Tung oil

[larrymo]

I was watching a video and the fella that was narrating was saying that early M1's they used linseed oil to finish the stocks, but they found that linseed oil doesn't dry completely and when the gun got hot from shooting the linseed oil would soften up and get tacky and that dirt would stick to it, so they changed to tung oil because it dries completely.
So I ordered and receive a new stock from Dupage and now I 'm ready to finish this stock. My question is to be correct do I use a clear tung oil or a dark tung oil?

[Orlando]

The change from linseed oil to tung oil had absolutly nothing to do with the stock getting sticky. The change was becuase of the supply of liseed oil diminished so Tung oil was used instead.
If you ask which to use ,100%tung oil, linseed oil, BLO (boiled linseed oi) you will get many different answers. Personally I use BLO. I have refinished hundreds of stock with it over the years and its just what I prefer.

[LoyalHistorian]

Oh! I was just reading about this in Scott Duff's WWII M1 book about the switch from linseed to tung oil. p.77 says, "Wood finished with linseed oil had a tendency to smoke and sweat during prolonged periods of firing. A China-wood oil (Tung Oil) compound was developed in early 1941. One thousand rifles were assembled with stocks and hand guards treated with this finish and sent to the Army for field testing. This treatment was deemed an improvement and adopted as standard in late 1941." Then on p. 83 it says, "The Experimental Division Report dated July-December 1943 stated that the use of China-wood oil (Tung Oil) for the finish of M1 stocks and hand guards ceased during this period. Japanese blockades had shut off the supply of the raw material from the Far East. The repost states that a synthetic compound was substitued, but does not identify the material."

I was curious what the synthetic compound might have been. Orlando, do you have insight into that?

[GUNHEEP]

I agree with Orlando. I use only BLO. That is what was originally used and it really brings back a stock
happy fourth
Andy

[TJT]

BLO all the way. It doesn't get soft or tacky. Some thing was smoking besides that guys hand guards.
Jon

[larrymo]

Well I went with the BLO. Over the next couple of months I'll just keep rubbing it down.
Those Dupage stocks are pretty nice. All it took was a quick once over with some 600 grit sand paper, smoothed it right up and no tool marks or chatter. Now I just need to get the rest of the gun. LOL!!

[Smokey]

I used to be an active DCM then CMP competitor. I noticed the point of impact would shift several inches with the change from warm and humid to cold and dry weather. I started using raw linseed oil because it dries very slowly, and in particular, penetrates deep into the wood. I would apply it twice a day for weeks until it stopped soaking in, then wipe off the excess. With that treatment the point of impact never changed with the seasons. I now "treat" all my wood stocks with raw linseed oil.

[David Milisock]

I used to be an active DCM then CMP competitor. I noticed the point of impact would shift several inches with the change from warm and humid to cold and dry weather. I started using raw linseed oil because it dries very slowly, and in particular, penetrates deep into the wood. I would apply it twice a day for weeks until it stopped soaking in, then wipe off the excess. With that treatment the point of impact never changed with the seasons. I now "treat" all my wood stocks with raw linseed oil.

That's the process for applying linseed I've heard from quality wood workers and what I've done. For a couple stocks I've done inside and out for weather protection. Not sure it was right but I did it anyway.

[Smokey]

The idea is the oil would impregnate the wood, and not allow moisture to get in. By penetrating deeply there was no place for moisture to go.

[Can14]

Cut it with 1/3 mineral spirits or turpentine, 2/3 BLO
watch the colour and grain of the wood come out

[Irritant]

Hi, I am new here.

I bought a Garand about 20 years ago. At first I tried everything there was to un-blaken it. I used absolutely every thing there was to try, I had all this stuff in my shop.

It looked okay and then I put one coat of blo and it just turned black again. It was too ugly to shoot.

A month or so ago I had another wack at it. I took a sraper to it until it looked okay and added a couple of coats of polymerized tung oil. It did darken a bit but looks fantastic compared to what I had.

I have some WW2 wood that is unused. Some of it has still not really dried, yet. I have a mix of blo that does dry but my new go to is now poly tung oil. Great stuff, you can sand it the next day. Try that with blo!

[TJT]

Strip the stock with MEK. Then oil it with BLO. It'll make the grain "pop" and shouldn't turn black.
Jon