Minelli Stock is crazy light in color

[John L. Lucci]

Got the Minelli stock and began the process of Tung oiling and preparing it for use. When I received it it was dry and raw feeling and color wise it was on the light side.. It was nearly the same shade as my Springfield M1 and had a kind of translucent greenish cast to it. I thought it would darken after a couple of coats of Tung oil, but it's still pretty light. I came up with a hand guard that I thought would match and as you can see in the pic it seems to do so. However get it under artificial light the hand guard goes deep dark walnut (as expected) especially after I coated both with Tung oil. I'm not sure if I should sand it all back and then stain the stock so it matches or leave it .


2015-06-29 17.39.06.jpg

I'm kind of wondering what species of walnut Menilli is using. My handguard is USGI NOS and I'm not surprised it went walnut brown under artificial light, but I'm suprised the stock didn't do the same..

[chuckindenver]

Italian walnut is known to be lighter then American walnut..
they are going through some changes right now. im helping with them making a repro grasping groove stock..

[Jim in Salt Lake]

Try some different stains, use the inside of the barrel channel and test the colors to find what you like. Your picture shows some nice grain! How does the rifle fit?

[John L. Lucci]

Try some different stains, use the inside of the barrel channel and test the colors to find what you like. Your picture shows some nice grain! How does the rifle fit?

Haven't set the rifle in the stock yet. I wan to get the color right and get it sealed up with some tung oil.

[John L. Lucci]

Try some different stains, use the inside of the barrel channel and test the colors to find what you like. Your picture shows some nice grain! How does the rifle fit?

Tried chemically stripping the Tung and then hitting it with some dark walnut stain. I'm hoping it works . I've left the handgaurd alone after a couple coats of tung as it's dark enough..

[John L. Lucci]

Italian walnut is known to be lighter then American walnut..
they are going through some changes right now. im helping with them making a repro grasping groove stock..

Can you talk them into a different kind of walnut? A little late for me, but it might help the next guy..

[Liam]

italian_walnut.jpg

[chuckindenver]

not sure an Italian company would use anything but Italian walnut... most of what iv seen has been outstanding, however.
i strip, base stain, and finish..all they put is a light stain sealer on the wood.
some citra strip wood work great on that stock.. hot water and a SOS pad.. let dry in the shade. and stain with red based stain.

[chuckindenver]

FYI: your stock bolts and nuts are in backwards...

[John L. Lucci]

not sure an Italian company would use anything but Italian walnut... most of what iv seen has been outstanding, however.
i strip, base stain, and finish..all they put is a light stain sealer on the wood.
some citra strip wood work great on that stock.. hot water and a SOS pad.. let dry in the shade. and stain with red based stain.

Went with some Minwax Dark Walnut and it's now much improved.. Still a little light after two coats but I can live with it..2015-07-01 10.45.29.jpg

[John L. Lucci]

FYI: your stock bolts and nuts are in backwards...

Will it impede function other than looking off to an expert?? Getting them in without the proper spanner was a PITA and getting them out after being impacted with Tung oil isn't going to be pleasant.. Also, I seem to match many of the pictures of 1903A3s on Google. I Googled images of 1903s before I set the pins. The "new" production advertized by Aim Surplus has the bolts inserted left to right with the nuts screwed in on the bolt/right side of the rifle.

[John L. Lucci]

Went with some Minwax Dark Walnut and it's now much improved.. [ATTACH=CONFIG]31512[/ATTACH]

After this coat I hit it with a coat of red mahogany stain and it looked better yet.. going to give it one more coat in 5 hours and see how it stands then compared to the HG..

[John L. Lucci]

After this coat I hit it with a coat of red mahogany stain and it looked better yet.. going to give it one more coat in 5 hours and see how it stands then compared to the HG..

And here it is after the two coats of red Mahogany: 2015-07-01 19.27.52.jpg Handgard is still darker, but is close enough..

[chuckindenver]

i would say,,,AIM surplus rifles are far from originals...
no it wont change the function...but anything worth doing, is worth doing right..

[Johnny P]

Several outfits off a "Military Stain" to give the wood a slightly red tint. This is an original finish 1916 vintage 1903 that probably had nothing but linseed oil finish.