit blurry but you can read their instructions.

You can apply Formby's TO Finish over LO finishes. I bought two new stocks from the CMP that had 1 coat of linseed oil & added several coats of Formby's Tung Oil Finish. It penetrated extremely well - no problem at all. I've also used the Formby's on several military stocks that were in less than pristine condition. On these stocks, I removed as much cosmoline, grease, dirt & other assorted stuff as I could, cleaned the stock with products ranging from naptha to Simple Green and then used the Formby's. All turned out fine, no problem. Formby's is a furniture finish & works fine on a variety of woods and conditions.

[Lancebear]

Just so I understand, you are saying to use this stain first and then apply the tung oil, correct? I don't want to screw up this stock like the other one. Do you have any opinion if I can apply tung oil over the lineseed oil on the M1?

Reed,

You can apply Tung oil over linseed oil, but not the reverse.

You can get pure Tung oil from the realmilkpaintcompany, the tung oil stuff from Home Despot and others has very little Tung oil in it.

Lancebear

[reed12b]

Thanks for the replys. I think I am going to try to find a scrap of walnut and try a couple of these recomendations to see what they look like inperson. I will post pics of the final result of my rifles, but that will likely be a few weeks away.

[Lancebear]

Hey reed,

Forgot to post my color mix. Minwax wood finish stain. Fifty fifty mix of dark walnut and red oak. Did a replacement Garand stock that came on a rifle from the CMP. Color came out nice and finished with three or four coats of pure tung oil.

LB

[Arisaka99]

Lancebear; would like to see pics of that one!