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Refinishing the wood.

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Zed View Drop Down
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    Posted: August 24 2020 at 11:48am
I've been wanting to remove the shiny varnish on my L39 stock since I bought it. 
I finally found the time to remove the crap and treat the stripped wood with linseed oil.
The fore end is beech and the butt is walnut, which is why they had stained and varnished it previously.
I prefer to put it back to original specification.
I have used "Clarified Linseed oil". It is what Artist's use for mixing with oil paint. It's lighter in colour than the standard raw or boiled oil. So doesn't darken the wood as much.
Here's some photos.



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 24 2020 at 11:56am
Very nicely done!
I think that "Clarified Linseed oil" is whats referred to as "Stand Oil" here?

"What are the differences between linseed oil and stand oil? How do these differences affect the properties of paint? The key differences are the result of two important physical properties of drying oils: the degree of polymerization and the acid value of the oil. These two properties are affected by the treatment of oil—typically using heat—that changes one or both of them. Heat treatment of oil makes what is called "bodied" oil, which is the more accurate term for what many call "stand oil."

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 24 2020 at 12:11pm
The clarified oil is more expensive than boiled linseed oil. But you use so little that it's worthg it on the blonder wood in my opinion. It does dry nicely too. I did my "Resistance" No4 with raw linseed oil; it tends to sweat a bit of oil when it gets hot.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 24 2020 at 1:10pm
Yeah the artists oils tend to not have the additives of the commercial stuff.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Armourer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 24 2020 at 3:19pm
Nicely done.

That looks much nearer the colours of the L39's I've seen.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 24 2020 at 10:36pm
thanks! 
I'm pleased with the result; much better than high gloss.
I treated the inside as well to ensure it's properly protected; it was looking a bit dry.
The fore end has a modification at the main screw. A metal plate around 3/32" thick sits in a groove around the main screw area and the trigger guard presses on it to spread the load on the wood. However there is no  spacer fitted. 
I understand the idea of spreading the load accros a larger area of wood; but not sure if the lack of spacer is a good idea.
anyone else seen these type of modifications?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Armourer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 25 2020 at 12:11am
Originally posted by Zed Zed wrote:

thanks! 
I'm pleased with the result; much better than high gloss.
I treated the inside as well to ensure it's properly protected; it was looking a bit dry.
The fore end has a modification at the main screw. A metal plate around 3/32" thick sits in a groove around the main screw area and the trigger guard presses on it to spread the load on the wood. However there is no  spacer fitted. 
I understand the idea of spreading the load accros a larger area of wood; but not sure if the lack of spacer is a good idea.
anyone else seen these type of modifications?

Some / many / most of the L36 and L42 forends were 'badly made' and were so thin they were prone to splitting, so the 'plate' became an official 'bodge'.
Peter Laidler has commented about them on a number of occasions where the remedy was to chisel to wood out and insert a new piece of the correct height,

Some fore-ends have been found to be too low at the reinforce bearing and there’s no way of checking these before you start! Many came to light during the L42 programme and ….., I’m going off the subject, but just remember the ‘plate, reinforce’ saga! If your is low, then the only answer is to chisel it out and insert a hardwood insert….. or start again or just commit suicide………. The same applies to warped fore-ends I’m afraid and while I’ve come across a few, they were inevitably scrap


This may be of interest :

I was having a browse through the Small Arms Committee minutes relating to the L39A1 rifle the other day and found some bits and pieces that I think I ought to pass on. Including some things that I never realized either!

The first bit is that contrary to what I firmly believed, that the rifles were built up to new rifle specification from ‘new’ components (including new barrels obviously) including bodies but the committee minutes state ‘….rifles converted from the Rifle No4 Mk1/2 and 2’ too. I was under the impression from the Armourers technical blurb that all L39’s were made ‘as new’. But this is clearly not so because Mk1/2 type L39’s will exist.

This COULD mean that L39’s were made from brand new, unused ex c.1955 Fazakerley bodies. It could also include USED ex .303” Mk2 bodies. It could also Mk2/1 rifles unbreeched and rebarrelled at the point of conversion to L39 at Enfield and it COULD include bodies converted to Mk1/2 but UNUSED since conversion at Fazakerley in the late 40’s to mid 50’s. However, no mention is made of Mk1/3 bodies.

Paragraph 3 of the build standard states that the rifles will be fitted with the stock butt of the No4 rifle, ‘….identical except that a small recess is machined under the knuckle to hold spare foresight blades in a suitable container. There you have it. The correct, ‘as-issue’ butt is that of the No4, modified as detailed above. But (if you’ll excuse the pun), more later….!

Para 8 of the build standard also states that the magazine will be the standard .303” magazine that will be used as a loading platform. It goes on to state that the rifle may be fitted with a 10 round 7.62mm magazine at the users request

Now here’s a surprise…….. Para 20 states that certain rifles are fitted with a special factory size 00 bolt head. ‘……..at the factory only, it is used when assembly tolerances require a smaller head than a ‘0’. The bolt head is special and is not provisioned as a spare’. There’s a thing to get your know-it-all mates coughing into their beer!

Instruction 1 to the committee says that the first 50 EX type rifles (or should this be XL rifles?) were produced and procured with trigger pressures set to the SERVICE limits of 1st - 3 to 4 lbs and 2nd – 5 to 6.5 lbs. But subsequent series production is to be set at 1st - 2.5 to 3.5 lbs and 2nd – 4 to 5.5lbs pull. To cater for this permissible adjustment, the face of the sear can be adjusted to a maximum angle of 80 degrees ( to decrease the sear load pressure). Additionally, magazine catches with an additional sear spring location recess BELOW the original will be provided or may be encountered. There, that’s the answer if you have one on yours!

Now, in conjunction with the civilian target shooting world and the Army Rifle Association, the Light Weapon Defect and Modification Committee has agreed that build standard of the L39 rifle may be altered to include the following:
A commercial SLING SWIVEL can be fitted in place of the front trigger guard screw
A commercial STOCK FORE-END can be fitted using commercially or UK Military recognized practice to ensure the correct bedding and assembly of the barrel and body
STOCK BUTT can be replaced with the service No5, No8, No4 variants and a commercial ‘monte-carlo type with suitable face pieces (I think they mean cheek rests…..) dependent on the competitors competitive situation (type of competition rules ?)
TUNNEL FORESIGHTS of the PH FS-22A or any similar trade pattern WITH THE CORRECT DOVETAIL ARRANGEMENT. Can be used.
REARSIGHT: Any make of sight, similar to the PH 5C or AJP 4/47 which can be readily adapted can be used providing that it does so without resorting to any alteration of any kind to the rifle.

The inspection of any altered or modified L39 rifle will be undertaken by the periodic REME Armourers inspection which we still call the PRE. They will take into account the competitive nature of the weapon and their inspection will concern only the safety and mechanical condition. Any weapon that includes any deviation from the build standard will be returned to that standard prior to disposal or return to Ordnance.

Well, there it is! What is quite interesting is the fact that no sights are fitted to this weapon according to the build sheet standard, not even a standard backsight! Even to the point that Field and Base workshops required to test them for accuracy were to have available a PH5C sight in order to do so (using the authority of the SA Committee to purchase one!). The report also states that no government stores are to be used outside the build sheet standard. So this means that even if you just wanted to use a standard No4 Mk1 type (or an L42 metric version) backsight, you weren’t allowed. But I don’t expect anyone ever abided by those rules.

There, another few useless bits of Lee Enfield knowledge that you didn’t know about. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 25 2020 at 12:11pm
Armourer; many thanks! That is excellent info and answers a few questions and confirms one or two things I've found on my rifle.
The cocking piece angle is 10° off the right angle; as opposed to 4° on the standard No4 rifle. I suspected it was standard, but was not sure.
This is very useful info if you need to reduce the trigger pull weight.  I have altered the angle to 6° on both my No4's that we use in Service rifle competitions. It improves the pull weight slightly but remains well within the competition limits. 
Obviously the most important thing to check when modifying this angle is that the sear will return to it's normal position on the cocking piece if releasing the trigger from first pull instead of continuing with the shot.
I have the No4 Butt with the capsule for the front sight inserts, however the front sight must have been replaced as it's larger diameter than the stored inserts 17mm instead of 15mm. So I have a set inserts I can't use in 15mm. But have a new set of 17mm ones that can't be stored in the rifle.
The cheek piece is not standard for L39 but is No4T type (copy?) , fitted prior to my ownership.
10 round mag is fitted to this one.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 25 2020 at 7:49pm
nice job matching that furniture , looks great 
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