What kind of finish should I use on my M-39?

myarmor · 12-07-2004, 10:01 AM

Well i just got done with the oven cleaner trick on my stock, and it turned out great. A cool trick that does work after all. All I need now is to finish sanding it out a little and put a nice finish on.
So now how about some ideas on what kind of finish I should use.
I am pretty sure that is birch ( thanks BigDog :right: )
so what do any of you recomend?

Big Dog · 12-07-2004, 11:29 AM

I'd probably go with the old tried&true Tung Oil Finish - but that's just personal preference. It's what I used on mine, and still looks good years later!
I'm not sure what the Finns used. The Russkies used a shellac-based finish, I think, but it'll crack and peel as it ages.

NRAJOE · 12-07-2004, 11:57 AM

While I'm laid off, I think I'm gonna tackle the finishs on my 2 M38's (one actually in a M44 stock and one in a true M38 stock) and my 91/30.

Bigdog, have you ever stained one? If so which stain comes the closest to the Russian finish? What final preps are suggested AFTER the stain is on? I want a nice deep semi-gloss finish...thanks dude!

Big Dog · 12-07-2004, 03:27 PM

The one M91/30 I refinished had some funky orangey wood - looked for all the world like cypress, though of course it isn't. MinWax Redwood Mahogany comes out fairly orangish, like the Russky's used. Looks good on my Romanian M69 .22 rifle.
The Russian (and especially Finnish) wood don't seem to take the stain too well. I think there's too much resin in the wood. Stain just washes right off!

Repeated coats of the Tung Oil will get glossy - but I don't generally like a lot of gloss. May take a lot of coats though! Don't use the spray poly stuff - it just don't look right.
I used Dark Walnut on my early M91, but it still didn't come out as dark as I hoped.

Good luck guys!

spicybeefjerky · 12-07-2004, 04:21 PM

i used a chestnut stain on mine and it turned out nice and orange/brown followed it up with around 6 coats of tung oil...lokks like the meanest thing on the block...m44 by the way so ive got that nifty little bayonette on the end....i cant recall if the finns used the same wood or not im sure someone will :nod:

NRAJOE · 12-07-2004, 09:02 PM

Thanks guys....

I'm not gonna touch my M44 Laminate, one of the most beautiful M/N's I've seen! I got really lucky!

myarmor · 12-07-2004, 09:39 PM

Well after I did a second run with the oven cleaner, and washed the stock very well, it came out with a nice dark red tint(when wet) . Like ceder almost. Is it possibile ?
I was thinking maybe using a cherry finish on it. What do you all think?

Oxford · 12-07-2004, 10:23 PM

Color I won't make comments on since I'm colorblind. But...the finishing process I've used, from the point of cleaning off all the stain and finish remover is:

-Sand with 100 grain sandpaper
-Sand with 150 grain sandpaper
-If it's an open grained wood, dampen the wood and let dry to raise the grain
-Final sand with 150 grain sandpaper
-Use a tack cloth to remove all signs of dust
-Apply stain on a piece of wood similar to the stock
-Apply stains of other colors you might like on the same sample piece of wood
-Let dry and select the best stain
-Apply clear sanding sealer with either a brush or spray gun
-After completely drying apply coats two and three of sanding sealer
-Rub down with 0000 steel wool
-Remove all dust/steel wool with a tack rag
-Apply 1st coat of PolyUrethane with either a brush or spray gun
-Apply final coat of PolyUrethane
-Use 0000 steel wool and paste wax repeatedly as needed to get a sheen finish.

whirlwind · 12-07-2004, 11:44 PM

on the two i refinished i used a light mahogany stain,it looks pretty close to the original red lookin ruskie finish,on one i did a light stain and the other i did it a bit darker. i finished them both with helmsman spar poly. works great and it handles rough weather very good!

whirlwind · 12-07-2004, 11:45 PM

P.S. the helmsman spar poly was a satin finish.

myarmor · 12-17-2004, 02:11 PM

Ok well here is another one, what was the old trick to pull out light dents in the stock?
I think it was with a wet rag and use the steam iron on it.
Can one of you give me a step through with this?

whirlwind · 12-17-2004, 02:32 PM

i got a dent out of a ruger i had once by getting the dent wet and taking a dry iron over it and repeated till it was shallow enough to sand. turned out pretty good. ive heard the rag thing too but never tried it. the guy that told me how to do it told me that ya dont want any more of the stock to get wet than needed.

myarmor · 12-17-2004, 02:42 PM

You mean a steam iron, right? For clothes.

Big Dog · 12-17-2004, 03:16 PM

For doing small local dents, a large soldering iron works well (put the wet rag between it and the dent, letting the steam go into the dent). The trick is, to not have any finish left on the dent (it might reduce the amount it comes out). This trick won't work with gouges, scratches, or torn wood. Only "pressure dents" (crushed wood).

whirlwind · 12-17-2004, 05:59 PM

yup,sunbeam lol

myarmor · 12-18-2004, 10:21 AM

BigDog , whirlwind, Thanks fellas.
I decided to try out a red mahogany stain on it. It looks great, but after letting it sit over night to dry, it is still tacky. I didn't put to much on, just a nice light coat. Any tips as to what I should do now?
Again thanks for all the advice, I could use all you got :right:

Oxford · 12-18-2004, 10:26 AM

Keep waiting for it to completely dry before the next step. Did you use oil base stain, water based stain, or what?

myarmor · 12-18-2004, 10:28 AM

Oil based.

Oxford · 12-18-2004, 10:35 AM

That's what I would have guessed. If you can find any sunlight put the stock there. It should dry a little faster. Also, sometimes I use a heat gun to speed up drying. However, don't get too close to the stock or it will burn. Or...use a small fan over the surface of the stock.

When the stain eventually dries refer to the steps I listed earlier in this thread. That's the finishing process I use. :right:

myarmor · 12-18-2004, 10:37 AM

Cool- thanks bro. I'll do that.

12-07-2004, 10:01 AM	#1
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	What kind of finish should I use on my M-39? Well i just got done with the oven cleaner trick on my stock, and it turned out great. A cool trick that does work after all. All I need now is to finish sanding it out a little and put a nice finish on. So now how about some ideas on what kind of finish I should use. I am pretty sure that is birch ( thanks BigDog :right: ) so what do any of you recomend?

12-07-2004, 11:29 AM	#2
Big Dog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 10,213	I'd probably go with the old tried&true Tung Oil Finish - but that's just personal preference. It's what I used on mine, and still looks good years later! I'm not sure what the Finns used. The Russkies used a shellac-based finish, I think, but it'll crack and peel as it ages. __________________ Moderator of: AR15/M16, M14/M1A, New/Beginning Shooters and Militaria/Collectables.

12-07-2004, 11:57 AM	#3
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 19,051 Images: 3	While I'm laid off, I think I'm gonna tackle the finishs on my 2 M38's (one actually in a M44 stock and one in a true M38 stock) and my 91/30. Bigdog, have you ever stained one? If so which stain comes the closest to the Russian finish? What final preps are suggested AFTER the stain is on? I want a nice deep semi-gloss finish...thanks dude! __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

12-07-2004, 03:27 PM	#4
Big Dog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 10,213	The one M91/30 I refinished had some funky orangey wood - looked for all the world like cypress, though of course it isn't. MinWax Redwood Mahogany comes out fairly orangish, like the Russky's used. Looks good on my Romanian M69 .22 rifle. The Russian (and especially Finnish) wood don't seem to take the stain too well. I think there's too much resin in the wood. Stain just washes right off! Repeated coats of the Tung Oil will get glossy - but I don't generally like a lot of gloss. May take a lot of coats though! Don't use the spray poly stuff - it just don't look right. I used Dark Walnut on my early M91, but it still didn't come out as dark as I hoped. Good luck guys! __________________ Moderator of: AR15/M16, M14/M1A, New/Beginning Shooters and Militaria/Collectables.

12-07-2004, 09:02 PM	#6
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 19,051 Images: 3	Thanks guys.... I'm not gonna touch my M44 Laminate, one of the most beautiful M/N's I've seen! I got really lucky! __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

12-07-2004, 04:21 PM	#5
spicybeefjerky Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Iowa Posts: 155	i used a chestnut stain on mine and it turned out nice and orange/brown followed it up with around 6 coats of tung oil...lokks like the meanest thing on the block...m44 by the way so ive got that nifty little bayonette on the end....i cant recall if the finns used the same wood or not im sure someone will :nod:

12-07-2004, 09:39 PM	#7
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	Well after I did a second run with the oven cleaner, and washed the stock very well, it came out with a nice dark red tint(when wet) . Like ceder almost. Is it possibile ? I was thinking maybe using a cherry finish on it. What do you all think?

12-07-2004, 10:23 PM	#8
Oxford Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gladstone, Missouri Posts: 13,023 Blog Entries: 4	Color I won't make comments on since I'm colorblind. But...the finishing process I've used, from the point of cleaning off all the stain and finish remover is: -Sand with 100 grain sandpaper -Sand with 150 grain sandpaper -If it's an open grained wood, dampen the wood and let dry to raise the grain -Final sand with 150 grain sandpaper -Use a tack cloth to remove all signs of dust -Apply stain on a piece of wood similar to the stock -Apply stains of other colors you might like on the same sample piece of wood -Let dry and select the best stain -Apply clear sanding sealer with either a brush or spray gun -After completely drying apply coats two and three of sanding sealer -Rub down with 0000 steel wool -Remove all dust/steel wool with a tack rag -Apply 1st coat of PolyUrethane with either a brush or spray gun -Apply final coat of PolyUrethane -Use 0000 steel wool and paste wax repeatedly as needed to get a sheen finish. __________________ "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right".

12-07-2004, 11:44 PM	#9
whirlwind Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: oklahoma Posts: 3,737 Images: 1	on the two i refinished i used a light mahogany stain,it looks pretty close to the original red lookin ruskie finish,on one i did a light stain and the other i did it a bit darker. i finished them both with helmsman spar poly. works great and it handles rough weather very good! __________________ De oppresso liber !

12-07-2004, 11:45 PM	#10
whirlwind Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: oklahoma Posts: 3,737 Images: 1	P.S. the helmsman spar poly was a satin finish. __________________ De oppresso liber !

12-17-2004, 02:11 PM	#11
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	Ok well here is another one, what was the old trick to pull out light dents in the stock? I think it was with a wet rag and use the steam iron on it. Can one of you give me a step through with this?

12-17-2004, 02:32 PM	#12
whirlwind Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: oklahoma Posts: 3,737 Images: 1	i got a dent out of a ruger i had once by getting the dent wet and taking a dry iron over it and repeated till it was shallow enough to sand. turned out pretty good. ive heard the rag thing too but never tried it. the guy that told me how to do it told me that ya dont want any more of the stock to get wet than needed. __________________ De oppresso liber !

12-17-2004, 02:42 PM	#13
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	You mean a steam iron, right? For clothes.

12-17-2004, 03:16 PM	#14
Big Dog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 10,213	For doing small local dents, a large soldering iron works well (put the wet rag between it and the dent, letting the steam go into the dent). The trick is, to not have any finish left on the dent (it might reduce the amount it comes out). This trick won't work with gouges, scratches, or torn wood. Only "pressure dents" (crushed wood). __________________ Moderator of: AR15/M16, M14/M1A, New/Beginning Shooters and Militaria/Collectables.

12-17-2004, 05:59 PM	#15
whirlwind Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: oklahoma Posts: 3,737 Images: 1	yup,sunbeam lol __________________ De oppresso liber !

12-18-2004, 10:21 AM	#16
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	BigDog , whirlwind, Thanks fellas. I decided to try out a red mahogany stain on it. It looks great, but after letting it sit over night to dry, it is still tacky. I didn't put to much on, just a nice light coat. Any tips as to what I should do now? Again thanks for all the advice, I could use all you got :right:

12-18-2004, 10:26 AM	#17
Oxford Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gladstone, Missouri Posts: 13,023 Blog Entries: 4	Keep waiting for it to completely dry before the next step. Did you use oil base stain, water based stain, or what? __________________ "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right".

12-18-2004, 10:28 AM	#18
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	Oil based.

12-18-2004, 10:35 AM	#19
Oxford Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gladstone, Missouri Posts: 13,023 Blog Entries: 4	That's what I would have guessed. If you can find any sunlight put the stock there. It should dry a little faster. Also, sometimes I use a heat gun to speed up drying. However, don't get too close to the stock or it will burn. Or...use a small fan over the surface of the stock. When the stain eventually dries refer to the steps I listed earlier in this thread. That's the finishing process I use. :right: __________________ "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right".

12-18-2004, 10:37 AM	#20
myarmor Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Southwest ,VA Posts: 1,147	Cool- thanks bro. I'll do that.