I messed up my Garand stock.... (Restoration)

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Very nice, Ron, i keep seeing all these beautifully finished stocks, realising the big difference with mine, is how smooth they are, lacking in the wood damage so prevalent on mine.

I'm thinking 400 grit to even out the finish tomorrow night; i will then apply the oil sparingly again, with my fingers, and then sand again before leaving to dry for another night.

Last info for tonight, i checked out the 'far side' of the stock just now, and it's much darker and more uniform than the near side, which is kind of odd, but it's clearly the way this side should go, it seems to be the case that i should work with the sand paper and some oil/wet sanding to even this all out.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

No update from last night, but i basically thinly applied linseed oil, then sanded that down with 400 grit, after an hour i used my hands and rubbed in what was left vigorously and then left it until tonight.

Tonight i thickly applied linseed again and hung it back up, more pics in an hour when i will sand in whatever hasn't soaked in.



That left side, particularly high on the butt and running forward of the cartouche on the side, is staying very blonde and i don't know how to correct that.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

So, i think i need a little help, or information here...

The stock has darkened up nicely with the linseed oil, on the right-hand side... The left side, which was mostly what i took pictures of, has stayed a much lighter blonde colour, i do not know why, nor how to affect it.

My first guess would be the wood feeling a lot smoother in the lighter areas, i'm guessing the oil isn't able to soak in as it has done over the rest of the stock, especially on the right side.

I guess i need to know how to open the pores up, or how to get the left side to soak more oil in.

 

[TapRackNGo]

I dont have experience except for a few tools I made with wood handles and my yard tools. But I just keep applying thin coats and eventually they do darken up. I follow this guy and his old friend who does some amazing work. Maybe you can pick something up from his video

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

That's funny, i actually started using some of his techniques from that video, spent 20 something minutes tonight, just rubbing the surface oil into the lighter side of the stock.

If seems that my thought would be correct that the grain is pretty closed up on the left side, causing less oil to be absorbed (based on what you said)

My only other thought on *that* would be to try and use water on that section to cause the fibres to raise up again?

 

[TapRackNGo]

I have no idea. My experience (not with stocks) is that light wood does darken over time, maybe let it set and fully dry in between coats a week or so? Do some more research on yourtube.

Maybe take a look here on CMP website about wood refinishing.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Maybe add a bit of Red Tint ( like red Oak , or Red Mahogany) to your oil and apply just on the light side using a dry cloth to rub it in after a real light application! I had a couple of Mausers that had the same issue, and doing that helped blend much better! Start with a real small amount and see how it goes, maybe add a little more if it look like it's helping! Looking good so far!

 

[Oryguner]

I think what you are describing is the natural difference between sapwood and heartwood in the tree the stock was cut from. Sapwood (closer to the bark) is always much lighter than the more normal walnutty color we generally expect. Not much you can do about the color difference with out the use of stain before you started applying the oil to it. Wood is a living thing, or at least it was, and has a character all it's own that you pretty much have to live with. HTH

 

[Stomper]

There is no cure for "blonde", even with artificial coloring... it's genetic.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

So, i left it a couple of days, having laid it out in the sun for several hours with a thick layer of linseed oil on the lighter portions.

Last night i used a 3M finishing pad to take off the thick residue left over from the dried oil. My intention was to thinly, hand apply more linseed tonight, after tack clothing it, but i forgot.....

So here are some pics of where it's up to, it's not bad, but other than getting a slightly shinier finish, it's not going to change too much i'm afraid.

 

[MountainBear]

Looks good. Assemble and shoot!

 

[Ura-Ki]

To be Honest, I think it looks good with the color it is, and would just finish up! Looks like it should, and is something to be proud of! Nice work sir!

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Looks like it's been used in combat! That's what I like!

Really good job!

 

[Velzey]

It's going to look great with that nice dark parkerized finish!
It's ready for some rounds! Assemble and shoot

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Thanks all for the replies.

Tonight i went ahead and thinly, hand applied another coat of raw linseed oil, rubbing it in, not until i felt it get hot, just rubbing in and spreading it as far as i could.

There were some places that needed a little extra, but i noticed as i was applying the oil, it was turning it a reddish colour.

Left for just under an hour and then wiped off what little remained, sorry, no pics tonight, but everything is looking notably better than before.

I will hit this again, same method tomorrow night until i've got a few more coats down, i think it will richen up the wood quite nicely.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Small update, not too much to show as it's now slow progress, finger-applying a thin coat of raw linseed oil every 24 hours and leaving it on for an hour each time before wiping.

He's a pic after wiping it today, sandwiched between my M1903a3 wood; original finish, just used a shop cloth and raw linseed oil to clean it up.
Kept switching the cloth to a clean area and re-applying new linseed oil, plenty of dirt came off on the shop cloth.

 

[RatherDashing]

I've given a mess of nasty ole Garand stocks the dishwasher treatment with no ill effects. Gets all the dirt out and raises the dents. A little light sanding after drying and it's ready for MinWax #225 Red Mahogany to give the walnut the desirable tint. I use 100% Tung oil for the final finish. Thin the first coat with mineral spirits to really let it soak in then 3 to 5 thin applications in the days to follow.

View attachment 308626 View attachment 308627

That stock is gorgeous.

And is it just me, or does a drift wood stock look kind of cool?

 

[jbett98]

I wonder if any soldier fighting in WW2 gave any thought about the finish on his Garand.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Just to prove i've not been completely slacking off, here are some quick and dirty pictures after i finished it tonight. I do mean dirty, these are really low quality.

Good news, all seems to function fine

 

[BillGabby1]

The raw linseed oil will never set up as you want, only BOILED linseed will give you the results you want. Raw oil can even spoil.
if you can get it out of the wood without ruining it do so and start over.
Do not drench the wood for long periods, You can wet it pretty well the first time or 2, but after that just put a few drops on your palms and rub them together to spread it evenly then rub your hands over the whole stock till it has a nice even coat on, then wipe off the excess and rub till your hands get hot, the whole thing again then lightly wipe it off again and let it cure for at least 24 hours, longer if you are the patient type, repeat till you get the finish you like to look at and touch, touchup on a semi annual basis with a LIGHT coat will keep it looking good. A nice side effect of using BLO is a slight tackiness which helps keep your hands from slipping when you want to hold it steady. I have a CVA BP rifle I finished with a product called Lin-Speed, it is a true BLO with drying agents to help it cure, I built it from a kit over 30 years ago and the finish hasn't deteriorated in all that time, no more oil is needed and I don't plan to add any.