Refinishing a Finn stock

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Today I sanded down a M39 cracked stock that I had kicking around. This stock is going to be used on my modified M91 that I posted about recently. The front of the stock had a big crack in it. I cut the forend off just up from the finger grooves. The stock was then sanded down to remove the shellac and stain that was on it. I used Potassium Permanganate to stain the stock. This chemical is used in water filtration systems and can be picked up at Sears or other hardware stores. Here is the stained product. Should you try this chemical, wear rubber gloves. It will stain your fingers browner than sh-t. [smile] I just need to decide what finish to put over this.

DSC01125.jpg
 
[puke] I don't know if I could bring myself to cut down, let alone sand Finnish wood. But than again I am one of the strictest purists you'll ever meet when it comes to military surplus preservation.
FWIW, Gorilla glue is a fix all to even the nastiest of cracks and even splits.
Heres a thread I made in the milsurps forum on how to make the 1/3 mix. I know you've seen it because you replied to it, but as far as I'm concerned its a great finish on Finn stocks.
http://northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=5539
 
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[puke] I don't know if I could bring myself to cut down, let alone sand Finnish wood. But than again I am one of the strictest purists you'll ever meet when it comes to military surplus preservation.
FWIW, Gorilla glue is a fix all to even the nastiest of cracks and even splits.
Heres a thread I made in the milsurps forum on how to make the 1/3 mix. I know you've seen it because you replied to it, but as far as I'm concerned its a great finish on Finn stocks.
http://northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=5539

I remember your post about the Finnish stock finish. I will check it out again. This stock didn't belong to a rifle and the fore end had three long cracks in it. I bought this for $5.00 a long time ago in anticipation of using it on something. I know what you mean about military preservation. I have a whole room full of preserved guns. I do not alter or refinish any of my rifles or stocks on those rifles. I only alter guns and stocks that I have bought that have already been in Bubba's hands.
 
Milsurps 4 Me,

Would it be easier to apply your Finn finish when it is in a liquid form? That way it would work itself right into the stock. You could add a second coat in a paste form later on.
 
I never tried rubbing the finish in while it was still liquid. I suppose it could work, you may get more build up than needed though.
The last stock I did I used a mix that I made a long time ago and its still good. I kept it capped in a small plastic paint cup with a snap top lid. I found that heating it a little with a hair dryer once its on the stock helps flow it out easier. It still remains pretty greasy untill you rub it in with some friction. As you buff with a rag though it does dry and develops into a nice finish after setting up for a day or so.
Best of all about this and the PP is that I honestly can't tell any difference in original Finn stocks and ones I've reworked once they cure.
 
Here's the stock mounted on my modified M91. I ended up using Tru-Oil on it. I just need to find a silver scope and the sling swivels for the stock to complete the rifle. I may also look into lowering this scope setup in the future.
DSC01138.jpg
 
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