k-98 stock finish ?

[jh-ss44]

Does any one know what the germans actually used on the k-98 stocks?
I have a beat up k-98 & want to re finish the stock properly .
this info was never mentioned in Mr. Laws book. he covered everything else.
thank you ahead of time. jeff

[Bob in OH]

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthre...-dry-K98-stock

[jh-ss44]

o.k. Bob. I'll check there when I can. this one is real bad . paid nothing really for it. was a china contract of 1938. came out of china about a year ago. jeff

[cobra-2001]

stock

Hi they used boiled linseed oil on them .

[robcox1]

The gunboards thread is pretty fascinating. A lot of differing and conflicting opinions, all of them pretty strongly held.

Some of the contributors to the thread state that the Germans originally used Ballistol. Ballistol is a mineral oil apparently derived from coal. I have never used it, but I am at a loss as to how a mineral oil would make a good wood finish?

Other contributors prefer boiled linseed oil, while some are dead-set against blo and are emphatic that the Germans never used it.

The majority seem to prefer Howard's Feed and Wax. A combination of bees wax, carnauba wax, and orange oil. Although it seems to be preferred by most collectors, it is also the one that obviously was never used by the Germans.

When I was younger and very slightly dumber than I am now I refinished the stock on my first 98k with tung oil. (Why exactly I thought I needed to do anything to it escapes me now.) A few years ago I took the time to strip that glossy finish and carefully redo it with blo using small amounts and rubbing it in slowly.

The attached photo is of the refinished rifle, along with 3 others that still have the original finish. I think blo is acceptable if done right. The bigger problem is thinking you need to do something when leaving it alone is usually the best answer.

[Johnny Peppers]

I hold many of the same views as robocox1. I have heard the same stories about Ballistol and that it was good for everything from cleaning your rifle to treating huge wounds. I think it is advertised as being safe for use on gunstocks, but make sure the gunstock finish is chemically resistant to petroleum. Some of the old gunstock finishes were not. It is suppose to be safe for leather, but I can't imagine putting it on old leather.

It has never been a big concern of mine that I used the same exact finish as originally used on a rifle stock, just that it looked like the original finish. The 1903 Springfield stocks were finished in raw linseed oil, but the stocks were submerged in a heated vat of the linseed oil, and afterward allowed to drain and then wiped off. Since keeping a vat of heated linseed oil is impossible, I use boiled linseed oil. I mix the BLO 50/50 with turpentine (real), and this allows it to soak into the wood and just not lay on the surface and gloss up. It dries very fast, and builds up slow enough that you can control the amount of finish.
One of the M1 Rifle forums gave a recipe for what was called "Culver's Paste". Iy was 1/3 BLO, 1/3 Turpentine, and 1/3 Bee's Wax. I never tried it, but talked to some that did, and they said it had the consistency of shoe polish, and didn't last. I think it was a treatment for rifle stocks just prior to inspection.

[jh-ss44]

Thank you gentlemen for your responses. kinda surprised on the linseed oil , that is what we used on m-i carbines (ect.) AND none of my k-98s look like my carbines. I know , different wood.
all the rest of my k98s are very good , no need to monkey with , just this one.
was worried I would use the wrong item & it would look to dark, ect.
Again ,THANK YOU GENTS. JEFF