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M1 Carbine - UPDATE: Got it, Pics and Questions in latest post. Thanks
- Thread starter crazymjb
- Start date
Sweeney
NES Member
Cool! If it stays, it's fixed! One often doesn't know what these old mil-surps have been through.
I'm just trying to decide what to do with the stock... its in rough shape and starting to split under the op-rod area. Tons of gun in it and many dents.
I don't know whether or not I should completely refinish it, or just scrub the crap out of it with mineral spirits, try to raise some of the bumps with steam, and then rub some BLO into it and polish with 0000 steel wool. I'll maintain the cartouches of course...
Mike
I don't know whether or not I should completely refinish it, or just scrub the crap out of it with mineral spirits, try to raise some of the bumps with steam, and then rub some BLO into it and polish with 0000 steel wool. I'll maintain the cartouches of course...
Mike
I'm gonna try the bleach free "green" tilex that I've read a bit about, and then try steaming out the dents. Once I'm sure its completely dry I'll glue the crack. I've had good luck with BLO for refinishing stocks. Here is my M1 Garand with the Carbine. That had a CMP stock which they dip in god knows what. I stripped it with some nasty stuff, cleaned it with mineral oil, and then put 10 coats of BLO on it over 10 days, rubbing it down with 0000 steel wool between coats.
Mike
Mike
I have my best results just useing warm dish soapy water or simple green on my dirty stocks. I use a soft brush....I think its a shoe shine brush. Gets the grim off. I like the "old " look or patina so I just want the crud off. I then use tung oil
Go with a new production stock if you want it to look really nice. Get the unfinished opption. Good thing about carbines is stock "fit " is not as important as say a m1 garand or A3
. That garand looks nice. Actually has some grain to it. Most cmp new wood is very plain.
Go with a new production stock if you want it to look really nice. Get the unfinished opption. Good thing about carbines is stock "fit " is not as important as say a m1 garand or A3
. That garand looks nice. Actually has some grain to it. Most cmp new wood is very plain.
I've been scrubbing at it a while with simple green, dish soap, and mineral spirits... I think its at the point where I will try ironing out the dents once it dries a bit.
Not quite sure it's as light as I want it, but I don't mind keeping with the "original" color.
Mike
Not quite sure it's as light as I want it, but I don't mind keeping with the "original" color.
Mike
dhuze
NES Member
I wouldn't use bleach. It will whiten the wood. I use a mix of 4oz De-Natured alcohol/4 oz turpentine/ 1oz Ammonia. It does a great job stripping and cleaning a stock without bleaching out the wood. I got this from a guy who refinishes stocks. Let it dry and then use your preferred finish. I use Boiled Linseed oil because I hate waiting for Linseed oil to dry.
anyone ever try teak oil? I got some from my brother in law to use on a rough yugo SKS stock and really liked the results. Seemed to bring out the character and grain of the wood better than just BLO.
BTW, I learned the trick to applying stuff like BLO and teak oil is to put it on nice and thick then use a clean cloth to wipe off any excess that hasn't soaked in after 15-20 minutes. Let it dry overnight and repeat 2 or 3 more times.
BTW, I learned the trick to applying stuff like BLO and teak oil is to put it on nice and thick then use a clean cloth to wipe off any excess that hasn't soaked in after 15-20 minutes. Let it dry overnight and repeat 2 or 3 more times.
I used BLO on the garand. I put it on a cloth and rubbed it in, 1 coat a night for 10 nights, with steel wool polishing between coats.
Here is the stock after some heavy degreasing, and an hour of steaming with wet cloths and the iron. I may try steaming one more time but the big bumps and gashes don't seem to be going anywhere. I still need to fix where it is starting to crack, and I probably will hit the sharp gouges with some light sanding so they don't catch and splinter the wood. When I pulled the butt-plate off there was a lot of sand underneath it... Cool to think where it might be from, but from my time in the Marine Corps I imagine it's somewhere stateside being dragged through the mud, or just years of accumulation.
My fiance is getting annoyed with me doing my projects in her kitchen.
As you can see there is still some grease around the the pistol grip area especially. It didn't even seem to want to come out with the iron. I soaked the thing in simple green for 20 minutes and then scrubbed it. Still not certain how I am going to get it out.
Mike
Here is the stock after some heavy degreasing, and an hour of steaming with wet cloths and the iron. I may try steaming one more time but the big bumps and gashes don't seem to be going anywhere. I still need to fix where it is starting to crack, and I probably will hit the sharp gouges with some light sanding so they don't catch and splinter the wood. When I pulled the butt-plate off there was a lot of sand underneath it... Cool to think where it might be from, but from my time in the Marine Corps I imagine it's somewhere stateside being dragged through the mud, or just years of accumulation.
My fiance is getting annoyed with me doing my projects in her kitchen.
As you can see there is still some grease around the the pistol grip area especially. It didn't even seem to want to come out with the iron. I soaked the thing in simple green for 20 minutes and then scrubbed it. Still not certain how I am going to get it out.
Mike
So now that the stock is dry and clean (getting there) I've noticed 3 cracks/splits that need to be address. One is from the mag well and extends up to the center support. I read online that a small hole can be drilled down the middle of the crock (on the inside) and filled with epoxy. A dowel/toothpick is then tapped into the hole which forces the epoxy throughout the crack.
Another crack that I don't yet have a plan to fix is starting in the top tang of the grip. I may be able to get some sort of epoxy in it but I'm honestly not sure. I am most nervous about this as it appears to take a lot of recoil force of the gun.
Finally is the original crack I noticed in the thin wood on the side I can separate this enough to get some epoxy in I think.
I intend this gun to be more of a display/personal collection piece than a shooter. It will definitely get shot on occasion, but not nearly as much as the Garand.
Mike
Another crack that I don't yet have a plan to fix is starting in the top tang of the grip. I may be able to get some sort of epoxy in it but I'm honestly not sure. I am most nervous about this as it appears to take a lot of recoil force of the gun.
Finally is the original crack I noticed in the thin wood on the side I can separate this enough to get some epoxy in I think.
I intend this gun to be more of a display/personal collection piece than a shooter. It will definitely get shot on occasion, but not nearly as much as the Garand.
Mike
I think I would go on ebay and get a used stock that was made for the rifle and put that on.
It would be better and stronger than the one you are trying to fix and repair.
Keep the old one of course!
It would be better and stronger than the one you are trying to fix and repair.
Keep the old one of course!
I have had good luck heading of cracks by drilling holes at the end of the crack. I ha e used many types of glue. So far the best holding glue has been acryglass bedding from brownells. The biggest or hardest problem is getting the grease oil and dirt out of the cracks. I actually used some small insulin needles to inject glue into cracks. I am no expert at all on wood repair.
I use acetone to was out crack best as possible. Careful of the finish.
I use super glue for small quick repairs. Gorilla glue for repairs I can clamp up tight. Gorilla glue expands and if not clamped tight will ooze out of the crack leaving a ugly mess.
Acryglass I use more like a band aid for those inside the stock or sight unseen repairs. Work the glue into cracks best as possible.
I have had good luck applying a vaccum to the opposite side of cracks and pulling glue through the crack.
If you want a stock that's light in color like your M1 axnew stock set would be your best bet.
https://estore.thecmp.org/store/cat...pmax=¬e1=¬e2=¬e3=¬e4=¬e5=&max= I see they don't have the unfinished set anymore. The stock set will have to be stripped of the "stuff " they put on just like your garand.
Comes with metal though so no need to be switching out metal.
Just reading this now... Already started work.
I bought some JB weld clear-weld epox and was able to use toothpicks to work it into the split down the side of the stock. Some did ooze out, so once it's fully cured I'll have to carfully sand it.
As far as the split by the magazine cutout goes, I drilled a hole down the middle of it, and used clear weld epoxy, and a bamboo skewer as a piston to force it through as much of the crack as possible. I then clipped the skewer and clamped the stock. The last crack I'm going to try to fix once this cures in an hour or so is int he tang. I'm going to drill underneath it is best as possible and try the same bamboo stick thing that looks like it will work for the crack by the mag well. I'll take some pics this afternoon of the repairs.
Mike
I bought some JB weld clear-weld epox and was able to use toothpicks to work it into the split down the side of the stock. Some did ooze out, so once it's fully cured I'll have to carfully sand it.
As far as the split by the magazine cutout goes, I drilled a hole down the middle of it, and used clear weld epoxy, and a bamboo skewer as a piston to force it through as much of the crack as possible. I then clipped the skewer and clamped the stock. The last crack I'm going to try to fix once this cures in an hour or so is int he tang. I'm going to drill underneath it is best as possible and try the same bamboo stick thing that looks like it will work for the crack by the mag well. I'll take some pics this afternoon of the repairs.
Mike
The crack fixes seem to have gone OK... I guess time will tell. I have started rubbing in the BLO
Far from perfect, but I guess I didn't expect it to be... Still looks a lot better than it did starting out IMO.
Mike
Far from perfect, but I guess I didn't expect it to be... Still looks a lot better than it did starting out IMO.
Mike
dhuze
NES Member
Sweeney
NES Member
Along with dhuze's suggestions, the 1903 forum on milsurps.com is a good resource.
Mike, you may have done this... It's good to thin the first coat or two of BLO to allow deeper penetration into the wood after a heavy cleaning.
Mike, you may have done this... It's good to thin the first coat or two of BLO to allow deeper penetration into the wood after a heavy cleaning.
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I've got it cleaned up and back together:
The top piece is a little darker than the stock, but I wanna see how I like the stock as it is (4 coats of BLO) before adding any more BLO. I think I like it. I fixed all the cracks as well with epoxy. We'll see if it holds. All and all a relaxing weekend project.
Mike
The top piece is a little darker than the stock, but I wanna see how I like the stock as it is (4 coats of BLO) before adding any more BLO. I think I like it. I fixed all the cracks as well with epoxy. We'll see if it holds. All and all a relaxing weekend project.
Mike
