Stock finishing

[NVGuy]

I got my front and rear handguards from Prestigious Wood today. They are very well done and should look great with my original forend. The front handguard has a slight peak to it down the top center. Is this how they are supposed to be or do i need to round the top out? Their website did say there would be some minor finishing and fitting. From what i can see they are very close to being drop in. I just wanted to confirm about the peak before i started on finishing them. I picked up some raw linseed oili for them. I have read that people cut the oil with turpentine or acetone? what do you recommend? It is getting hot her in Vegas. I was wondering if i should let them sit out in the sun after applying the oil. Thoughts?

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[Stanforth]

Pure turpentine is use with linseed oil a a dryer.
Back in the day my method of finishing stocks was as follows. Treat the wood with RAW linseed oil each day for a week or so. Then treat with a mixture of BOILED linseed oil with a small amount of pure turpentine ( Not turps substitute) added to help the treatment dry.

For periodic treatment I made paste of Boiled linseed oil, Turpentine and Beeswax.
There is no need to buy both types of oil, just buy Raw linseed oil and boil the amount you need.

Goof luck.

[Brian Dick]

You won't need turps in Nevada any more than I do in South Carolina. Just apply the RLO, sit it in the sun turning periodically and let the wood soak it up. Buff it out with fine steel wool in small circular motions after the first couple of coats to knock down the grain that will rise and keep applying it until the wood stops taking it in or you're happy with the finish. Use it generously at first, (I apply with a sponge paint brush), and sparingly after the wood starts to absorb it. I use a blue paper shop towel to mop off excess in between coats and just rub it out by hand. You'll be amazed at the result. Enjoy the project.

[Surpmil]

I got my front and rear handguards from Prestigious Wood today. They are very well done and should look great with my original forend. The front handguard has a slight peak to it down the top center. Is this how they are supposed to be or do i need to round the top out? Their website did say there would be some minor finishing and fitting. From what i can see they are very close to being drop in. I just wanted to confirm about the peak before i started on finishing them. I picked up some raw linseed oili for them. I have read that people cut the oil with turpentine or acetone? what do you recommend? It is getting hot her in Vegas. I was wondering if i should let them sit out in the sun after applying the oil. Thoughts?

Might be a little warpage in the handguard? I would NOT put them out in the Nevada sun before or after oiling, that is asking for trouble IMHO as the heat will be on whatever side is hit by the sun's rays and you will get uneven heating and expansion and possibly more warpage or even splitting.

In the "Wood Goes to War" film which is on this site I believe, the new stocks are shown being immersed in a tank of linseed oil (and perhaps other ingredients?) Then allowed to drip for a while and probably wiped down after.

What we don't know is how long they were soaked in the oil. Unless someone would like to track down a surviving factory worker and ask?

As for the handguard, once you've got the rifle assembled, you could wrap a suitable neutral material around the forend and handguard at that spot and then over that put a strong elastic, bungee cord or similar to hold the handguards bottom edge down against the top of the forend until it hopefully "settles down" in that position.

Have a look at how the grain runs in the handguard and you may get some ideas on how best to address this. Lots of woodworking info online about ways of correcting warpage of course.

[WillSarchet]

I think No4 handguards are completely round, No1 might have a slight peak- someone with original, good condition wood should confirm that though.

As far as finishing them, I started with 220 grit and sanded the stock, as I got down to around 400 grit, in between passes I wiped the stock down with water and let it dry to whisker the wood. Once it no longer whiskers it will be good and smooth and you can stop sanding. On the advice of the fellows on another Enfield forum, I applied RLO once an hour for a day, once a day for a week, and am now doing it once a week for a month. Then monthly application and a yearly touch-up after that. It appears I can't upload photos from mobile so I'll link to my rebuild thread over there so you can see what it looks like.

Edit: What RLO did you get? A lot of the linseed oils available have extra nasty chemicals to help them dry. I used some organic artists RLO to ensure it was closest to the original and safe to handle.

Wills Rebuilds - Enfield-Rifles.com

[Brian Dick]

You know, I've been finishing wood here to specification for 25 years. I did it in Florida before I moved for 10 years prior to that. I've never had a piece of wood warp setting it in the sun EVER. That includes both new manufacture and original woodwork. The warm dip tank is the original and correct method that was used by REME Armourers since Pontious was a pilot. Not many people have a heated tank full of raw linseed oil nor do they want to afford one. That includes me by the way. You can make the job as ridiculously difficult as you want to. I'm here to tell you that it's not a difficult job. Heat is your friend finishing wood with raw linseed and most other oil finishes. Mother Nature will supply all you need if you're careful. No offense to guys in the PNW and UK but they don't get to enjoy the sun as much as we do. I'll tell you that if your new handguard or forend warps after absorbing heat from the sun, the wood ain't worth a crap anyhow because it isn't properly cured. Anyhow, I have a few steel helmets here to choose from for the incoming. We've beat this subject to death countless times here and I've said my piece. To each his own I reckon.

---------- Post added at 01:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:35 PM ----------

Will, you can get RLO by the gallon from Amazon. I use Sunnyside. Only the boiled stuff has chemical driers in it which can be harmful. Real raw linseed oil should be just that.

---------- Post added at 01:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:40 PM ----------

Rob, Most factories and big base workshops soaked new woodwork in the heated tank for 24 hours. Then let it drip dry returning the excess oil directly to the tank. Armourers cleaned used wood in boiling tanks of Triclorethane, then judged just how long to soak the wood afterwards in the warm dip tank according to the condition of the wood.

[WillSarchet]

Thanks Brian, I knew there was some form that had driers in it. Good to know that any RLO should be safe when I need to replenish my stores. No offense taken on the sun, we mostly get liquid sunshine up here! At least it keeps us from burning every year.

[BurtonP]

I found the repro stocks to need a bit of sanding down to remove the occasional "ridge". They are slightly oversized usually to allow this. I sand, apply BLO, then sand with fine wet and dry, to make the past that fills the grain. Then as many thing coats of BLO as you can do, but making sure it dries well between each coat.

Oh yeah, and US BLO has some nasty chemicals in it, so use gloves, and don't breathe it in.

[Surpmil]

I'll defer to your experience there Brian, though had only read the first post when I replied. I just put an unrelated wooden item out on my deck a few days ago and have been watching it check in the sun, so was on my mind.

And speaking generally, walnut now is not what it was in WWII and before. The lumber we buy today is from smaller trunks, with greater curvatures and probably seasoned for much less time. When that kind of wood is cut, and especially cut thin warpage is more likely than it used to be.

[Brian Dick]

I realize that Rob. I'd hope that these stock makers are using high quality, properly dried timber to manufacture this new LE woodwork. It's not cheap so quality control should be high priority. I also hope all of the guys buying it and fitting it are doing it correctly because it's nice to make your rifle look new but if the rifle won't shoot because the forend isn't fitted correctly, it all becomes a moot point! The old saying is that there are two kinds of wood, wood that's warped and wood that is going to warp...…. eventually. I just cleaned and serviced a couple of CLLE rifles a few weeks ago and was absolutely amazed how straight the forends are so I'm not sure I believe it considering they are 120+ years old!

---------- Post added at 03:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:37 PM ----------

Hey Will, what's with the Marine Tex? Ugh!! It's great for bedding Mausers and M14's but Lees? Is the inletting in the new forends that bad? You'd better come on out here so I can show you how to do it correctly! Believe me, if I can do it, anyone can.