Tiger Stripe Garand Finished ! Pics.

[61chalk]

Just finished my 1955 HRA Garand that I bought at CMP N. Store a couple weeks ago that had Tiger Stripes...which you could barely see...now they really show up..this is what I did
1. Spray oven off on for 60 sec. an brush off an recoat for 60 secs. brushed off in water an rinse..hair dryer until dry an re-hit missed spots...
2. Soaked in soaking wet towels for 4 hours an took hot iron with wet towel between iron an stock. Steamed out lots of dents an dings...did this process twice...really works wonders!!!
3. 150 sandpaper an then 220.
4. Stained with 7 parts Cabernet Varathane an 2 parts mineral spirits, brushed on an wipe off. After drying put 7parts Formby's Tung-oil Finish low gloss an 2 parts mineral spirits. Wipe on with clothe...after drying time, have put on 3 more coats of the tung-oil without mineral spirits.
5. Handguards are fake tiger stripe, after stained with Cabernet, took Minwax Dark Walnut Stain Marker an put stripes on. Then another coat of Cabernet after drying one day, then remarked stripes again with stain marker...then 3 coats of the Tung-oil Finish...

2 pics will be coming in a few min.....

 

[7mmsavage]

Sounds awsome

Hurry up with those pics !!!!!!

 

[61chalk]

OK I'm going as fast as I can!!!!!

 

[7mmsavage]

That's good stuff.

 

[jobu07]

Nice work refinishing. It came out great!

 

[1KPerDay]

beautiful stock! I'm not a fan of the fake tiger stripe handguards but the stock is loverly. nice job!

 

[61chalk]

I'm not a big fan either, (of fake stripes, thats why I was honest about it) but the real ones are hard to come upon, an I like expermenting an figured its not that hard to strip an just make them plain. Another thing I did was to take the darker wood handgaurds an soak them in bleach water for about 2 hours, turned into a chalky white when dried an was then able to match them up with the stain to the stock. My son was impressed in that before I started you could only see some of the stripes, an had to be at a certain angle to see those..now they just show up no matter how you look at it.

 

[FMJMIKE]

Excellent work !!! Wish I owned it ...................

 

[FlyinBryan]

absolutely beautiful chalk.

cool putting your steps out like that too!!!

i refinished one of mine a lighter color here while back (few months ago) but ive grown tired of it and i think i want it darker again. i think i might use your formula because that wood is just poppin!!!!!

 

[61chalk]

FlyinBryan .... Thanks, I remember you refinishing yours..it was Birch stock, which
is on the blonde side...the one that looks brand new right?

On CMP site forums, "Ask each other" I think its page 3 now. 'Tiger Stripe Refinishing....?' you can find a thread an pic. of a Birch stock.. I tried to post here(the pic,) but it wouldn't go through.
He stripped, sanded, cleaned....3 coats of Chestnut Ridge stain, 24 hrs. between coats, then 2 coats of BLO.

I like the Tung-oil better because have heard guys say the BLO won't waterproof, an in hot weather it will bleed an in rain it swells affecting accuracy which I guess many found out at the Camp Perry tournaments this last Aug.

 

[plasticman]

I like it! reading the title I thought Oh No! stripes on a garand? you know what? I really like it! Great job!!!!

 

[FlyinBryan]

FlyinBryan .... Thanks, I remember you refinishing yours..it was Birch stock, which is on the blonde side...the one that looks brand new right?

ya, thats the one. i was really going for a lighter blond than it turned out to be, so im going back with a nice dark walnut look

 

[Maj Dad]

Kind Of Gives Me Ideas...

The bottom rifle is a Winnie I bought in the mid-80s - Arlington Ord import ($250) that I finally re-barrelled with a new SA (IL) bbl (mfg in Columbus, GA, $80 installed by Accuracy Gun Shop there; miss those days), and restocked with a GI match birch stock & new birch hand guards. I used some Chestnut Ridge Stain and the guards took on a redder tone, probably because I had already finished the stock and stained afterwards. I know the CR is alcohol based & penetrates linseed & tung finishes, but there are differences as you can see. The stock has broad stripes that wouldn't finish like yours, but mine is kind of plain, and bein' as how it's already got a new bbl & wood, why not spiff it up?

 

[61chalk]

Nice collection Maj Dad...ya, sometimes matching up all the wood to take the
same color can be tuff...my other Garand has new CMP wood on a 42 SA. The stock
came out light an hanguards very dark, so had to re-do an stain the stock dark an then match up handgaurds...now I learned I probably could of just bleached my handgaurds
an lightly stained to match the stock...I like it kinda darker now, but lost alot of nice
grain in the wood...nice thing about wood, its not that hard to strip, clean an re-do...but
I like working with wood.

 

[Sport45]

Nice, but I'd strip the hanguards and refinish them plain. Not having tiger stripe handguards doesn't take away from the effect as much as runs in the stain, IMHO.

 

[Norinco982lover]

that is great!

 

[Max C.]

Very good looking piece.