Wood finishing
Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Enfields
Forum Name: Enfield Gunsmithing
Forum Description: Submit any how-to's or other gunsmithing suggestions here.
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14286
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 3:48pm
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Topic: Wood finishing
Posted By: Canuck
Subject: Wood finishing
Date Posted: December 01 2025 at 9:02am
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A question for the brain trust here. I am encountering a problem when restoring wood parts like a butt stock. I tried staining the wood to match the rest of the rifle but the stain doesn't seem to soak into the wood. It just sits on the surface and dries into an ugly mess. Is the wood too embedded with old oils and dirt for the stain to do it's work? I am not much of a woodworker having very limited experience doing that kind of work. Thanks to those who respond! Tim. ------------- Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually |
Replies:
Posted By: Irish Blonde
Date Posted: December 01 2025 at 10:14am
| First thought is to open the grain with lower grit sanding. Before I did this though I’d strip the stock completely with citrus strip. Either there’s a finish type blocking the soaking of the stain, or the grain is too tight. If we’re talking beach/birch the grain structure can be naturally tight. |
Posted By: Canuck
Date Posted: December 01 2025 at 11:05am
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Thanks, Irish Blonde! Good advice. ' ------------- Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 01 2025 at 11:30am
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Try something like an alcohol scrub BEFORE any sanding. That will preserve any faint markings. Is the stain water, or oil based? That could make a big difference. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 01 2025 at 12:23pm
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I think it will be tough to get any stain to "take" unless some of that linseed can be drawn out. Agree, water base stain for sure would not work. Google is your friend on these things, though someone here may have more direct experience.
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Posted By: Canuck
Date Posted: December 01 2025 at 1:19pm
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It is indeed oil based stain. I'll try drawing out the old oils then try it again. Thank you gentlemen! ------------- Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually |
Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: December 01 2025 at 10:28pm
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The other option, is not to stain the wood. I get the idea that making it match is prettier than having a mismatch. But in service , I doubt they would bother with staining reused parts. Plus it won't make it shoot any better! Just a thought! Not a criticism! ------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: December 01 2025 at 10:36pm
| no , in service they would make sure the wood furniture was servicable and send you off with it never evenb thinking if it matched in any way , |
Posted By: Irish Blonde
Date Posted: December 02 2025 at 4:19am
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OR DO THIS! LOL I stripped a beech stock that had a poor surface finish of some type. Brought the wood to the white condition. Then I applied 100% tung oil with the last coat getting a UV and wind treatment on the back deck 70F. day. The tung oil turns a bit blonde as it cures, but shows all the beauty of the wood. One of the hardest finishes in terms of durability I've tried. If you like blondes. Of course I do, and I like to tung them. ETA: 100% tung oil. Not "tung oil finish".
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Posted By: Canuck
Date Posted: December 02 2025 at 11:31am
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Tung oil 100%, okay got it, thx! ------------- Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 02 2025 at 1:32pm
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Linseed, Raw at first to nourish & boiled (Stand oil) later to seal
& finish works well, but takes a lot of patience, but IMO Its well
worth it. Blond wood in front after allowing to polymerize & dark (Coachwood) at the rear. No stains used at all.  ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Canuck
Date Posted: December 02 2025 at 1:39pm
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Gorgeous pair of ladies! ------------- Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually |
Posted By: Irish Blonde
Date Posted: December 03 2025 at 4:46am
| Drop dead gorgeous! |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 03 2025 at 8:09pm
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Thank you. the blond was started almost 15years ago now. The Aussie with coach-wood just a couple of years back. Something I've done but never mentioned with really grubby old stocks is "Murphy's Oil Soap", used as directed. Its a dedicated wood cleaner & so more kind to the wood than stronger things, maybe a couple of washes a week or two apart then start re-oiling with new, clean oil. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: December 04 2025 at 3:08am
| I second that nomination of the Murphy's Oil Soap, works quite well. I probably got that idea from you Shamu. |
Posted By: Canuck
Date Posted: December 04 2025 at 7:18am
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I'll give Murphy's Oil Soap a try if I can find some. I'd like to finish this project before Christmas, LOL. The rifle is a Faz No.4/MK2 FTR '52. The wood is that almost black walnut color. I had to replace the butt stock due to deep wounds and cracks. The rifling is awesome and the rest is in great condition, just the butt got whacked around pretty hard. I have 2 projects on the go and doing some reloading at the same time so I am busy busy! ------------- Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: December 04 2025 at 12:43pm
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If its really grime or old cosmo the Murphy's should clean it very well. If its a very dark wood, which is possible It will at least get the surface crud off. It was the other half of the baking process for extracting the ocean of old dirty oil filth & gawd knows what else from The Queen of The La Brea Tar Pits! ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Sauron
Date Posted: December 08 2025 at 2:25pm
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I'm about to refinish my dad's No1 MK3. It's not really worth anything....non-matching numbers and the furniture looks like the rifle saw VERY hard times in the field. He just wants it to look decent and be protected and function correctly. It was basically black. I've cleaned it up and stripped most of the gunk off. I'm hoping with some linseed oil (raw and then boiled) that it'll come out looking something like walnut. I'm going to leave it natural (no stain) and see how it turns out. Will post before/after photos soon. Best, |
Posted By: Sauron
Date Posted: December 10 2025 at 6:51pm
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Curious if it's necessary to replace the wadding that surrounds the head of the large screw that connects the butt of the stock to the receiver. What is the purpose of that part? Best, |
Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: December 11 2025 at 3:59am
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Generally there would be a leather washer fitted on top of the screw head, so the oil bottle would not be rattling on it. Obviously any unnecessary noise could cause complications if you were creeping up to a trench! So the wadding may be an alternative. ------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |