I've got a K98 Mauser I'm in the midst of refinishing the stock on. The rifle is a Russian capture with a pretty decent red laminate stock. I've been following one of the stock refinishing tutorials I found on the net using a paste furniture stripper to first remove the red shellac the Russians put on the rifles after WW2. As recommended I then used a can of "Scrubbing Bubbles" household cleaner to degrease the stock followed by a rinse with hot water. This was repeated 5 times.
The problem is that after the stock dried for two days, there are several areas where small "surface cracks" opened up that run parallel with the grain. Some of these are up to 1/32". It is particularly noticeable on the side of the butt where I tried to steam out the serial number stamped in by the Russians. Have I done something wrong, or will these grains of wood expand when the stock is oiled and then fill in? Right now the stock is "marinating" in a coat of Boiled Linseed Oil. I'm just hoping these micro cracks in the grain will fill in as the oil penetrates and the grain expands?
The problem is that after the stock dried for two days, there are several areas where small "surface cracks" opened up that run parallel with the grain. Some of these are up to 1/32". It is particularly noticeable on the side of the butt where I tried to steam out the serial number stamped in by the Russians. Have I done something wrong, or will these grains of wood expand when the stock is oiled and then fill in? Right now the stock is "marinating" in a coat of Boiled Linseed Oil. I'm just hoping these micro cracks in the grain will fill in as the oil penetrates and the grain expands?
