Recommendations for stain

[DennisCA]

I am (finally) going to take my "sporterized" Remington 1903a3:



and replace the stock with this (I have the hardware as well)


(FYI-It came w/2-handguards; the longer one is for the 19003a3)

Once I make sure it fits correctly, I want to stain it but since I have zero experience in staining I would like to get some recommendations (types/color of stain/sealers/ect)

Hopefully I can start tackle this project this sat.

[ChrisC]

Was just watching a gun show last night on cable and they had a special about the 1903 and how they were sporterized after the war by the men that kept them. Great episode.

[Hardwarejunkie]

I've only ever used potassium permangante before on some Mosins, but I've seen Chestnut Ridge Military Walnut Stain recommended before for US restorations.

[003]

http://www.realmilkpaint.com/oil.html

[Air]

Tung Oil or Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). I prefer BLO, it nourishes and protects the wood. I've used it before on gunstocks and I use it regularly on my Hickory Handled Tools (Axes, Hammers Etc)

[Khromo]

Here's what I would do.

Staining wood for the first time can be a gamble, because any stain will look different on different pieces of wood. To get a good idea of what a stain will look like on your stock, you might consider taking the hand guard that you are not going to use, and cut it into five or six pieces. This will work better if the hand guard you are cutting up looks similar to the stock. You can also test in the barrel channel, just avoid the areas that will show once the action is installed.

Go to Rockler or some shop that caters to woodworkers, and buy some alcohol based stain. If you want a particular tint, get more than one color. I like to mix a little red with whichever shade of brown I chose to make the gun stand out, sometimes. Buy some thinner that's compatible with the stain so you can tone it down in case you need to. Mix up a little, and run some tests on sections of your hand guard until you find a recipe you like. Then lay some of your top coat of choice over the sample to be sure, because the BLO or rubbing varnish (like Tru-Oil) will change the color a little bit.

If that stock has some figure in the wood, you might give it a coat of shellac after the stain to "pop" the grain. It can make a huge difference! Some guys don't coat over the shellac, but remember that shellac won't seal and protect as well as a true oil finish or the modern rubbing varnishes.

[highpower]

American Walnut does not need to be stained!!!!! All you have to do is to rub in a few coats of BLO or Tung oil.

Here are a few pics of what it looks like with just hand rubbed oil. Every pic is of a different rifle. Walnut is a living material so no two pieces will look the same. To see what your stock would look like, just rub a wet cloth across it. That will look almost exactly like what it will look like with an oil finish.

[Wallabing]

Miniwax Wipe on Poly and transtint dye color of your choice. Works beautifully, and is fully waterproof. Make sure every area and crevices of your stock is coated well.

[adamjay]

What are your goals and objectives with the finish - this should guide your choices.

Beautiful?
Weatherproof?
Rifle longevity?
Period correct?

How do you prioritize these for this rifle?

Here is some great info from CMP

http://thecmp.org/training-tech/armorers-corner/wood-cleaning-article/

[hellayella]

The Milk Paint dark tung oil

[adamjay]

Real Milk Paint Co. Tung oil is what I'd do.

Or maybe Pine Tar cut with terpene of pine.

Probably a little wax.

[SonofWWIIDI]

I'll bet if you look on the midway USA sight Larry has a DIY/how to video about staining.

But its not really that hard.

I built a rack from PVC pipe/connectors I had layng around, repurposed a wire hanger, bought some Danish oil, a drip pan (I probably could have used a foil pan), a foam paint brush, and used a couple of old tee shirts.

Hang it from the rack, coat it with the oil, wipe it off with the tee shirt. Repeat as many times as necessary to achieve the finish is what you want. The directions on the back of the can will spell it out. If you're concerned about lack of experience, get some scrap wood and do a few test pieces.

Good luck!

[mycrstuff]

For an 03A3 BLO is the correct stain. Do not use a sealer first!. Two or three layers is best. After four or five layers the wood gets dark. Wipe it on let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then wipe it off. Don't let it dry in a thick layer as it will become shiny.

WARNING!! Soak all rags that have BLO on them in water overnight. BLO soaked rags can spontaneously combust due to them heating up when the BLO dries.

[SanPedroShooter]

^^^Yup. If your going back to correct, like you should...

BLO.