Help!!!!!!

[Peter Laidler]

I hear what you're saying Finloq but it's a sad fact of life that bullsh.........., er... ah, yes....., bullshine does baffle brains. There won't be many passing out parades where the crunchies haven't polished their rifle stocks with boot polish. Even the L1A1 rifle stocks were brush polished with Kiwi Brown and later, with the plastic, Kiwi Black....

At Ingleburn (correct me if I'm wrong or my memory is playing tricks again all you Australians) where the huge National Service intakes did their basic training, it was the norm for the rifle stocks to be highly polished with Kiwi dark brown. And woe betide you if it wasn't!

As Armourers, it was just one of those things that you came to accept on the basis that it wasn't doing any harm. And if the CSM's and RSM told the Armourer Sergeant quietly in the mess that it was an acceptable practice, then guess what! It WAS an acceptable practice Obviously we did them in linseed.

Just as a little aside....., as I'm wont to do occasionally, when I was in 8 RAR, the RSM called me up to his office and gave me 12 SLR bayonets and told me that he wanted wood grips put on them for the guard mounting for a visit by the Australian Infantry Chief of Staff from Canberra. I wandered back to the Armourers shop where Armourer Sgt Johnny Cotterell asked me what he wanted, so I told him. He huffed and puffed a bit and said that he'd see about this that and the other. But if the RSM says you do, then you do. The RSM (Lee) wasn't all bad and was obviously pleased with the result because afterwards he called me up again, opened his drawer where I again saw the 12 wood gripped bayonets, picked one up and handed it to me as a keepsake.

Where were we now......................

[gjwardman]

If the stock is off the gun, GENTLY heating (borrow the wife's hairdryer) and rubbing down with a rag will help. Heating will open the pores of the wood and turn the polish to a liquid...I wiped mine down till my elbows were sore and then went after it with Murphy's Oil Soap until it wasn't sticky anymore...It'll take a couple of days and lots of beer, but you don't 'lose' any wood...

[Lithgow_1919]

If the stock is off the gun, GENTLY heating (borrow the wife's hairdryer) and rubbing down with a rag will help. Heating will open the pores of the wood and turn the polish to a liquid...I wiped mine down till my elbows were sore and then went after it with Murphy's Oil Soap until it wasn't sticky anymore...It'll take a couple of days and lots of beer, but you don't 'lose' any wood...

I was going to ask if you could heat it up. Thanks for that mate. I'll give her a go tomorrow or is that today (4.06am)

[finloq]

I hear what you're saying Finloq but it's a sad fact of life that bullsh.........., er... ah, yes....., bullshine does baffle brains. There won't be many passing out parades where the crunchies haven't polished their rifle stocks with boot polish. Even the L1A1 rifle stocks were brush polished with Kiwi Brown and later, with the plastic, Kiwi Black....

At Ingleburn (correct me if I'm wrong or my memory is playing tricks again all you Australians) where the huge National Service intakes did their basic training, it was the norm for the rifle stocks to be highly polished with Kiwi dark brown. And woe betide you if it wasn't!

As Armourers, it was just one of those things that you came to accept on the basis that it wasn't doing any harm. And if the CSM's and RSM told the Armourer Sergeant quietly in the mess that it was an acceptable practice, then guess what! It WAS an acceptable practice Obviously we did them in linseed.

Just as a little aside....., as I'm wont to do occasionally, when I was in 8 RAR, the RSM called me up to his office and gave me 12 SLR bayonets and told me that he wanted wood grips put on them for the guard mounting for a visit by the Australian Infantry Chief of Staff from Canberra. I wandered back to the Armourers shop where Armourer Sgt Johnny Cotterell asked me what he wanted, so I told him. He huffed and puffed a bit and said that he'd see about this that and the other. But if the RSM says you do, then you do. The RSM (Lee) wasn't all bad and was obviously pleased with the result because afterwards he called me up again, opened his drawer where I again saw the 12 wood gripped bayonets, picked one up and handed it to me as a keepsake.

Where were we now......................

I guess that innovation is the mother of us all; ie. if it's not broke, polish it. Thanks for the insight, Peter.

[Bricari]

Son,
I use steel wool and soap suds and keep scrubbing. That way you don't remove the wood layers as you do with sand paper. You never get out all of the scorch marks but it continues to fad, until you reach an impasse and she will fad no further. If you want (heresy to follow) you could stain the wood to dull the effects - perhaps boot polish??

[Son]

Son,
I use steel wool and soap suds and keep scrubbing. That way you don't remove the wood layers as you do with sand paper. You never get out all of the scorch marks but it continues to fad, until you reach an impasse and she will fad no further. If you want (heresy to follow) you could stain the wood to dull the effects - perhaps boot polish??

Hmmm ..boot polish........ "There's a hole in the bucket dear Liza dear Liza..."

Good call on the soapsuds and steel wool. Being non invasive I might give that a try first- thanks.
The wood is almost white and could take (gasp) some stain without getting too dark. Where it's going it doesn't need to be kosher- just look reasonable.
It's the top one in the stack, The worst of the burn is just forward of the mag well on the other side.

[RJW NZ]

Boot makers etc have liquids that are designed to remove boot polish so shoes etc can be recolored. Hippies snort it up, evil hobby ...

[Lithgow_1919]

Boot makers etc have liquids that are designed to remove boot polish so shoes etc can be recolored. Hippies snort it up, evil hobby ...

HAHAHAHAHAHA! Really? They snort it?

[Cruisey]

I still love that rifle stand Son , very inventive use this time

[Son]

Wait 'till you see what it'll be holding next week! (hopefully...)