My New CMP Garand Stock Set--How To Finish?

[blood_donor]

I decided to go in for a new CMP stock set, as I plan on having my rifle re-parkerized later this year, after shooting the hell out of it. I expected a several month wait for the stock, but it only took about a month to come in. I was also suprised that CMP required a signature for delivery of the stock, hardly a dangerous item.

Here are some pics:

New and Old


CMP Cartouche​

The CMP stock is substantially rougher feeling than the old stock. Not surprising, considering the years of handling and all the oil and grease that is embedded in the old stock. It also seems to be slightly larger in size, perhaps because the wood hasn't had 50 years to dry?

The swap wasn't too hard, until I had to do the top handguard clip. Much cursing was used as I struggled to get the clip off the old piece and onto the new one without damaging anything too badly. I did nick the new handguard, but it will get some scrapes from being fired, so NBD. Everything was a very tight fit, and I had to use a narrow wood chisel to deepen the groove under the trigger, because I was not able to pull the trigger far enough to drop the hammer. So much for a "drop-in" fit!

So, for my questions; what should I do to the CMP stock? I don't want a super-shiny shellacked look, that wouldn't be consistent with the M1. I was thinking of some fine (finer than the 120 they used) sanding, and a few coats of something durable. Tung oil? Semi-gloss polyurethane? Turtle Wax?

What do you guys recommend?

 

[Eightball]

This place made the original linseed oil coat for the GI stocks way back when, and they still produce it nowadays. I just don't know where it is on their website, and haven't emailed them asking about it yet, but that's the coat I intend to put on mine once I get around to doing the same work on it that you are doing now.

http://www.realmilkpaint.com/

Enjoy.

 

[cuervo]

Here is a good description of stock refinishing:
http://www.fulton-armory.com/StockSave.htm

You can skip the Easy Off part if the CMP stock is unfinished to start with. I've had good results using Tung oil and progressively lighter sandings after each coat.

After the final coat, going over it with nylong stockings or even just a course cloth is a good way to reduce the shine to a flat look.

 

[BsChoy]

I lightly wet sand it with some murphy's oil soap and let it dry. Then dry sand it with 220 grit then buff that with 0000 steel wool then a 50/50 mix of birchwood-casey tru oil mixed well and applied by hand until the friction heats up your hand. After each coat dries lightly buff with 0000 steel wool and wipe with a clean cloth. This makes a hard water proof finish that isn't too glossy and will last.

 

[Onmilo]

I like plain unboiled artist grade linseed oil for use on military stocks.
Linseed oil will fully dry but desolidifies when exposed to high heat and you will get a slick oily stock if you do not put a sealer on top of the linseed oil.
Linseed oil will also darken with age but if you stick to artist grade oil the darkening is no where near as severe as with construction finish grades of the stuff and it take three times as long to see appreciable darkening.

Tung oil will produce a more durable finish and dries fully much quicker than linseed oil.
It does not darken to the extent linseed oil does and,,,
It does not have a tendency to leech out of the wood either.
The drawback is the stuff stinks to high heaven.

Some people have produced really nice finishes using a 50/50 mixture of Tung and Linseed oils and I would recommend this choice as authentic, durable and long lasting without the need for constant reapplications.
I would use this combo if I could just get past the stench of the Tung oil.

 

[strat81]

I wouldn't concern myself with "originality". It's a new stock on a reparked gun, so it's collector's value has diminished quite a bit already anyway.

Steel wool and tung oil. Very easy to apply and will protect it from moisture. Knock down the grain with 0000 steel wool between each coat of tung oil. Apply the tung oil with a rag, applying it evenly wiping off any excess. I'd let each coat dry 24 hours before reapplying. The odor isn't that bad, especially if you do it in an open garage or shed. Besides, it should take very long to apply a single coat anyway. Pretty much all hardware stores carry it too.

I've used water-based semi-gloss poly and it feels "fake". It might be okay for furniture, but not for something you'll have your hands on.

 

[30Cal]

I like to dye them before using Tung Oil. Feibing's Dark Brown or Chestnut Ridge (they're alcohol based--pretty much the same results with either).



Make sure you let the stock dry thoroughly after each step.

 

[aka108]

Lightly sand, just enough to smooth out the wood and apply Tung oil, rubbing it it well with fine steel wool. 3 or 4 applications 24 hours apart and you'll have a nice smooth durable finish and no gloss. If you want a little darker finish stain as mentioned above but I'd stick with a oil based stain since it is easy to control the level of darkness by wiping off excess at different time intervals after application.

 

[DMK]

Tung oil will produce a more durable finish and dries fully much quicker than linseed oil.
It does not darken to the extent linseed oil does and,,,
It does not have a tendency to leech out of the wood either.
The drawback is the stuff stinks to high heaven.

Real tung oil doesn't smell. It has a very faint nutty odor (it's kinda pleasant I think).

The problem is, most people aren't using real tung oil when they think they are. There are a ton of "tung oil formulations" out there (like Formsby's) that are much more like varnish than anything else.

The stuff Eightball linked to at Real milk paint is real, pure Tung oil.

 

[30Cal]

If you want a little darker finish stain as mentioned above but I'd stick with a oil based stain since it is easy to control the level of darkness by wiping off excess at different time intervals after application.

I actually put down a coat of tung oil first, then stain with the alcohol based.

Ty

 

[Brian Williams]

It looks fairly smooth, wet it with a little water and raise any grain. Then sand it smooth again. Stain it to match and get ready for some boring time. Get a mixture of 50/50 boiled linseed oil(boiled because that stuff hardens more than non-boiled) and real tung oil. Now wet a portion of the stock with the 50/50 mixture and start rubbing. Use your hand and press hard till you feel some warmth, Wet area, Rub, Repeat.
WA, R, R... WA, R, R... WA, R, R....

Get some good WWII movies, should take about 4 till it is done right.

 

[SNEAKY PETE]

Just like we did in the Old Brown Shoe Marine corps

Old Sneaky here: I'm not saying that this is what you should do, just the way we did it back in the late'50s in the Corps with our M-1s. Medium steel-wool from the supply room and boiled linseed oil, sit on your foot locker,steel wool it smooth and rub that damned linseed oil in with your palm till it(the palm) got too hot, let the stock dry, put on more linseed oil on it ,rub it in till your palm got too hot, over and over till the Gunny said it looked OK. If you happened to get a good ding in it you'd get a broken piece of glass and back scrape across the ding till it was gone(the ding) , then back to the steel wool and linseed oil routine till the Gunny said it looked OK.. A couple of years ago I got an M-1 from Cmp (a Danish lend lease) and the stock was really crappy so I bought a new one from Boyd for $85.00 and started with the med steel wool/boiled linseed oil routine BUT, this time no foot locker and no Gunny. Sometimes you can't teach an old Grunt new tricks. THANX--SNEAK