Tung Oil finish

[Hoppy590]

so. the tung oil i did on my T53 didnt come out great. better than nothing. but not great.

im getting a wasr with bare wood. im wondering what your mixtures, or methods are for tung oil?

 

[R.W.Dale]

I apply at least 4 coats one per day applied with my bare fingers and scuffed with 0000 steel wool between coats. The more coats you apply the better the finish.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Tung Oil works just fine if you apply it correctly. (no offense meant) You have to have a oil free clean surface and you MUST NOT sand between coats. I rubbed some cherry stain the wood on my WASR-10 and then added 3 coats of Tung Oil. You apply it in long strokes with a sponge brush. It came out good IMO.

 

[macFarlaine]

Tung oil works but it is heavy.I won't advertise our mixture but you could try Schaftol.It is made in Germany and there should be no problem ordering it.It is light in mixture.Always use a lint free cloth to apply,it acts as a mop as well as a layer.Apply at least 6 coats a year,24 hrs between coats.Rule of thumb if it is tacky after 24 hrs wait another 24.

 

[SShooterZ]

First make sure the wood is clean. Scrub it with soap and water if needed and/or go over it with some denatured alcohol and make sure it has time to dry.

I would apply the first coat with a 50/50 mixture of tung oil and mineral spirits/thinner. Let that dry for 24 hours. Lightly buff with 0000 wool.

Next coat, maybe not as thin a coat, like 75/25. Let dry 24 hours, buff with 0000 wool.

Then apply 100% pure tung oil and buff/repeat until the finish is to your liking.

Should come out nice.

 

[Risasi]

As said, tung oil works, you just need a lot of coats.

One other thing, it's as shiny as heck. Not something I want on all my rifles.

 

[aka108]

To avoid the shine, I've applied tung to both stained and natural colored stocks with a pad of very fine steel wool. Rub in good, wipe off with clean rag and let dry at least 24 hrs. Reapply 3 more times in this manner and after final coating is dry rub stock down agin with very fine steel wool. Gives a smooth finish but no gloss.

 

[cuervo]

Here is the FAQ page from Fulton Armory. I've followed this with good results:

My CMP M1 stock has a few dings and is very sticky. What can I do to clean the stock? Do I sand it? What do I put on it after all is said and done?

The M1 Rifle was originally manufactured with one of two finishes: linseed oil or China/Tung oil. Towards the end of WWII the linseed oil was supplanted by Tung Oil, a finish which was used, I believe, during '50's production. Refinished stocks were, however, generally refinished with linseed oil.

In all cases the finished stock was simply dipped in a tank of linseed or Tung oil for a few minutes and then allowed to drain dry.

Stocks that come from the CMP, whether as parts or on a rifle, are often coated with that sticky goo called cosmoline. Even those that are not are likely to be oil soaked or stained in one area or another.

Here's what I do. To strip the old finish and remove oil & dirt, I use Easy-Off Oven Cleaner (the Heavy Duty variety). Spray it on, let it soak for 10-15 minutes, and then rinse off with very warm water while scrubbing with a Scotch-Brite pad. Usually one go with the EasyOff is sufficient, but I have had to repeat the treatment up to twice more.

When the stock has dried I follow up with a coat or two of Minwax Natural Stain (unless I'm getting creative) and finish with two or three coats of Minwax Tung Oil finish. Minwax Natural is clear; it simply seals the grain.

Except in extreme cases the strongest abrasive I will use is 00 steel wool. Usually a mild going-over with 00 before and after the first coat of Natural stain, then 0000 thereafter. I use my thumb to cover the cartouche and Proof stamp, in turn, to assure I don't further degrade it. I repeat the process with the Tung Oil; after buffing damp (10-15 minutes after application) with a balled-up nylon stocking or pantyhose (really!), allow drying for 24 hours then buff with 0000 steel wool. After the second coat, buff with 0000. After the last coat, buff with the stocking.

The result looks military but is more durable. I've done more than a dozen M1 and M14 stocks this way, with total satisfaction. If you're able to attend the OGCA shows (e-mail me if you wish to be sponsored as a guest), stop by the GCA booth. I generally have my CMP rifle and my wife's CMP rifle there, refinished with this method.

http://www.fulton-armory.com/StockSave.htm

 

[pdowg881]

I used the formby's stuff. It's not pure tung oil, but it's got thinners or penetrators mixed in. refinished an SKS stock and it came out great. I tried pure tung on another stock and I found it difficult and much tougher to acheive a nice finish.

 

[offthepaper]

Have you already ruled out other finishes than tung oil?

 

[Risasi]

To avoid the shine, I've applied tung to both stained and natural colored stocks with a pad of very fine steel wool. Rub in good, wipe off with clean rag and let dry at least 24 hrs. Reapply 3 more times in this manner and after final coating is dry rub stock down agin with very fine steel wool. Gives a smooth finish but no gloss.

Duh, why didn't I think of that. It's true, one wouldn't have to put so many coats on the wood. Good point.

 

[Hoppy590]

Have you already ruled out other finishes than tung oil?

not but i have some tungoil left over from the t53. i dont want a shellac or glossy finish. im thinking a light coat of tung with the mentioned steel wool method. what did you want to suggest?

 

[offthepaper]

not but i have some tungoil left over from the t53. i dont want a shellac or glossy finish. im thinking a light coat of tung with the mentioned steel wool method. what did you want to suggest?

-------------------------------------------------------------

I also did a couple of the T53's. I used the orange shellac, turned out ok, but yes a little more shine than I originally wanted.
If not a tung oil finish, I've found the traditional BLO finish to hold up pretty well, and a bit easier to complete.
I usally clean the wood with mineral spirits (no oder), than a light sanding with 220 grit or finer. After that I mix up a small batch (a little goes along way) of 50% mineral spirits/50%BLO. I put this mixture in a small spray bottle and spray the entire stock, give it 10-15 minutes t penetrate the wood, then take a soft clean cloth and wipe of any excess, let dry overnight. A light sanding with 000 steel wool (do not wipe off the resulting wood dust, leave it on the stock) Again spray, wipe excess off, let dry overnight again. repeat this 3-times. Now make a mixture of 25% mineral spirits/75% BLO. Repeat the sanding steps with steel wool between coates. Give it 2 more coats of the 25%/75% mix, let dry overnight. For the final coat, take a small amount of straight BLO on a soft cloth and wipe down stock, allow to dry. I expect you may be pleased with what you see. Also a tough durable finish that's easy to touch up any scatches on the wood that may occur later.

 

[offthepaper]

Hoppy

Almost forgot, make sure you use gloves while spraying the BLO mix. That stuff sticks on your hands even better than it does on the wood. I find that womens dishwashing gloves (at the Dollar store) work pretty well.

 

[Hoppy590]

I find that womens dishwashing gloves

i work in a deli, i have no shortage of gloves of all variety's. Latex, vinyl, we even have metal mesh gloves for cutting fish. not that we use that one.

anyway. my concern with BLO is unless you let a heavy coat soak in its not gunna do much than be cosmetic. am i misinformed?

 

[AndyM]

anyway. my concern with BLO is unless you let a heavy coat soak in its not gunna do much than be cosmetic. am i misinformed?

BLO and pure tung oil will soak into the wood. One quick wipedown with either BLO and tung oil will not give very much protection to the wood. In order to get protection out of BLO or tung oil, you will have to apply multiple coats.

BTW, when you say "tung oil", what product are you using? Are you using something labeled "100% tung oil?" Or are you using something called "tung oil finish"? If you are using the later (much more common), then you are most likely using a tung oil/varnish blend. Nothing wrong with that, it's just not the same thing as 100% tung oil.

Andy

 

[Hoppy590]

i have both formby's mix and some old 100%.

 

[AndyM]

Read this for information on how much protection BLO or pure tung oil gives wood.

http://thewoodwhisperer.com/natural-looking-bartop-finish-question-of-the-week/

The summary is that BLO alone won't give much protection.
Another thing this article mentions is that pure tung oil takes a long time to cure.

The article then offers some alternatives which are really oil/varnish blends.

I have used Waterlox (tung oil/varnish blend) on my SKS. After 3 coats, I have a thin film that is protecting the wood. It's nowhere near as heavy a polyurethane finish, but you can feel the finish unlike pure BLO.

A note on safety........

BLO, tung oil and oil/varnish blends don't dry in the evaporation sense. They cure in the presence of oxygen. you MUST dispose of your rags properly. If you were to ball up a used rag soaked in BLO, it could ignite due to the heat released in the curing process.

You should lay rags out flat to cure overnight or soak in water before disposal. I generally lay the rags outside over night. By morning they are hard can can be thrown out.

Andy

 

[NOOk]

I tried refinishing some milsurps woth BLO and didn't like the final finish. Seemd too inconsistant.

Tung is my new fave. Here's a couple I refinished with it. A Chinese SKS with no stain and a PU with one coat of Sedona red stain before the Tung oil. Each got at least 5-6 coats of Tung with 24 hours drying between each coat. They each started out as laquer caked milsurps.

 

[mainebear]

Nook, that is a very nice finish. Good color nice and smooth looking and not too shiny. Good Job.

 

[Hoppy590]

nook i like that blonde SKS. did you use a mix or any sanding?

 

[PTK]

I use 1/3 beeswax, 1/3 turpentine, 1/3 boiled linseed oil (melted together over low heat or in a double-boiler) for an "old-timey" hand rubbed finish.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I used the formby's stuff. It's not pure tung oil, but it's got thinners or penetrators mixed in. refinished an SKS stock and it came out great. I tried pure tung on another stock and I found it difficult and much tougher to acheive a nice finish.

This is fifteen coats of Fronby's, 24 hrs between coats and rubbed out with 0000 steel wool between each coat. A final rubout with Birchwood Casey stock conditioner for a satin finish. My first attempt at stock finishing.

 

[offthepaper]

nook

Very nice finish.
That Mosin is hot!

 

[R.W.Dale]

I just today finished the sanding and prep work on this new stock for my sav 340

below are a couple pics of coat #1 still slightly wet