M14S/Norc M14 "Chu" Wood Stock

Travis Bickle

Travis Bickle

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Upper Lower Middle Alberta
I have heard that the mystery wood from the Norinco M14's is actualy not that bad.
The reason they are so soft is because they soak in grease and oil for untold lengths of time and they have become essentialy flooded with the stuff.
I got myself a boyds unfinished M1A for my M14 (sanded it and BLO'ed it myself).
I'm curious as to see what I can make of this leftover unwanted chunk of saturated wood.
My hypothesis is that if I can get the oil and grease out somehow and sand it/finish it with linseed oil, it will be much harder and appealing.
Anyone have any tricks to sucking out all the oil and grease from a stock?
I remember a ways back someone had said something about a dishwasher.
Any kind of prolonged heat would probably do but I need something practical.
Any help/guidance would be appreciated.
 
Travis Bickle said:
I have heard that the mystery wood from the Norinco M14's is actualy not that bad.
The reason they are so soft is because they soak in grease and oil for untold lengths of time and they have become essentialy flooded with the stuff.
I got myself a boyds unfinished M1A for my M14 (sanded it and BLO'ed it myself).
I'm curious as to see what I can make of this leftover unwanted chunk of saturated wood.
My hypothesis is that if I can get the oil and grease out somehow and sand it/finish it with linseed oil, it will be much harder and appealing.
Anyone have any tricks to sucking out all the oil and grease from a stock?
I remember a ways back someone had said something about a dishwasher.
Any kind of prolonged heat would probably do but I need something practical.
Any help/guidance would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Can't remember exactly what my dad did (I know he sanded it down a couple of times and got tons of oil out, and finished it with either tung oil or linseed oil) but you can go from this:



FirearmsPic22.jpg


To this:

FirearmsPic52.jpg
 
Stripped it with some furniture stripper then stained it with some Old masters American Walnut stain. Soaked it Tung Oil after 10 coats is definatly not a Nork looking stock.
 
I refinished one just to see how it would turn out(I like my M14s in fiberglass).

Used degreaser and then multiple washes. Then went through tung oil treatment(cut with mineral oil) and gradually built way up so that the tun oil would soak deepest possible. The stock was still quite light(characteristic of the wood) but rather strong.
 
Travis Bickle said:
I have heard that the mystery wood from the Norinco M14's is actualy not that bad.
The reason they are so soft is because they soak in grease and oil for untold lengths of time and they have become essentialy flooded with the stuff.
I got myself a boyds unfinished M1A for my M14 (sanded it and BLO'ed it myself).
I'm curious as to see what I can make of this leftover unwanted chunk of saturated wood.
My hypothesis is that if I can get the oil and grease out somehow and sand it/finish it with linseed oil, it will be much harder and appealing.
Anyone have any tricks to sucking out all the oil and grease from a stock?
I remember a ways back someone had said something about a dishwasher.
Any kind of prolonged heat would probably do but I need something practical.
Any help/guidance would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

where can you pick up a M14 with the wood stock? The norc ones I see all have the fiberglass stock, which is not very appealing to me.
 
dakotamar said:
where can you pick up a M14 with the wood stock? The norc ones I see all have the fiberglass stock, which is not very appealing to me.
Click to expand...

I had bought this one off a friend of mine.
It had the original Chinese wood stock on it. I'm not a fan of synthetic stocks myself.
So if I get this right, spraying heavy duty oven cleaner on it, let it sit for a while, then rinse it and repeat?
How long do I let it soak in the cleaner?
What do i use to rinse it?
 
I stripped my chu wood stock with oven cleaner, and did the dishwasher thing. Finish was Tung Oil applied with 0000 steel wool.

With respect to the OP, the stock really is that bad. the grain is loose, and its soft wood, so a slight little ding or rub shaves the grain out and splinters very easily. Its also really light-weight, not very dense.
 
Travis Bickle said:
I had bought this one off a friend of mine.
It had the original Chinese wood stock on it. I'm not a fan of synthetic stocks myself.
So if I get this right, spraying heavy duty oven cleaner on it, let it sit for a while, then rinse it and repeat?
How long do I let it soak in the cleaner?
What do i use to rinse it?
Click to expand...

I use that foamy easy off, just set it in the bathtub, spray it down and let it sit, it will foam and after awhile it will look like foamy mud, rinse it off and do it as many times as you need to. I have also used a 3m kitchen pad to help it along for the real bad ones. I did a pile of the old ishapore FN's and enfield stocks this way and it works great. Once your happy with it, then hang it somewhere and let it dry really good. Then you are ready to finish it with your method of choice. I use what stain color I have chosen first, then multiple coats of linseed oil cut with the stain. Let it dry between coats, then use a 0000 steel wool to remove the top layer (your filling the grain at this point). Once your happy with that, I use a final couple of layer of linseed oil cut 50/50 with spar varnish and do the same as before. It gives a wonderful finish and very very durable, not too shiny and very smooth and soft feeling.
 
huntermb said:
I use that foamy easy off, just set it in the bathtub, spray it down and let it sit, it will foam and after awhile it will look like foamy mud, rinse it off and do it as many times as you need to. I have also used a 3m kitchen pad to help it along for the real bad ones. I did a pile of the old ishapore FN's and enfield stocks this way and it works great. Once your happy with it, then hang it somewhere and let it dry really good. Then you are ready to finish it with your method of choice. I use what stain color I have chosen first, then multiple coats of linseed oil cut with the stain. Let it dry between coats, then use a 0000 steel wool to remove the top layer (your filling the grain at this point). Once your happy with that, I use a final couple of layer of linseed oil cut 50/50 with spar varnish and do the same as before. It gives a wonderful finish and very very durable, not too shiny and very smooth and soft feeling.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much.
So you used foaming Easy Off oven cleaner?
I'm going to give it a try. Obviously it isn't the same quality as a walnut M1A stock lol
But I heard it really isn't the worst wood. It's worth a try if not for my own curiosity and something to kill time while on leave this year.
If I get around to it, I'll post some pics of the progress.
 
huntermb said:
Yep Easy Off oven cleaner, the foamy stuff, works great. I've got my chu wood stock just sitting on a shelf, I think I may have to give it a go and see how they do turn out.
Click to expand...

Aye, let me know how it turns out.
I'll do the same.
Thanks again for the information.
I'm going to give it a go.
Should be interesting or at the very least entertaining :D
Merry Christmas all!
 
As an update, I have transfered everything out of the Chu stock and my Norc is now happy in its new capitalist wood house.
The Easy Off spray worked (Holy #### did it ever!) stripped the thing so clean in two sprayings and rinsings a Chinaman could have wittled the thing yesterday :D
Anywho, as one of you said already, yes the woods grain is very loose.
But I have noticed that if it is properly sanded working from rough to very fine, the grain seems to tighten on the sanded area surface anyhow.
I'm going to keep on it and see what i can make out of it.
More to follow, wait out!
 
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