Just received a CMP M1 Underwood carbine last week. I am pretty happy with it. I plan to refinish the stock & hand guard since they have quite a few dings in them. In fact I have already stripped the old finish off. What I need to know is how was the stock & hand guard originally finished; was it rubbed with linseed oil or tung oil? I am looking for a original finish.
My buddy at work tells me I should varnish (use no oil) the stock and rub with steel wool to reduce gloss. He said if I apply oil I will have to keep applying it as the wood soaks it up.
They were finished with tung oil early on and as supplies "dried up", they shifted to raw linseed. I suggest either one, but cut the oil 50/50 with a thinner so that it soaks in quicly. The thinner helps the oils dry faster as well. Make sure you steam out your dents and dings before you apply the oils. I also suggest that you do not sand the stock. After steaming the dents just go over the stock lightly with bronze wool, not steel wool to knock off any raised grain. Sometime unseen markings can magically reappear when this is done.
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I would not use varnish or polyeurethane as they seal the wood and don't allow it to 'breathe'. Oil is best...it soaks in to preserve the wood and allows the wood to breathe. Yes, you may need to reapply the oil but it's not an everyday thing; you need only to repeat an application when the wood feels overly dry.
