Few folks asked about the stock finish. As follows:
1A. A lot of coats of Real Milk Paint Company Dark Raw Tung Oil (DRTO) First 3 applied with 0000 steel wool. After sanding the stock (I used 200 and 220 grit), soak up the steel wool with the dark oil and apply it heavily. Let it sit 10 minutes, wipe off (don't want any stray strands of steel wool to dry in the finish). Then wipe on a thin coat with a foam brush.
Let dry 12 hours. wipe down with a clean cloth the next day.
The DRTO is basically raw tung oil with a ton of dark chocolate colored carbon added. It builds up on the bottom if you let it sit for a while. It's all natural stuff, and you usually use this stuff for eating surfaces. You can apply it with your bare hands BUT it stains. Wear gloves.
REPEAT This 4 or 5 (do 3 coats with the steel wool, last one or two with the foam brush or rag). Rub it lightly with the steel wool. With the grain. Not to hard. You're just really trying to work the surface, build some heat with the friction. Don't really press down hard otherwise you'll just scrape off the previous coats.
You will see the stock darken with each successive coat.
1B. **Now, if you don't want to buy DRTO, then you can try a coat of Feibings Chocolate Brown Leather Dye. Yes, leather dye. It's better than stain. Put pre-finish (Wood Sealer) on the wood
then apply the leather dye. Since it's alcohol based, it dries fast. !!!!! WEAR VINYL GLOVES!! This crap stains your hands and does not come off unless you use Acetone or Denatured alcohol. I was out of both and had to use my damn Vodka once. It was that bad.!!! Once it dries (5 minutes) wipe if down with a rag. REALLY wipe it down. Let it dry overnight and repeat until you get a color SLIGHTLY darker than you want.
Now, you can use STAIN. Yes, stain. The stain will bring out the undertones and some of the graining. WAIT until the leather dye dries a few days. Let it dry out...
2. I then move on to BLO to get a bit more a sheen. Wipe/foam brush on a nice coat (**rinse your rag or brush with water. This shit goes on fire if you roll it up in ball and let it dry!!**) Let it sit for 1/2 hour. Wipe off excess and let the stock dry overnight.
REPEAT 4 or 5 times, or until you're happy with the sheen.
2B. If you didn't do the Tung Oil, put the 1st 3 coats of BLO on with the steel wool method. This is why I said make it a bit darker, the steel wool with lighten up the wood a bit by removing some of the leather dye. Then do your 3 - 4 finish coats of BLO.
Let it dry for a few days.
3. Apply Tom's 1/3 mix (you can make it yourself). Or you can skip this all together. I like the finish it adds.
This puts on a Beeswax based coating, so be aware that if you're going to refinish or stain the stock a few years down the road, you have to get ALL this beeswax off.
It is Khe Sahn. But they are watching a troublesome and occupied spot. The book gives a slightly different description with a John Wayne twist. Earl Breeding (google him, Hill 861A) lived in Roswell is why I sort of was able to contact Burdwell. For me guys like Breeding and Burdwell are like Johnny Unitas is to a Baltimore Colts fan.
