I got this birch stock today....



Very nice H&R stock from Fred's.

Now, how do I liven up its looks?  It seems to be dark with a bunch of black stuff on it?  How do I clean it in other words?


Thanks

Scott

LOL i just saw your other thread.  Problems already?  I thought you were happy?

ROFL sorry I don't exactly know what's so funny about this.  I got an early start on the booze.

ETA: Did Fred hook you up with some free stuff for making you wait?

Looks like oil or some shit on the stock.  Try some of that lemon duster shit, or murphy's oil soap, or something.

I use naptha( solvent) to get black stuff off.  Its a good solvent and evaporates fast .

easy-off oven cleaner... if you remove the metal first

Quoted: easy-off oven cleaner... if you remove the metal first

Why do I have to remove the metal?  I really don't want to remove the metal.  I don't know how to reinstall the front sling swivel with rivets.


Scott

Try masking off with tape.  The easy-off may damage the finish.

Remove the butt plate, leave the rest of the metal (liner and front loop) alone. Hit Home Depot and the cleaning supply section and pick up a can of foaming Zep Degreaser (about $4.00)

Go home and spray stock, let sit and wash down with good Hot water, repeat as needed until all gunk is gone.

Any dinges you don't want can either be soaked out by soaking the stock in Hot water, steam iron and a wet cloth.

Some color may be lost so now you will have to refinish.....Again simple.

Let stock dry a couple of days, stain with Minwax then I use Minwax Tung Oil Finish for 3-4 coats not letting it dry before buffing inbetween coats, sorta satin finish.

I also have a mixture of BLO, Johnson's Paste Wax and Minwax stain I apply a couple times a year, let dry and buff out to a nice rich satin sheen.

No pictures as I just dumped imagestation and need a new photo host that works.

Karsten

I don't want to refinish the stock.  It is a presentation grade.


Scott

That filthy stock is Freds presentation grade!?  WTF?

Try some mineral spirits and a lint free rag.

Quoted: That filthy stock is Freds presentation grade!?  WTF? Try some mineral spirits and a lint free rag.

I don't know if it is dirty or it is just really dark wood?  It had some white spots on it.  Which I don't know if it is mold or preservative.  They came off.

Quoted: That filthy stock is Freds presentation grade!?  WTF? Try some mineral spirits and a lint free rag.

Presentation grade means the wood and metal are in mint condition.  I'm pretty sure Fred's doesn't mean the finish was presentation grade.

Thats just what my birch stock looked like when I got it from Freds. Here's the result after cleaning:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v213/voneisen88/M1A003_red.jpg

I can detail the cleaning steps if you're interested.

Rick

Quoted: Thats just what my birch stock looked like when I got it from Freds. Here's the result after cleaning: img.photobucket.com/albums/v213/voneisen88/M1A003_red.jpg I can detail the cleaning steps if you're interested. Rick

That turned out awesome Rick!

Yes, detail your steps.  Everyone does things different and you may have a new trick to share.

One of mine came like that, and I really screwed it up............so it ended up OD Green

Quoted: One of mine came like that, and I really screwed it up............so it ended up OD Green

Ouch.....!

I'll give you $5 shipped for it......

Quoted: Thats just what my birch stock looked like when I got it from Freds. Here's the result after cleaning: img.photobucket.com/albums/v213/voneisen88/M1A003_red.jpg I can detail the cleaning steps if you're interested. Rick

I would be interested in hearing what you did.


scott

Johnny Reb's stock refinishing step by step how to guide.

This is what I do,  YMMV.


1. Remove the butt plate assemble by unscrewing the two screws under the flip up piece.
2. Remove the stock liner. If you don't have the stock liner tool you can use a set of needle nose pliers. Slightly open the pliers and insert the tips into the holes in the stock liner screw.  Turn counter clockwise to loosen. Be careful not to scratch the stock or stock liner screws. Once both screws are removed you can remove the stock liner. Pry out both sides toward the center then rotate down.
3. There is no need to remove the front sling swivel or stock feral. You can tape off these parts with masking tape, but I have found this to be unnecessary.



4. To strip off the old stain and grime, spray the stock inside and out with Easy Off Oven Cleaner. I use the “Fume Free Max” version. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes. Scrub the stock with a stiff brush or scotch bright pad. Rinse the stock with the hottest tap water you have available.



5. Let the stock dry completely. Do not dry it in the sun or near a heat source. I hang mine in my workshop for 48 hours.

6. Sand the stock. Be careful to avoid the cartouches if you want to keep them. I put my thumb over the cartouche when I get near it. Do not sand too much. Try to keep the edges of the stock sharp. I hardly sand at all on the top where the receiver sits and on the bottom where the trigger group locks up. I start with 220 grit paper, and this first sanding does most of the work. Next I sand with 400 grit paper. The final sanding is done with 600 grit paper. After each sanding wipe it down with acetone or denatured alcohol.



When you wipe it down with acetone or denatured alcohol you will see the approximate color of the stock as it will look with an oil finish. Do this to decide if you want to stain it. Staining will enhance grain and figure.





7. If you decide to stain it, use an alcohol based stain. You want to separate the staining and sealing processes. Oil based hardware store stains are not the best way to go. You can buy alcohol base stain or dyes at woodworking stores and on-line.

http://www.furnitureknowledge.com/alcohol_based_stains.htm
http://www.fiebing.com/product.asp?typeID=6

http://www.woodworkingshop.com/cgi-bin/ADA6B8D7/mac/qryitems.mac/itemDisplay?lenSgDsc=6STAINSSTAINS&qryType=GRPSG

http://www.ritdye.com/b.asp


You can also make your own stain by mixing Rit Dye (found at the grocery store, fabric store, or on-line) with denatured alcohol. Mix a packet with approximately 1 cup of denatured alcohol. I have achieved a nice red-brown using Rit Cocoa Brown.





The great thing about alcohol based stains is their adjustability. If the stain is too light just give it another coat. If the stain is too dark, wipe the stock down with denatured alcohol to lighten it. Alcohol based stains also dry very fast and will not obscure the wood grain like most hardware store stains will. Let the stock dry for 24 hours after staining.

8. Apply 1 to 3 coats of Watco Danish Oil or Watco Teak Oil. Do both outside and inside including the storage holes. Follow the directions on the can and allow 24 hours between coats. Both of these will soak in deep and seal the stock but will not build up much or give much “depth” to the finish.



9. Apply 3 to 6 coats of Behr Scandinavian Tung Oil Finish. Follow the directions on the can and allow 2 hours between coats and 24 hours after the last coat. This will give a real “depth” to the finish.





10. Apply 1 to 3 coats of paste wax. I have used both Howard’s and Minwax and prefer the Minwax. It dries harder and shines longer. Follow the directions on the can.



11. Re-install the stock hardware, your done!

12. You can clean and touch-up as needed using your paste wax.


I hope this helps, Jon

There was a member here a while back that had waaaay nicer stocks than Fred's cheaper.

Here are a couple of variations to Johnny Reb's guide in red

Quoted: Johnny Reb's stock refinishing step by step how to guide. This is what I do,  YMMV. 1. Remove the butt plate assemble by unscrewing the two screws under the flip up piece. 2. Remove the stock liner. If you don't have the stock liner tool you can use a set of needle nose pliers. Slightly open the pliers and insert the tips into the holes in the stock liner screw.  Turn counter clockwise to loosen. Be careful not to scratch the stock or stock liner screws. Once both screws are removed you can remove the stock liner. Pry out both sides toward the center then rotate down. I was careful about the stock liner. I did not remove it but was careful about application of any cleaners.  (mainly because I wasn't confident enough to remove it, never having done one.) 3. There is no need to remove the front sling swivel or stock feral. You can tape off these parts with masking tape, but I have found this to be unnecessary. I taped mine off. Just keeps it from being damaged from any scrubbing you do with it. 4. To strip off the old stain and grime, spray the stock inside and out with Easy Off Oven Cleaner. I use the “Fume Free Max” version. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes. Scrub the stock with a stiff brush or scotch bright pad. Rinse the stock with the hottest tap water you have available. I first used 70% Iso-propyl alcohol to wash off any annoying stains and to get some of the really dirty areas cleaned. Careful with being near any heat source. I would add a piece of tape to the US Gov. cartouche on the side of the stock (I have found that the wood does seem to swell a little and you may lose some definition to the lighter struck cartouches). I let the IPA dry before adding the EasyOff. You will be amazed at what the oven cleaner starts taking out. The foam simply started turning a nasty brown, greasy color. Wash and scrub very well. I used dish detergent in my wash and followed with a hot water rinse. 5. Let the stock dry completely. Do not dry it in the sun or near a heat source. I hang mine in my workshop for 48 hours. Same drying time here. After drying though, with proper gloves and a respirator in an open area away from heat and ignition sources (read outside), I washed the stock with acetone. This took out all remaining deep stains. 6. Sand the stock. Be careful to avoid the cartouches if you want to keep them. I put my thumb over the cartouche when I get near it. Do not sand too much. Try to keep the edges of the stock sharp. I hardly sand at all on the top where the receiver sits and on the bottom where the trigger group locks up. I start with 220 grit paper, and this first sanding does most of the work. Next I sand with 400 grit paper. The final sanding is done with 600 grit paper. After each sanding wipe it down with acetone or denatured alcohol. My final sanding is done with 0000 steel wool. I did not wipe down with acetone or alcohol after the 0000 steel wool. I worked Minwax Antique Oil Finish which contains linseed oil. After letting the finish dry, it was back to the steel wool again, followed by the linseed. I did this a total of 10 times to get the finish that you see 9. Apply 3 to 6 coats of Behr Scandinavian Tung Oil Finish. Follow the directions on the can and allow 2 hours between coats and 24 hours after the last coat. This will give a real “depth” to the finish. I've also used the Behr Tung Oil finish on a lot of Mausers that I've refinished. It does give a real depth finish. 10. Apply 1 to 3 coats of paste wax. I have used both Howard’s and Minwax and prefer the Minwax. It dries harder and shines longer. Follow the directions on the can. Didn't do this 11. Re-install the stock hardware, your done! 12. You can clean and touch-up as needed using your paste wax. I hope this helps, Jon

Thats what I've done with the wood stocks. I've seen awesome stocks using Johnny Rebs guide, so use whatever you like. I've also just refinished a walnut stock from Elmer Ballance that has a lot of fiddlebacks through it. I'll try to get some pics up of that.
Here's another pic of the birch from the other side:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v213/voneisen88/M1A006_red.jpg

Hope this helps,
Rick

But I don't want to refinsh the stock or sand it.  I want to keep it USGI.

Quoted: Quoted: That filthy stock is Freds presentation grade!?  WTF? Try some mineral spirits and a lint free rag. Presentation grade means the wood and metal are in mint condition.  I'm pretty sure Fred's doesn't mean the finish was presentation grade.

From Freds site;

Presentation Grade The BEST you find - and HARD to find - stocks from rifles that were apparently NEVER out of the original box from the day they were first shipped. Metal matches stock. These are as near perfect as you will find. Usually even slower to ship because they are so hard to find, as there are not many of them to start with. So be patient, please! Presentation Grade, Birch - Just like the Walnut Presentation Grade, these were taken off brand new rifles prior to destruction! Almost 50 years old, yet brand new! And not bad looking, ranging from medium brown to orange-brown to walnut-looking to almost black. A fine stock, better than walnut! $125.00

Does this stock look like it came off a new rifle? Not to me. Would you pay $125.00 for it? I wouldn't.

Quoted: But I don't want to refinsh the stock or sand it.  I want to keep it USGI.

Then don't do anything with it and you have an original 40 year old USGI stock.

Seriously, the stock needs cleaning...cleaning involves certain use of solvents (and that even includes just using soap and water).....the solvents will to a certain degree change the texture of the stock and certainly remove oils that have been in place protecting the stock. All of that requires some remediation such as replacing some of those oils and maybe even sanding.

Just my $.02 worth

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: That filthy stock is Freds presentation grade!?  WTF? Try some mineral spirits and a lint free rag. Presentation grade means the wood and metal are in mint condition.  I'm pretty sure Fred's doesn't mean the finish was presentation grade. From Freds site; Presentation Grade The BEST you find - and HARD to find - stocks from rifles that were apparently NEVER out of the original box from the day they were first shipped. Metal matches stock. These are as near perfect as you will find. Usually even slower to ship because they are so hard to find, as there are not many of them to start with. So be patient, please! Presentation Grade, Birch - Just like the Walnut Presentation Grade, these were taken off brand new rifles prior to destruction! Almost 50 years old, yet brand new! And not bad looking, ranging from medium brown to orange-brown to walnut-looking to almost black. A fine stock, better than walnut! $125.00 Does this stock look like it came off a new rifle? Not to me. Would you pay $125.00 for it? I wouldn't.

It is not "dirty" it is just dark.  That's why I am asking if it is just dark or black from being old.

Quoted: From Freds site; Presentation Grade, Birch - Just like the Walnut Presentation Grade, these were taken off brand new rifles prior to destruction! Almost 50 years old, yet brand new! And not bad looking, ranging from medium brown to orange-brown to walnut-looking to almost black. A fine stock, better than walnut! It is not "dirty" it is just dark.  That's why I am asking if it is just dark or black from being old.

It's probably just dark.  This is a military stock.  It's not going to have a beautiful commercial-like finish.

I think you can relax now.

Quoted: Quoted: From Freds site; Presentation Grade, Birch - Just like the Walnut Presentation Grade, these were taken off brand new rifles prior to destruction! Almost 50 years old, yet brand new! And not bad looking, ranging from medium brown to orange-brown to walnut-looking to almost black. A fine stock, better than walnut! It is not "dirty" it is just dark.  That's why I am asking if it is just dark or black from being old. It's probably just dark.  This is a military stock.  It's not going to have a beautiful commercial-like finish. I think you can relax now. hr

Thats the same color my stock was when it arrived from Freds. That is what years of dust, dirt, oil and grease do to those stocks. If anything mine was even a shade darker. Kind of scary when I first got it. The refinish brought out the light birch colors. That is definately not the Birch's natural color. Birch is usually a much lighter shade. I'm not sure what the original Birch stock looked like when first issued with whatever the milspec finish was. Anyone out there care to chime in?


Rick