I’ve got NOS mahogany stock I’ve been saving to put together a lightweight rifle on and picked this boy’s length stock for a sawbuck to build another for my kids. We have a walnut 580 boy’s rifle and I wanted a matching one so both kids would have the same.
The factory finish on this one was checked and had a few dings, and there was a fair amount of staining from solvents but it was not bad. I took the factory finish off using cabinet scrapers, steamed up the dents and washed it with Zep Orange in hot water to get most of the stains out. Just a quick scrub and hot water rinse then a couple weeks to dry it. It didn’t require much in the way of sanding, pretty much a quick once over.
The factory finish was pigmented and obscured the grain too much for my liking. I opted for an initial five coats of what I call Red Oil. I use it primarily to replicate the old Winchester finish, but have used it on other rifles from time to time. On this stock it gave it a deeper red shade than the bare mahogany without really making it more red. If you know what I mean.
So, I’ve heard that these stocks were mahogany from some very knowledgeable folks, and I’ve heard they are something else from others who are equally knowledgeable. Looks like mahogany to me.
Irrespective of what the wood actual is, I’ve done a few and I don’t mind them. They are very light and tend to scratch more easily than walnut or birch, but they seem strong and stable. The wood is fairly open grained and there are a couple options available to deal with that. 1) Art’s French Red Stock Filler followed by ten or so coats of Tru Oil or 2) 25 to maybe 35 coats of Tru Oil. On this stock I went with the latter. It’s got about 30 coats and is nearly done with that stage. Knock the Tru Oil down with 4-O steel wool after each coat dries before putting the next coat on.
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It looks like the devil in the photo, but when the oil is knocked down with 4-O steel wool it’s not bad. I’ll probably put four or five more coats on it then set it aside for a few weeks before rubbing it down with rotten stone and mineral oil and putting a couple coats of Ren Wax on it.
There are a few stains under the finish, but the alternative is to sand them out and change the profile or use harsh chemicals that tend to leave their mark too. I prefer the stains to either. Actually, minor stains don’t really bother me.
I’m pretty satisfied with how it is looking. Now, I’ve got to come up with a barreled action. I’ve got an action here, but it’s been threaded and I don’t want to put any heavier barrel on this rifle than what they came with. Our other one has a B&L 3-7 Custom 22 on it and I have another nice one for this one. They go on over the sight and plastic cover. I like them real well on 58x series rifles.
Oh, what I call Red Oil is 50/50 Mineral Spirits (real mineral spirits, not the “green stuff” unless you want to throw it out and start over) and Boiled Linseed Oil in which Alkanet Root has been soaking in. Put as much shredded alkanet root in as possible. It takes a few months to develop and gets better the longer it soaks. It will look like a bottle of blood when it’s ready.
The factory finish on this one was checked and had a few dings, and there was a fair amount of staining from solvents but it was not bad. I took the factory finish off using cabinet scrapers, steamed up the dents and washed it with Zep Orange in hot water to get most of the stains out. Just a quick scrub and hot water rinse then a couple weeks to dry it. It didn’t require much in the way of sanding, pretty much a quick once over.
The factory finish was pigmented and obscured the grain too much for my liking. I opted for an initial five coats of what I call Red Oil. I use it primarily to replicate the old Winchester finish, but have used it on other rifles from time to time. On this stock it gave it a deeper red shade than the bare mahogany without really making it more red. If you know what I mean.
So, I’ve heard that these stocks were mahogany from some very knowledgeable folks, and I’ve heard they are something else from others who are equally knowledgeable. Looks like mahogany to me.
Irrespective of what the wood actual is, I’ve done a few and I don’t mind them. They are very light and tend to scratch more easily than walnut or birch, but they seem strong and stable. The wood is fairly open grained and there are a couple options available to deal with that. 1) Art’s French Red Stock Filler followed by ten or so coats of Tru Oil or 2) 25 to maybe 35 coats of Tru Oil. On this stock I went with the latter. It’s got about 30 coats and is nearly done with that stage. Knock the Tru Oil down with 4-O steel wool after each coat dries before putting the next coat on.
It looks like the devil in the photo, but when the oil is knocked down with 4-O steel wool it’s not bad. I’ll probably put four or five more coats on it then set it aside for a few weeks before rubbing it down with rotten stone and mineral oil and putting a couple coats of Ren Wax on it.
There are a few stains under the finish, but the alternative is to sand them out and change the profile or use harsh chemicals that tend to leave their mark too. I prefer the stains to either. Actually, minor stains don’t really bother me.
I’m pretty satisfied with how it is looking. Now, I’ve got to come up with a barreled action. I’ve got an action here, but it’s been threaded and I don’t want to put any heavier barrel on this rifle than what they came with. Our other one has a B&L 3-7 Custom 22 on it and I have another nice one for this one. They go on over the sight and plastic cover. I like them real well on 58x series rifles.
Oh, what I call Red Oil is 50/50 Mineral Spirits (real mineral spirits, not the “green stuff” unless you want to throw it out and start over) and Boiled Linseed Oil in which Alkanet Root has been soaking in. Put as much shredded alkanet root in as possible. It takes a few months to develop and gets better the longer it soaks. It will look like a bottle of blood when it’s ready.
