refinish new Enfield wood
- Thread starter can14
- Start date
smokeater40
CGN Regular
- Location
- Southern, Ontario
As many as needed to get the required finish.
Just make absolutely sure each coat is dry and lightly sanded before applying the next coat.
Now, it also all depends on which Mark rifle you are applying the coat of Linseed Oil to as well.
This may just be my experience and someone more knowledgeable, please feel free to prove me wrong here. Stocks made before and during WWII, may have had lighter types of wood used in their manufacture. Beech (very similar to Birch), Maple, Birch etc. On the No 1 and No 4 MkI/No 4 MkI* rifles the stocks were stained darker before or while finishing oil was applied. The only Lee Enfields that I have seen that weren't stained darker before refinishing were the NO 4 MkII stocks. Some of them were almost white. Some also had some very interesting grain patterns as well. I have seen earlier models fitted with blonde stocks but they were FTRed or done by someone trying to bring a rifle back to battle finish. Many of those stocks are replacement stocks, made post war out of beech or birch. Walnut became a bit of a premium wood by the end of WWII.
I have seen Long Branch rifles directly from long term storage with Maple and stained Birch/Beech stocks made by Savage and sent to LB for fitting. It appears this was common for both LB and Savage during WWII to keep production rates higher. Then, towards the end of the war when Savage had its contracts cancelled or satisfied the contracts the extra parts which were interchangeable were sent to LB as well for incorporation into completed rifles.
Many LB and Savage stocks were also sent to the UK as replacement parts during WWII and later other nations that purchased or were lend leased Lee Enfield rifles as well. None of them took a lot of care to match them up for point of origin or color.
Now, it also all depends on which Mark rifle you are applying the coat of Linseed Oil to as well.
This may just be my experience and someone more knowledgeable, please feel free to prove me wrong here. Stocks made before and during WWII, may have had lighter types of wood used in their manufacture. Beech (very similar to Birch), Maple, Birch etc. On the No 1 and No 4 MkI/No 4 MkI* rifles the stocks were stained darker before or while finishing oil was applied. The only Lee Enfields that I have seen that weren't stained darker before refinishing were the NO 4 MkII stocks. Some of them were almost white. Some also had some very interesting grain patterns as well. I have seen earlier models fitted with blonde stocks but they were FTRed or done by someone trying to bring a rifle back to battle finish. Many of those stocks are replacement stocks, made post war out of beech or birch. Walnut became a bit of a premium wood by the end of WWII.
I have seen Long Branch rifles directly from long term storage with Maple and stained Birch/Beech stocks made by Savage and sent to LB for fitting. It appears this was common for both LB and Savage during WWII to keep production rates higher. Then, towards the end of the war when Savage had its contracts cancelled or satisfied the contracts the extra parts which were interchangeable were sent to LB as well for incorporation into completed rifles.
Many LB and Savage stocks were also sent to the UK as replacement parts during WWII and later other nations that purchased or were lend leased Lee Enfield rifles as well. None of them took a lot of care to match them up for point of origin or color.
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Use raw linseed, not boiled. Apply a coat and rub in in well. After 10 mins or so wipe it off the surface of the wood. You want it to dry in the wood, not on top of it which will result in a gooey mess. Apply another coat after 24 hrs using the same procedure. 2 or 3 applications should be good.
- Location
- Beaverlodge, Alberta
Lol 5th!
It's tough to find original technical data on stock manufacturing and finishing for LE stocks, but there are military maintenance manuals that stipulate that stocks will be maintained with RAW linseed oil as required. The same directions applied to stock maintenance on various US made rifles incl the M1903 Springfield, M1 Garand and M1 Carbine. We were also provided with tins of RAW linseed oil to re-condition FN rifle stocks when required.
At time of manufacture M1 Garand stocks were treated by a 5 minute immersion in pure tung oil and then allowed to dry. I have a copy of a 1916 dated technical data package on manufacturing the M1903 Springfield which stipulates that finished stocks and handguards will be immersed in BOILED linseed oil and then allowed to dry for a 24 hr period. Presumably, but not stated, these oils would have been heated to facilitate penetration of the wood. It is reasonable to assume that similar measures would have been taken to treat LE stocks, given the volume of production and the urgency of wartime needs. There would have been no time for piece by piece hand staining or finishing of stocks.
I have never seen any information that stocks were to be stained at time of manufacture. There are a lot of variations in military stock color which is a function of variations in the wood used as well as different types of wood. Walnut was the preferred stock material for LE rifles, but Beechwood and Birch were used as substitutes. Changes in stock color are due to a number of factors including oxidization of linseed and petroleum based oils in the wood and the effects of sunlight, rain, sweat, dirt and miscellaneous grime over time. The net effect of all of this would have been a gradual darkening of the wood over time. You can see the same darkening effect in hardwood flooring.
I've installed quite a few NOS Garand and M1903 stocks, as well as some NOS NO4 LE stocks, and prefer to treat them by rubbing in several applications of pure tung oil making sure that any excess oil is wiped off the surface of the wood so that it does not accumulate and dry on top of the wood. The last thing you want in a military rifle stock or any other piece of field gear is a shiny finish which would disclose your position. You can get a nice pimp shined stock by repetitive applications of hand rubbed BOILED linseed oil, but this is not what the military did. Linseed oil was used for a long time based on it's ready availability (extracted from the flax plant which was grown all over Europe and N. America) as well as its ease of application and preservative qualities. The reason why the US Army went to tung oil, rather than linseed, when finishing Garand stocks was because they felt that it was less liable to smoke and sweat when hot. There are reports of Garands being fired rapidly and for such prolonged periods in Korea that the handguards would actually smoke and become charred from the intense barrel heat.
At time of manufacture M1 Garand stocks were treated by a 5 minute immersion in pure tung oil and then allowed to dry. I have a copy of a 1916 dated technical data package on manufacturing the M1903 Springfield which stipulates that finished stocks and handguards will be immersed in BOILED linseed oil and then allowed to dry for a 24 hr period. Presumably, but not stated, these oils would have been heated to facilitate penetration of the wood. It is reasonable to assume that similar measures would have been taken to treat LE stocks, given the volume of production and the urgency of wartime needs. There would have been no time for piece by piece hand staining or finishing of stocks.
I have never seen any information that stocks were to be stained at time of manufacture. There are a lot of variations in military stock color which is a function of variations in the wood used as well as different types of wood. Walnut was the preferred stock material for LE rifles, but Beechwood and Birch were used as substitutes. Changes in stock color are due to a number of factors including oxidization of linseed and petroleum based oils in the wood and the effects of sunlight, rain, sweat, dirt and miscellaneous grime over time. The net effect of all of this would have been a gradual darkening of the wood over time. You can see the same darkening effect in hardwood flooring.
I've installed quite a few NOS Garand and M1903 stocks, as well as some NOS NO4 LE stocks, and prefer to treat them by rubbing in several applications of pure tung oil making sure that any excess oil is wiped off the surface of the wood so that it does not accumulate and dry on top of the wood. The last thing you want in a military rifle stock or any other piece of field gear is a shiny finish which would disclose your position. You can get a nice pimp shined stock by repetitive applications of hand rubbed BOILED linseed oil, but this is not what the military did. Linseed oil was used for a long time based on it's ready availability (extracted from the flax plant which was grown all over Europe and N. America) as well as its ease of application and preservative qualities. The reason why the US Army went to tung oil, rather than linseed, when finishing Garand stocks was because they felt that it was less liable to smoke and sweat when hot. There are reports of Garands being fired rapidly and for such prolonged periods in Korea that the handguards would actually smoke and become charred from the intense barrel heat.
Submerged because it was less time and manpower consuming. Think in terns of the least expensive and fastest way of getting rifles made.
Raw linseed oil doesn't dry. Boiled does.
Tung oil is a far better finish, but it takes several days to apply correctly and if you're looking for an original finish, it's not.
Birch, beech or maple stocks were not stained. Same reason as dunking stocks. That's why you see blond Lee-Enfields.
Raw linseed oil doesn't dry. Boiled does.
Tung oil is a far better finish, but it takes several days to apply correctly and if you're looking for an original finish, it's not.
Birch, beech or maple stocks were not stained. Same reason as dunking stocks. That's why you see blond Lee-Enfields.
I got 19 sets to do in n04 wood. The linseed oil has made the grain stand out, where you didn't see it before in some of
the wood. Beechwood and Birch wood seem to absorb "dirt" etc over time, even after lots of cleaning, the oil brings it out.
All of the Mauser stocks on the israeli 22 rifles have the same issues from being stored in the desert. It was easier to
replace the wood on exc/mint rifles. Oil was the issue in the wood.
the wood. Beechwood and Birch wood seem to absorb "dirt" etc over time, even after lots of cleaning, the oil brings it out.
All of the Mauser stocks on the israeli 22 rifles have the same issues from being stored in the desert. It was easier to
replace the wood on exc/mint rifles. Oil was the issue in the wood.
Tung oil dries almost as slow as linseed. Don't believe the guys that sell the stuff, try it yourself to see.
I have some #4 wood that was never fit to a rifle. The linseed really is dry and can be rubbed up a bit. This is what the yellowish crusties are. Cosmoline also contained some linseed and when you wash it off old parts with solvent they tend to have some crusty bit left behind, that washes off with soap and water.
The reason that some countries used shellac for a finish is because it will dry on oily wood.
I have some #4 wood that was never fit to a rifle. The linseed really is dry and can be rubbed up a bit. This is what the yellowish crusties are. Cosmoline also contained some linseed and when you wash it off old parts with solvent they tend to have some crusty bit left behind, that washes off with soap and water.
The reason that some countries used shellac for a finish is because it will dry on oily wood.
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