Stock Nose Deteriorating

[imntxs554]

I have a Stock that inside the Nose on both side's it looks like it's coming apart. I have 3 others I keep in a Safe, but not here. I keep this one here at my house in my closet. Any ideas why is this happening cause I hate for it to get worse. This M1 has been here for around 8 months. I've had 3 Stocks for over a year in the same closet and there just fine. Thanks

Frank

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[imarangemaster]

Dry air with low humidity acts as a desiccant. Here in central California, shovels, axe handles, fence posts, everything starts to look like your stock in just a few years. Soak it with some raw linseed oil, and that should stop it. As my carbine has a decent Linseed finish,, I wipe down with Ballistol occasionally, stock and metal. Seems to keep it fresh.

[shadycon]

Darn termites!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Seaspriter]

Any ideas why is this happening cause I hate for it to get worse.

First, take off the stock and look over the entire stock, especially inside the receiver cut-outs.

Yes, it could be as too little humidity, as imarangemaster says:

Dry air with low humidity acts as a desiccant. Here in central California, shovels, axe handles, fence posts, everything starts to look like your stock in just a few years.

If so, then linseed oil is okay, but tung oil has much better anti-fungal preservative qualities, and is the way M-1s were originally treated, BLO being a secondary alternative.

But I think it's more likely oil-rot or humidity rot. (not sure where you are in Texas -- some places are desert-like and other are 100% humidity) The CMP website speaks about this when gun oil gets into M-1 stocks. The petroleum based oils that work wonders on metal are not kind to wood. On Enfields, it is highly recommended to treat any metal-wood interface with a greasy wax (the old Armourers used 50/50 beeswax and petroleum jelly) to protect against humidity that will rust the metal and rot the wood.

The conventional method for oil soaked wood is to soak in turpentine or mineral spirits, then dry it all out with rags, (put the wood wrapped in rags into a black trash bag and let it bake in the sun for several hours to let the heat help the rags draw out the bad oil). Then treat with Tung Oil, let dry, then apply a 50/50 mixture of beeswax and Tung Oil to repel oil and prevent further damage.

If the rot is too severe and you want to keep the stock, you may need to fill the pores of the damaged wood with a wooden-boat repair product like "Git Rot" which solidifies the wood with liquid epoxy.

I apply a good quality wax (like BriWax or Renaissance Wax) to my Tung Oil finish for extra protection and keep a low lustre to the finish. Wax on the metal will do no harm, and many advocate that wax is a better preservative on non-sliding/rotating metal than gun oil.

Note: Either too much dryness or too much humidity is the primary reason why wood needs "feeding" -- contrary to what many museum curators advocate.

[imntxs554]

I live in So, TX right by the Gulf Coast. I did remove the Stock to look it over and there is a small piece right by the Mag Catch inside the Stock that kinda looks like the front. I do have some Raw linseed oil is using Tung oil better in a high humid area like where I live and should I wipe it all over the Stock or just that area. The Stock looks nice except for the front and that little piece, Thanks for that info . Does it matter what oil one should use depending on the humidity and If the oil is causing this is there a way to Stop this reaction without harmimg it. I sure want to SAVE this Stock that's why all the Questions. Thanks for the Help I really appreciate it.

Frank

[Seaspriter]

live in So, TX right by the Gulf Coast. I did remove the Stock to look it over and there is a small piece right by the Mag Catch inside the Stock that kinda looks like the front. I do have some Raw linseed oil is using Tung oil better in a high humid area like where I live and should I wipe it all over the Stock or just that area. The Stock looks nice except for the front and that little piece, Thanks for that info . Does it matter what oil one should use depending on the humidity and If the oil is causing this is there a way to Stop this reaction without harmimg it. I sure want to SAVE this Stock that's why all the Questions. Thanks for the Help I really appreciate it. Frank

Frank, I live on the Gulf too. It's always humid here, and every space where guns are stored needs ventilation to keep the humidity under 65%, else fungus and other rot will set in.

First, do not oil soak your gun with RLO -- it never dries, will be sticky, attract dirt, and turn yellow then chocolate brown over time. RLO was used as a treatment in the field, but was never used as the original treatment of M-1 stocks. Tung Oil is much better both as a water repellent and as a prevention of fungus.
Second, (assuming the stock is already removed), I'd clean out all the excess oil as outlined in my earlier thread. The area around the Mag Catch is probably from oil rot when lots of oil was poured into the bolt chamber.
Third, you have a choice of carving out the rotted wood and then splicing in new wood, or using epoxy to stabilize the rotten area and build it up. (Do the first option if you are good a woodwork, or the latter if woodwork is not your forte).
Fourth, for the repairs to the fore-end, I'd mix some walnut sawdust and glue and work it into the cracked areas, then sand smooth when dry. You may have to apply stain to the repaired area to get a good color match.
Fifth, I'd apply a couple of coats of Tung Oil (follow directions on the container) to the entire stock, inside and out. Where you made the repairs to the fore-end, you might mix a little stain in with the Tung Oil to cover the repairs.
Sixth, inside the receiver chamber of the stock I'd apply a 50/50 mixture of Beeswax and Mineral Jelly (Vaseline) (heat in a double boiler to mix). This will prevent gun oil from further deteriorating the wood on the inside. Also do this for the barrel channel, the screws on the butt plate, and any where metal contacts wood.
Then reunite the barrel/receiver to the stock. Give the stock a good coat of wax, like BriWax (available at Ace Hardware). You will like the results.

That should do it.

[imntxs554]

Thanks Robert. I still have it apart and I printed a copy. The nearest professional woodworker now lives in Beeville about 40 miles, but worth to take it to him to repair. I can do some little things like Stain, Oil and do very small repairs, but this Stock is valuable to me and would like it done correct. Seeing what options there are to fix it correct it's worth it to me to take it to get it done right. Thanks for all the help and time you have helped me with.

Semper Fi

Frank

[Seaspriter]

You are welcome Frank. You can do this woodwork yourself -- it's not too difficult.
Speaking of Beeville, TX, that brings back old memories -- 1966 jet fighter training. Flew there from Corpus Christi on an old WWII "gooney bird" (DC-3). The wings literally flapped across Texas -- thought they were going to fall off. Flew in one of the last Panther Jets -- wow! Then went on a dive bombing run with the pilot who was a real air jockey. Took me from 40,000 feet in a straight down dive and pulled out at 1,000 feet. Thought we would open up a hole in the ground. When he pulled out we hit 8 Gs, and my G-suit failed to inflate. That's all I remember until I recovered a half a minute later. Glad I wasn't alone in that cockpit.

Semper Fi, Robert

[imntxs554]

That's so Cool. Living in C C by the Naval Air Station I've seen some Wild looking Jets as they Train over the C C Bay, in all my life here i've seen 2 pilots ejecting losing there aircraft even though there's been more. It's still a Jet Training facility , but when they Touch and Go they scare the Fish away and you might as well pack it up and go home. Will take this Chat Private or Open Discussion ... I don't want to interfere with others here in the M1 Thread.

Semper FI

Frank

[imntxs554]

Okay I just got back from Beeville with a Stock he sold me. He said No Problem in fixing the original one. He did mention not to over tighten the Barrel Band cause it does damage to a Stock like problems from those 3 pics. When there's moisture in the Stock it will cause that problem. This is with the one I bought from him.

Frank