1903 Stock Mil Spec Finish Receipe

[louis]

Joe I gave it to you. Read the formula leave out the acid and camwood.

[louis]

Besides that you can buy it now online without making it

[louis]

Phil. I remember being toms because I have been using toms and was very happy with it. I need a C stock also. Looking for info on a good new one since originals are way too much for my pocket anyway. How is the Minelli?

[Phil McGrath]

Phil. I remember being toms because I have been using toms and was very happy with it. I need a C stock also. Looking for info on a good new one since originals are way too much for my pocket anyway. How is the Minelli?

I don't remember if it was Tom's or Gunny, doesn't matter. On too the Minelli, I have only seen a few, off the top of my head maybe 7 total, 3 of those were on rifles being used at the range. There CNC inletted and pre-war shaped there owners stated much less fuss fitting if any. All have been very nice clean straight grain wood with a darker stain, worlds better than anything that has come out of Boyds. Would I spend the money for one, YES. However when they have turned up and I had money too spend I had other projects that needed my attention first, looking back I should have put one of my other projects on hold for a little longer and snapped one up.

[PhillipM]

I recall Marine A5 Sniper made some log wood stain.

I cheat and use the Chestnut ridge product and then use linseed oil from the artist paint store, they use it to thin paint and it works much better than the thick, waxy stuff from the hardware store and it doesn't need to be cut with turpentine. I can't determine if it's boiled or raw. If someone wants raw, it is under another name at the grocery store, flax seed oil.

I mixed my Weber linseed oil and the chestnut ridge stain for my maintenance.

Linseed Oil — Weber Linseed Oil is widely used in diluting oil or alkyd colors. It is also used in preparing painting mediums, and is even good for cleaning brushes. This fine quality, purified and refined linseed oil is pressed from flaxseed. It contains no free mineral acids.

01500-1004-3ww-l.jpg

Chuck in Denver likes the Italian stocks for fitment and despises the CMP stocks for the same. I have zero confidence in the CMP stocks because the rear tang hole is drilled crooked on mine. I don't think much of the cheesy brass bushing either. The regular bushing willm slip fit inside the brass, but since the hole is on the wrong angle, the screw won't fit. Gluing in a dowel is simple, but how to drill it at the correct angle without constructing an elaborate jig escapes me.

[PhillipM]

I found Marine A5 Sniper's comments on another forum, perhaps this is where we get the misconception linseed oil was in heated vats?


Jim Tarleton 09:29 PM 05-26-2010
The very early rifles were dyed with logwood stain, giving the stock the reddish hue. Logwood is readily available but it is tricky to make the stain, as well as applying it. Logwood stain is water based, and the RLO finish was oil based. I have not found any discussion or documentation of how the logwood stain was applied, except for one old single line statement that the stocks were dipped in boiling logwood, which makes sense actually, ie the logwood must be boiled to make the stain. The stocks would have had to dry and be feathered before the final RLO application.

Making logwood stain is complicated and arduous. I have spent many hours making many batches trying to get the "perfect" combination. I don't know that I have succeeded yet. Bear in mind that logwood stain is colorfast (the wife's kitchen may suffer).

Many use alternate stains to achieve the same effect.

[louis]

It was usually mixed with alcohol not oil or water