Stock finish

[budmant]

Getting a NOS No4 Mk1 stock to build a sniper clone . What would be the appropriate finish..BLO, PTO?

[JB White]

BLO cut 50/50 with pure spirits turpentine. Some will tell you RLO...
Tung will do but is considered sacrilege.

[budmant]

Thank you Sir. The wood appears to be beech, orange in color.

[PhillipM]

BLO cut 50/50 with pure spirits turpentine. Some will tell you RLO...
Tung will do but is considered sacrilege.

Few believe me, but if you jump up from hardware store BLO to the art supply oil, it doesn't need cutting with spirits.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/24722734?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222228018221033&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=40942335992&wl4=pla-78880535432&wl5=9013961&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=24722734&wl13=&veh=sem

Yes it cost a lot more than the hardware store stuff, but you only need a few ounces to do a stock. It won't break the bank

[JB White]

Few believe me, but if you jump up from hardware store BLO to the art supply oil, it doesn't need cutting with spirits.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/24722734?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222228018221033&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=40942335992&wl4=pla-78880535432&wl5=9013961&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=24722734&wl13=&veh=sem

Yes it cost a lot more than the hardware store stuff, but you only need a few ounces to do a stock. It won't break the bank

The stand oil is much thicker. The purpose of cutting BLO is for deeper penetration. 3 to 5 times in as many days. Wipe the mixture on, wait 20 minutes, then wipe to a dry appearance. Once dry, then rub with 0000wool and buff.
After the 5th or 6th day one can apply the BLO straight using the same application method. Once or twice more should be all that's needed.
Using the thinner oil does two things. Replaces the natural oils which have dried off over time, and puts the finish IN the wood instead of ON the wood.

[PhillipM]

Thanks, J.B.!

[JB White]

You're welcome Phil. I may not be a worlds leading expert on Lee Enfields, but I've been an Enfield nut for quite a while!

[budmant]

The butt stock itself looks to be "oiled" already..should I give that a rubdown too?

[JB White]

Why not? Linseed oil finishes require maintenance. The collector rules for BLO typically go like this:

Once a day for a week
Once a week for a month
Once a month for a year

Then some add: Once a year whether it needs it or not.

Oil in the forend and wait until it's ready for use. Then oil the butt and forend to match. Here's a tip: Diluted BLO tends to dry lighter on the surface than straight. If the forend has a reddish hue and the butt is blonde, then rub the oil on right from the can. For followup oilings it's your choice. I tend to go mostly diluted but only because it dries quicker.

[budmant]

Once again, Thank You Sir!

[John Sukey]

That looks like a good idea BUT since I have over 50, I will have to give it a miss

[PhillipM]

I got lazy and put chestnut ridge military stain with a hint of red in my linseed oil.

[JB White]

I got lazy and put chestnut ridge military stain with a hint of red in my linseed oil.

Lazy? I prefer to call it artistic! Doesn't take much to tint the oil. Certain shades of Fiebings dye work too.
Sad part is when I see someone does too much. They might think their opaque fake finish looks great, so I hesitate to mention what I really think.
Made the same mistakes twice when I was a little younger and more enthusiastic. I let things get away from me. hmmmm....Technically I was younger yesterday than I am today.

[bigedp51]

Prior to Dunkirk British Enfield rifles were torn down once per year for their yearly inspection. During this inspection the stock was again placed in a tank of hot raw linseed oil and soaked overnight. meaning a yearly soaking in raw linseed oil.

After Dunkirk the rifles were painted under the wood line to prevent rust and only torn down as needed for repairs. And the troops were issued raw linseed oil, and oiled the rifles once per month.




Todays BLO with chemical driers were never used on any military rifle, if todays BLO were to be placed in a open heated tank it would turn to the constancy of Jell-O.

"BUT" as stated above the purpose of the raw linseed oil was to penetrate the wood and keep it from drying out and thus prevent wood shrinkage. Wood shrinkage on the Enfield fore stock creates bedding problems and the rifle will loose the required 2 to 7 pounds of up pressure at the fore end tip.

NOTE, When wooden canoes are finished the wood is treated with raw linseed oil until the wood will not absorb any more raw linseed oil. After the raw linseed has been done applying the canoe gets several coats of varnish to protect the surface of the wood. So again the raw linseed oil is used to prevent wood shrinkage, and water seeping or leaking at the wood joints.

On my shooter Enfield rifles the stocks are soaked in a 50/50 mix of raw linseed oil and turpentine in a wall paper wetting tray. And when dry I use the canoe method and seal the surface with wiping varnish.

Minwax Tung Oil Finnish contains no tung oil and is nothing more than a wiping varnish, and dries to a satin finish.

[JB White]

According to that raw linseed was approved for field use in 1940, cancelling the provisions of ACI 88. Got a copy of that by chance? Not having all the paperwork at my disposal I can only repeat what others have found. RLO wasn't always recommended for maintenance, as your copy of ACI 1444 eludes to.

As I have always contended in the past, we don't have heated vats for dunking nor drying rooms like they had at the factories. BLO works well for those of us who can wait until that dries and then we can shoot without raw oil oozing out of the woodwork. I know you're happy with the finish on your rifles but most of us won't put a varnish sealer over the top. If my rifle were a canoe paddle I might... then again I might opt for polyurethane.