Great point. I was actually aware of that, so did some test pieces first. The proof is in the pudding, and the final deciding factor is how the finish feels in my hands no matter what it's made of. I will probably do gunstocks this way as well. As far as this thread for me, the circle is complete.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: kkina,

Reviving this thread for a question:

For a M1 Garand original stock in good condition (dirty from crate storage with a couple of dings, no cracks) what would you clean it with before rubbing down with pure tung oil?

Thanks.

Bruce

^^^

Same thing you proposed...tung oil, it will help remove some dirt and grime but will do what you want

Get real tung oil, not the crap from Lowe’s...

Vinyl tile stripper is ideal. Or just gel Kleen Strip.

Won't hurt the wood, won't disturb the stamps. Will pull all the gack out and leave a clean slate.

You want to get any cosmo, and all the old dip off. I've tried all the methods, and a product like Kleen Strip is just the way to go. After you're done, you want to rinse well and let it dry thoroughly.

Doing Tung, or any oil right, takes patience, don't rush it.

quote:

Originally posted by RNshooter:
Reviving this thread for a question:

For a M1 Garand original stock in good condition (dirty from crate storage with a couple of dings, no cracks) what would you clean it with before rubbing down with pure tung oil?

Thanks.

Bruce

You might heat the stock first to remove any grease or oil soaked into the wood. I've used everything from the kitchen oven to putting the stock in a black garbage bag and leaving it inside a vehicle during hot weather. You'll be amazed at the oil that will leach out of these old military stocks.

I've used both acetone and denatured alcohol to clean the filth from old military rifle stocks. Both have their fans, but I normally just use whichever I have handy.

Good advice.
I was thinking of ordering this:
http://www.garandgear.com/m1-garand-tung-oil.html

Maybe sweat the oil out with a hair drier, wipe it down with acetone or mineral spirits and see what I am left with.

Arc: I have no experience with Kleen Strip but it just *sounds* harsh and nasty. Not true?

Bruce

quote:

Arc: I have no experience with Kleen Strip but it just *sounds* harsh and nasty. Not true?

Be aware Kleen Strip or any other stripper won't just be cleaning the wood, you'll be removing the finish. That's fine if you're planning on a full refinish, but it sounds like your rifle wouldn't need it. I'd avoid refinishing for sure if your stock has any cartouches or original markings left.

quote:

Originally posted by RNshooter:
Good advice.
I was thinking of ordering this:
http://www.garandgear.com/m1-garand-tung-oil.html

Maybe sweat the oil out with a hair drier, wipe it down with acetone or mineral spirits and see what I am left with.

Arc: I have no experience with Kleen Strip but it just *sounds* harsh and nasty. Not true?

Bruce

Sweating out oil with a hair dryer? Ovens? Garbage bags?

The stripper is going to be less work, and won't harm the wood.

You don't want to do this in a closet, or any room where you can't make a mess. A basement where you can hang the stock, and have windows to open, would be ideal.

quote:

Originally posted by jaybirdaccountant:

quote:

Arc: I have no experience with Kleen Strip but it just *sounds* harsh and nasty. Not true?

Be aware Kleen Strip or any other stripper won't just be cleaning the wood, you'll be removing the finish. That's fine if you're planning on a full refinish, but it sounds like your rifle wouldn't need it. I'd avoid refinishing for sure if your stock has any cartouches or original markings left.

Again, the cartouches and other markings pressed in the stock won't be harmed by my method. I've done quite a few stocks over the years, without damaging markings. I'd refinish a stock before I'd "clean" it any day of the week. Unless I worked at a museum, or had something of actual historical provenance.

Particularly if you're going to shoot it, getting everything from grime, to cosmo, to old BLO or the dip off, is going to be better long term. Why I like stripper, is you get to the unadulterated wood, and your chosen oil will really penetrate and rejuvenate that wood.

I would not ever use any sort of poly on a surplus stock. Only an oil, and then if you like, a wax topcoat.

Multiple light coats, and the stock hanging somewhere with a stable temperature and humidity that's also stable and not high.

You might check the CMP forum for advice from Garand collectors on wood treatment. Being a long term military collector, I'd still much rather "clean" a stock than chemically strip it unless I had to. Even if I felt I wanted a compete refinish, I'd heat the stock to remove as much old cosmoline as possible. Cosmoline will often leach out of the wood for years if you don't remove as much as possible. Chemical stripper is not going to remove oil and cosmoline soaked into the wood. And if you do strip I wouldn't use oven cleaner or other substitutes. Many of them contain lye or other chemicals will break down wood fiber over time. Strip Eze and most other will tell you to rinse lightly afterwards with water. This can raise the grain and you may have some sanding to do. Thus the potential damage to any cartouches in the wood.

I wouldn't use any chemical strippers or cleaners.

As already suggested, use Tung Oil, along with cheesecloth and elbow grease. I've used that method with good results on several dirty/greasy Garand stocks.

For more details, go to the CMP website at http://thecmp.org/training-tec...-cleaning-article/#9 and read Section 9 "CLEANING A DIRTY OR GREASY OR DRY COLLECTOR STOCK"

Make sure you're using pure Tung oil, not Tung oil with added thinners/varnish like they sell at your local hardware store. I get my 100% Pure Tung Oil from www.RealMilkPaint.com

You don't ruin a stock by chemically stripping it. You ruin a stock by sanding it, staining it, or using anything but oil to finish it.

I've nearly lost count of the surplus stocks I've done, for myself and others, and I've yet to erase an arsenal mark or go anywhere close to "ruining" a stock.

If you have a stock that is "new old stock" where it hasn't been banging around the world between training, lend-lease and god knows what else, then all it is going to need is a cleaning, and that's different.

If you've got a rifle that's been across the ocean, maybe it's a Russian capture K98, maybe it's a Bubbaed M1 Carbine that someone painted or polyed. Perhaps it's still marinated in cosmoline. This is where it's time for some stripping.

The one rule that must be adhered to is the pure tung oil. Rubbed in in small doses.

My feeling about this weapon is that is has never been in the field, certainly not lent to some ally for jungle warfare. It may have never been issued because the muzzle gauges 1+ and the throat gauges 2 on the original barrel. The stock has several light dings and one 1/4" deep gouge. I will probably avoid steaming out any of the imperfections but I would also like to avoid highlighting them by making them darker than the surrounding wood.

The other thing that has me hesitant is removing the upper handguard band. I don't want to crack it. I may try to leave that assembled and work around it and protect the barrel from the tung oil.

It was sold as "Service Grade" not "Correct Grade" (I think somebody goofed) but I want to leave it as original as possible. This will be a family heirloom, not an investment piece.

Bruce

quote:

Originally posted by RNshooter:


It was sold as "Service Grade" not "Correct Grade" (I think somebody goofed) but I want to leave it as original as possible. This will be a family heirloom, not an investment piece.

Bruce

Glad to hear it. Many collectors would look at stripping off the original finish as Bubba work.

So far, I've done five U.S. G.I. stocks with tung oil and I would not use anything else. Finish up with a good application of Johnson's floor wax.