Weshowe brought over a tanker Garand yesterday and wanted me to convert it to standard length, chambered in 308.
The barrel is a Criterion and the new stock is a Minelli Italian Walnut stock. A good friend supplied the operating rod. Unfortunately, we didn't know we needed a new follower rod and spring, but the build went off without a hitch. Got everything installed in about 2.5 hours. I threw in my follower rod and spring for function check.
It is beautiful. Has the milled trigger guard too. Something how the stock is graceful long grain and its hand guard and fore end are a fiddle back of sorts. I was just a couple nights back admiring some AAA fancy walnut and fiddle back dressed Garands on line. I failed many years back attempting to make a M1 stock from a cherry blank. I did a nice job set up on a Bridgeport mill, machining out most of its interior. The exterior hand work I roughed with a rasp. By golly, I came close to having a beautiful, custom stock untill a week later it majorly checked just sitting there in the corner..bummer.
Posts: 17900 | Location: The Bluegrass State! | Registered: December 23, 2008
Originally posted by benny6: I can't wait for him to send it to someone who can give it a good surface finish. It should really pop out at that point! Tony.
No need to send it out, all you need is some Trueoil, a transfer syringe, and time.
As an example this shotgun combo had a finish very similar to what you show for that Garand.
The process for applying Trueoil is rather simple and quite fool proof. First it takes about 8 hours for a "coat" to dry enough to re-apply another coat so I would apply a coat before leaving for work and one after dinner. Second, you need to apply each coat as thinly as is possible, so don't even think about using a brush. If you lay Trueoil on too thick it will take forever (months) to dry and will likely run. What you do is fill a transfer syringe with True oil and apply one single small drop on the wood. Then you spread that drop as far as you can using your thumb. Each "coat" is a patchwork of these areas of application and only microns in thickness. Good news is after about 3 weeks you can do some light wet sanding with 1500 grit sandpaper and rub it to a polish with a clean paper towel. Once you reach the point where you aren't rubbing thru to the raw wood you are at the point where only 4 or 5 "coats are needed. BTW, this finish can be "renewed" at any time with the application of a new "coat" or two of Trueoil. I will also note that the finish gets harder as it ages so renewing the finish will not be needed much at all after 3 years of aging.
PS; I shoot Skeet and this shotgun is a 410/28 gauge combo that sees use every weekend it's over 30 degrees F. So it does need a bit of refreshing from time to time.
I've stopped counting.
Posts: 5645 | Location: Michigan | Registered: November 07, 2008
