Woodworking
Woodworking
Posted on Mar 9, 2021
Wooden Stock finishing, has anyone tried the Japanese style of Shou Sugi Ban of wood burning and staining?
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I have Finnish M39 mil surplus stock that was never issued. It is post war, I know it was never issued as it did not even have the holes for the sling bars, butt plate and other items that go on it. So the wood used in these is Artic Birch. It is a very weather resistant wood. Traditional stain is a combination of pine tar oil, Linseed oil, and Bitmus, this stuff is no longer used in Finland. I normally mix a 50/50 mix of PTO & LO and use that. I am curious if anyone has tried using the burning/sanding method on a stock and what results you came away with. Attached is an M39 I did previously with out burning, second rifle is a Finish M28-76.
Shooting (Sport)
Woodworking
Gunsmith
Military History
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 4
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I know a guy who makes stringed musical instruments for a lot of elite recording artists. He has a few examples of Shou Sugi Ban in his workshop, beautiful stuff. I've never tried the technique, but he told me the appearance is heavily dependent on the species of wood, the age it was harvested, was it bastard sawn, quarter sawn, or rift sawn, and the quality of the grain figure; the kind of the attention to detail you expect from any skilled practitioner of Japanese craftsmanship.
Any advice I offered would be nothing more than an uneducated guess on my part. I don't know that it is necessary, but I think you'd have to strip and sand the stock to bare wood. Is it worth it to completely remove the existing finish? And what does that type of "restoration" do to the value of what is probably considered a collector's piece? I'd talk to a historic arms collector first.
Any advice I offered would be nothing more than an uneducated guess on my part. I don't know that it is necessary, but I think you'd have to strip and sand the stock to bare wood. Is it worth it to completely remove the existing finish? And what does that type of "restoration" do to the value of what is probably considered a collector's piece? I'd talk to a historic arms collector first.
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CW3 Kevin Storm
Great question Major John Bell, The stock in question, is NOS (New Old Stock), it was never issued, has the post war splices, so from a collectors value, it has none. Or won't have any in my lifetime. I have tried Shou Sugi Ban on some scrap pieces of pine board. The biggest PITA to me is getting it sanded back down to just grain exposed. I used Linseed oil (not Boiled Linseed Oil, as it has preservatives in it), Just to get an idea of how it work out. The rifle in question is from Finland, and they use Artic Birch. Which can form a tiger stripe effect. I am interested in seeing where this goes, I have already done a light char on the stock, and sanded a good portion of it away, staining will come later, but I am pretty sire it will be interesting, if it sucks, strip and start over. It will still be better than a Bubba Rattle can job.
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CW3 Kevin Storm
The next project after this current M39, will be a Finnish M28-30. This will be similar to what Simo Haya used in the Winter War. I had a barrel made as 28-30's are impossible to find.
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Looks good. I found out years and years ago, I could install sheetrock, but I was also a Wood butcher. I, personally, wouldn't think of attempting what you did. Again nice job.
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