BLO vs RLO

[DaveN]

Thanks to all. I now know there are many ways to finish and the all seem to do the job of protecting the rifle. The difference seems to be what you want it to look like when it's done. My thought is original ways for my WWII's ,my 50's can get what was used in the 50's and my competition rifles ( new CMP stocks) get the modern stuff.
RCS, I have a stock( new CMP) that I stripped the oil and used Formby's tung oil finish and it cam out like your Garand tiger stripes and all. I had never seen one like that and read some where that the stripes should go the length of the stock. then I was watching COMBAT and the episode with the french mountainman (who in return for his help wanted a Garand) was presented a Garand with those stripes just like yours,and mine. I also stripped and stained a new Cmp and used the tung oil finish and it came out like a piece of furniture. I'll post some pics later.

Information

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[98Charlie]

I've used lots of BLO and a little RLO. I love the smell of BLO, but raw linseed has a somewhat nauseating smell for the first couple of days, and as it dries a bit, it smells just like BLO. For the first couple of coats of BLO on bare wood, I cut it with low oder mineral spirits/paint thinner, to get it to really soak into the wood. You can lay it on reall heavy, and keep it wet, and later in the day, wipe off the excess. Too much linseed will build up a thick, gummy finish, and you don't want that.

With the longer drying time of the raw linseed vs. the boiled, and the smell of the raw, I don't really use it much anymore. But the end results between the two are about the same.

I've read some guys say the linseed is not a good moisture barrier. And I've had M1 rifles from my American Legion post that got rained on during a parade, and the stock had to dry for 3 days before I could get some of the actions out of the stock. Well, the area that swelled up on these stocks is the inside of the stock. So on the inside, inletted areas of my wood stocks, I use a more waterproof type finish, like marine type polyurethane or Tru-oil, etc.
I never would use any kind of a wax on my military gun stocks.

[Wineman]

That tiger striped Garand seen in Combat! shows up quite a bit of the time. Mostly carried by Caje. Many of the prop guns were made from wood as the actors found the real thing too heavy. Most of the German kit was hand made as there was not really any good surplus stocks around in the 1960's. There are plenty of scenes of made up MP-38 type SMG's.

Rick Jason was an avid hunter but Vic Morrow hated guns. There is a quote from Morrow when Jason asked him to shoot skeet after filming "I can't stand to kill clay"

In the episode with the USO jazz musicians, Little John (Dick Peabody) shows Dennis Hopper how to load a Garand. It was a great show from my youth and thanks to Netflicks I was able to watch the entire series all over again.

Wineman

[PeteDavis]

TruOil lays on top-it's a varnish not an oil.

RAW linseed oil DIRECTIONS:

Once a day for a week.
Once a week for a month.
Once a month for a year.
Once a year for the rest of your life.

It ain't quick but it works.

PD

[DaveN]

pete thankyou for the method. should i apply with a brush or a rage (old boxer briefs) as they are soft but i seem to have abundance. they seem to shrink alot. HA HA.
and we are talking straight not 50/50 mix.


wineman i just watched an episode and cage had the tiger stripe garand again. i also now watch the german equipment and arms and noticed when they knocked out a machine gun nest the belt was blank ammo. i thought no wonder they knocked it out.
they covered the mistake in the oddities and bloopers part of the episode.