Boyds M1 Garand Stock, What finish? ***PICS***

Which finish?

  • Tru Oil

    Votes: 5 17.9%

  • Linseed Oil

    Votes: 12 42.9%

  • Other

    Votes: 11 39.3%
  • Total voters
    28
MagnumPeanut

MagnumPeanut

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What finish should I use on this stock? I was thinking either Tru Oil or Linseed Oil.

What else should I consider.

So after everyone set me straight I picked up Tung Oil.

Here is the final result.

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Pure Tung Oil is another option besides Boiled Linseed Oil which will produce a military style finish. Whether you use PTO or BLO make sure it is applied in a number of coats and well rubbed in. Rub off any excess on the surface of the wood after application. You want it IN the wood, not ON the wood where it will dry and turn gummy. Tru Oil is a nice finish for a sporting rifle stock.
 
Tung Oil for US milspec finish, of course. They used to submerge the entire stock in the stuff, much the way Enfield did with the BLO and the Lee woodwork, then just wipe it off.

My PERSONAL preference would be BLO, but I'm not trying to do one to military spec.

And then there's always Varathane with grass-green dye.... big yellow spots applied to the wood before you Varathane it...... hide it in a dandelion patch and you'll never find it..... or purple, if you really want to be able to see it....... there is ample opportunity here fore creativity, you realise.

But Tung Oil if you want the USGI finish, which can be very nice on a good piece of wood. My own M-1 was done this way in 1953, still looks pretty darned good.

Have fun!
 
Give it a good soak for the first coat, Pour some Tung oil into the stock holes and gaps and drain. Let it sit for about an hour and wipe with a dry rag. Do not leave it dry without wiping.
 
Once a day for a week... once a week for a month.. once a month for a year... once a year for the rest of your life... You will find that where you handle the rifle will get darker from your hands, adds character...
 
"...there's always Varathane..." Don't be rediculous. Varathane is for cheap furniture.
You want a flat or shiney finish?
The original finish was BLO. BLO gives a flat finish and is applied with clean cloths. Doesn't have to be rubbed in.
"...Once a day for a..." That's for BLO only.
Tung oil gives a hard, waterproof, shiney, finish and was used on later M1's. Tung oil is rubbed in(not just put on and left to dry) with a clean, lint free cloth in several light coats with 24 hours drying time between coats. Use a new cloth for each coat. Five coats gives a nice sheen and brings out the grain of the wood nicely. Apply any stain before the first coat as tung oil soaks into the wood to about 1/4" and keeps everything out. Once the first coat is on, there's no going back. The more you rub in, the shinier the finish. The friction heat of the rubbing is what make tung oil soak in.
A few light coats on the inside of the stock will seal the wood. Those can be brushed on and the excess removed with a sponge.
"...when do I know it is done?..." When you get the amount of shine you like.
 
Post some photos!

I've used tung oil on one of my stocks that I sanded all the previous stain out of and it brings a nice matte luster (if that makes sense) to the blond grain. I'll have to take that advice and do that once a week, once a month, etc. program. I've only got about 5 or 6 coats on. I'll get some photos up for a look see after my next coat.
 
I got the metal together but I put another "coat" on the stock as I could see a few spots were it soaked in over night and looked patchy.
I also used steel wool to get all the rusty spots off the metal and cold blued it. Looks 110% better than it did before, it was really, really pathetic when I got it. I payed too much for it but it seems M1 Garands are in high demand nowadays.
He is what I got so far.

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