Arisaka rebuild

[ebb]

I helped a friend hang a door at his house and it didn't take long as the hole was already the right size. He asked "How much? " I told him to forget it and went on my way, so later he shows up with a Arisaka that he found for me and I was kinda jonesing for a complete one. But it looked like it had been drug across the Alaska land bridge behind a tank to get here to Florida. The bottom metal was broken and pinned into the stock to allow it to function. So I got new bottom metal and steamed on the stock for 2 days, and decide that it is as good as it is going to get. I put some stain on it to help hid some of the flaws. I started to do linseed oil and it has had many coats, but it disappears into the stock and will not make a finish. It looks as if it has had no oil on it at all. What do I do to get it to stop absorbing and build up on the surface?

 

[LVLAaron]

Keep adding it. For tool handles (shovels/axes/etc)... One coat a day for 7 days, one coat a week for a month, and then once a month.

That's the minimum. Something old and really dry will suck up a ton of oil.

 

[ebb]

The wood used for the Japanese stocks the best I can tell is not even a hardwood.

 

[LVLAaron]

The wood used for the Japanese stocks the best I can tell is not even a hardwood.

If that's the case.... lay it on thick. maybe add a little poly to the mix

 

[ebb]

Another friend said to use Danish oil as it may not penetrate as bad? What do you think about that?

 

[centershot]

Linseed oil has to be the boiled type or it will not dry. Most now days is. I would also consider doing what Aaron says. Add something to the oil or use Birchwood Casey's Linspeed. You can dull the finish after it drys.

 

[LVLAaron]

I'd just mix 75 percent BLO / 25 percent oil based poly. Wipe on with a cotton rag. Increase the amount of poly if you want it to be shiny and get a hard coat. If it's virgin wood I'd just use a little

 

[ebb]

Ther is nothing a bout this gun that could be described as virgin!!! Yes i am using BLO and I am sure it dries but it soaks into the stock and has no effect on the outside at all. It does have an intact mum but that is about the only positive feature I can see. Will try the poly added to the BLO. I may have in my older stuff some Lin Speed, I should look.

 

[clowdis]

Put the boiled linseed oil on with a brush. Keep brushing it on for several coats, then stop, wait a couple of minutes and wipe it off. You can add some spar varnish which has more driers to your BLO and that will help drying some. If your wiping it on, you're right, it might take forever.

 

[shortgrass]

Depending upon year of manufacture, many were of laminated Mahogany,,,,,,,,, just 2-3 pieces glued together. Many I have seen have parted at the laminations.

 

[CharlieNC]

I have found BLO will ever stop penetrating, and not seal the surface. Arrow Wood Finish can be applied on top of it, and will seal in short order.

 

[joshb]

Give it a coat of shellac.

 

[ebb]

Arisaka's had some kind of finish made from nuts from a native Japanese tree. It looked very much to me like shellac, but was even easier to scratch off than shellac. When I scrapped it and steamed dents and cleaned it up with steel wool it was even whiter than fir more like spruce but harder but still not near as hard as any domestic hard wood I've ever used. Nothing about this gun was in any condition to ever be considered a collector grade weapon. I've worked on several Arisaka's in the past and they were for sure a dark wood that I would have believed to be mahogany, this is not one of those, but it is not a last-ditch rifle with a nailed on butt plate either. My goal was to make it a reasonably decent looking shooter. I was hoping for some with a very dull finish to avoid any sheen that would show its many flaws. I may be wrong but that may exclude arrow or shellac, or can they be applied to have a dull finish?

 

[joshb]

Arisaka's had some kind of finish made from nuts from a native Japanese tree. It looked very much to me like shellac, but was even easier to scratch off than shellac. When I scrapped it and steamed dents and cleaned it up with steel wool it was even whiter than fir more like spruce but harder but still not near as hard as any domestic hard wood I've ever used. Nothing about this gun was in any condition to ever be considered a collector grade weapon. I've worked on several Arisaka's in the past and they were for sure a dark wood that I would have believed to be mahogany, this is not one of those, but it is not a last-ditch rifle with a nailed on butt plate either. My goal was to make it a reasonably decent looking shooter. I was hoping for some with a very dull finish to avoid any sheen that would show its many flaws. I may be wrong but that may exclude arrow or shellac, or can they be applied to have a dull finish?

Hi Ebb: You can dull down shellac with steel wool or a coat of oil. Ting, linseed, Danish, etc. It will just act as a sealer/base. Get the Amber.

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

A blend of linseed oil and urethane varnish will build up a little bit more, without going all glossy on you.
Or, if you don't want to mix your own, buy Danish oil. That's all it is.

Joshb, have you tried putting shellac over linseed oil? I know it's an awesome sealer, but I had a bad experience one time with it not bonding and falling off. I have never tried it over linseed oil, though.

 

[ebb]

I have Danish oil in the shop I may give that a try on the inside of the hand guard and see what it looks like. Thanks for all the replies!