My first finishing job was done on a Norinco SKS using Tru-Oil, so any ruination would have minimal impact. Like most first timers, I made it gleam. I soon made an offhand observation that it would probably stand out at just the wrong time on a two-way range, and made a mental note to thereafter resort to a satin-like finish.
Several stocks later, I found that simple Boiled Linseed Oil, I chose the stuff in the blue quart can at Wally-World's paint aisle, worked as well, was available with minimal hassle, and economical as well.
Last Summer, I took on the Local VFW's 8 Garands' maintenance, and decided to refinish them all. As provided by the DOD, they had slightly fat stocks lacking storage wells, were probably birch, did not appear to be actual Issue Grade stocks, and were encrusted in an apparently water (and alcohol?) based very dull dark chocolate brown 'stain'. That had to go.
I mixed rubbing alcohol and odorless paint thinner, and rubbed surface down with O grade steel wool saturated in the blend after removing all the metal from the stocks and hand guards (yes I removed the lower handguard clips with the appropriate tool). I worked at the removal, stopping just short of complete removal, leaving a slight rose shade on the wood. I made some deliberate effort to get A) all the wood parts from a given rifle to match shades closely, and B) to give each individual rifle some slight color variation from the others so each had some individuality.
I then soaked the wood with two coats of BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil) thinned to 50% with Odorless Paint Thinner, brushing it on liberally and allowing only enough time for it to be absorbed after wiping the excess off with shop rags before applying the second application. Wipe the wood down dry to touch after this and allow ample time for the BLO to dry as completely as possible. The intent is to get the initial stage of the finish to penetrate as deeply as we can.
Now begins the hand rubbing. Polish the wood first with OO Grade Steel wool, just enough to bring up some dull sheen. Dip a fingertip into the BLO and spread it onto the wood, stretching it out as far as it will go. Do this a few times until the entire surface has an even, very light coat of BLO. Using the palm/heel of the hand, stroke the wood back and forth getting it pretty warm from friction. This warmth is what makes the oil penetrate and bond with previous applications, and evaporates any excess BLO, leaving it dry to the touch. After two or three immediate following coats applied the in same fashion, to each wood part from a particular rifle, set the parts aside to dry and harden overnight.
The next day (earlier, preferably. There's still some work to do) take the OO Steel Wool and cut the finish back until the wood grain is exposed, but stop short of significantly removing the remaining trace of stain.
Repeat the hand rubbing for another three coats, and allow to dry overnight as above. There's a lot of rubbing, and a lot of waiting overnight; so I would work on two or more rifles per day, otherwise this process could take really long. Your rubbing arm will get strong, and your rubbing hand will toughen up some, too.
At this point there's eight or more coats already deposited. Cut the finish back to the wood again, same as before. What we're doing here is building the finish in the wood grain, not on top of the wood grain. This not only adds appearance, it also adds strength to the wood's surface.
The next and single final coat is the actual satin shine, and gets left as it appears after thorough hand polishing.
For a brighter finish, apply (another/more?) hand rubbed coat(s?) of BLO, as desired.
The Oil finish is special, because it is sorta alive. It can be hand repolished with or without additional BLO, and can be repaired by cutting it down to the stain/grain and rebuilding the surface coat. For dents and gouges, place a folded and refolded pad of paper towel saturated with rubbing alcohol over the blemish, allow the wood to absorb some, and apply a steam iron. The steam can raise all or most for the dent. Finish similar to the final step above.
A more significant ding can be slowly filled using OO Steel Wool dampened with BLO. Work in a circular motion covering the entire ding and at least another inch outward. The fine dust combines with the BLO to form a paste filler. Work this into the ding, not too thick at a time, and allow it to dry/harden substantially. Use your judgement, because you are working in the stain layer, and can leave it looking patchy if you remove too much stain. Too thick, too little drying can generate cracks. This may need a few repeats, but in the end, the ding will be filled with the same material as the stock itself. You get to decide how far this process is taken. Again, complete the repair by repeating the final finishing step.
The 8 Garands were transformed from a murky dull and dark chocolate brown to an array of rifles ranging from blond to mild cherry wood color. It took several weeks.
While I was at it, the metallic parts groups were also disassembled, soaked overnight in a mix of Odorless Paint Thinner and a much smaller percentage of Hoppe's gun oil, then wiped and dried to the touch. All parts were reassembled using White Lithium Grease (Lubriplate) very lightly applied with a fingertip to those moving parts areas that showed some shininess from wear. The rifles look like they were recently issued to troops who took serious care to keep their weapons functionally presentable.
Reverse the stock disassembly steps, reassemble and recombine the parts groups, and you are done.
This the same process I developed working on my own Garand, only mine has a Walnut GI stock, and was done with a lot more applications and cut-downs. I stick strictly to oil finishes, because the harder finishes can be difficult or impossible to repair as done above. Over time, the oil finish will get pretty hard, yet can be renewed and/or repaired as needed.
For M-14's or M1a's, there will be a temptation to replace the handguard with a wooden substitute. It will look great, but for shooting, the fiberglass unit is preferable from a cooling standpoint. The model with the slots is best. The version w/o the slots was to reinforce it for use when using it to get a step/boost while vaulting walls, etc., and is a compromise between strength and cooling.
For a shooter Garand, trim the edge of the handguard by about 1/16" in length where it abuts the receiver. This aids accuracy, because the wood can stretch when hot and actually stress the barrel, possibly affecting the hot zero.
That'll do it.
Greg
