Restoration Project: Lee Enfield No4 Mk1 ROF Fazakerley

[AFJuvat]

The wood was in decent shape, but very dirty.

There are crudely installed repairs on the heel and toe of the buttstock. Additionally, the forestock still had a significant amount of cosmoline on the inner surfaces.

The first task was to remove as much dirt as possible. I always try to use the gentlest methods first, as I don't want to remove any wood, nor do I want to raise the grain if at all possible.

Between the grime, cosmoline, and gun oil/grease soaked into the stock, I ended up having to use an oil scrub (25% linseed oil/75% turpentine), followed up with straight turpentine, then denatured alcohol, and finally a citrus based wood cleaner.

Rags after using the citrus based cleaner:


Since the citrus cleaner is water based, and would raise the grain of the wood, I wound up using a steamer remove more cosmoline, followed up with denatured alcohol to absorb as much water as possible.

Once the wood was as clean as I could get it, I used 0000 steel wool to smooth out the grain.


Turning to the poorly fitted buttstock repairs, I used files and sandpaper to blend them with the stock.


Turning to the forestock and the front handguard, bluing the metal presented a bit of a challenge, because I could not put the wood in a toaster oven, a standard oven, or use a torch to heat the metal to the required 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Ultimately, I used my steamer to heat the metal hot enough to take the rust bluing solution, and then dip the metal parts in a small pot of boiling water.

After drying out the wood by soaking in alcohol, I started applying a raw linseed oil finish thinned with turpentine, gradually increasing the ratio of oil to turpentine.

Buttstock:


A nice shot of the knot in the stock:


Handguards with blued metal:


Forestock with blued metal:




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