Finishing process for new stock - help needed....

[shanef]

Finished sanding and verifying fit of M1903 Springfield into a new Boyd stock and handguard - looks great Now, my question is how do I finish the stock? I have never done this some help would be really appreciated. Stain, linseed oil, what?????

Thanks.



EDIT: It is a Springfield Armory M1903

 

[Pilgrim]

M1902???????????

I put my M1917 into a NOS unfinished stock and used boiled Linseed oil. Wipe a coat on, then when it's dry, rub it with 0000. Then coat it again. Repeat until you have the level of shine you want.

You might want to dilute the BLO with a little mineral spirits to let it soak in more on the new wood and then when you get a few coats on it, go to full strength. If you use full strength BLO, it will take 24 hours to dry between coats.

I wouldn't stain it as the BLO will darken the wood on it's own.

Good luck.

Again M1902?????????

 

[one-eyed Jack]

I have always used WATCO danish oil furniture finish on walnut stocks and am probably the only one in the world who does. Everyone else uses some kind of finish that is spec'd out for gun stocks. The WATCO dissolves in itself and you can add more at any time to restore the finish. Jack.

 

[Pilgrim]

Some people also use regular linseed oil or tung oil. BLO is a little harder to find than regular LO but seems to dry better and is less sticky.

BTW thanks for correcting the year. I was beginning to think that there was another model milsurp that I would have to find and acquire !

 

[paynea]

+1 on the advice to thin early coats of oil-based finishes. I find BLO darkens a bit more than Tung Oil, and have read that it sometimes does not properly cure/dry and turns rancid, so I've stuck with Tung Oil myself. Did an unissued SKS stock with thinned Tung and synthetic 000 'steel' wool between coats that turned out very nicely. Don't forget to wipe down with a rag with some mineral spirits or lacquer thinner after you buff with the steel wool though ... one of my early experiments got some dark cloudiness in some of the rougher areas from using only a tack cloth to clean up after buffing [sad2].

Best of luck!

 

[JonJ]

Behr Scandinavian Tung Oil Finish.