Finish
If you want the springfield arsenal red finish...the one that will undoubtedly make your stock a work of art...you should use the three step stain process that Candyman uses and perfected. I do, and it has never failed me.
Strip with paint stripper....hose it down with high pressure water hose....dry....strip again and scrape stubborn dark spots with putty knife....spray off again with hose...dry a day or two inside.....sand where needed.....stain with Rit Brown water based dye from Wal-Mart....Let sit awhile and wipe evenly and get residue off....I let dry another day.....with plastic glove on, rub boiled linseed oil on it briskly and causing heat in fingertips from friction.....let sit 10-20 minutes and wipe off excess with paper towels.....apply Fiebings Medium Brown for reddish tint, and Dark brown for walnut look, your choice,....I prefer medium brown and the beautiful red tint when finished on Birch...alcohol based dye, with the supplied dauber......wipe off excess.....let dry 24 hours....longer it sits, darker it gets...if not dark enough to suit you, stain again with fiieings acohol based dye.....after it is dry...the next day,,,,if you want to lighten it up, hit with steel wool very lightly....if not, just apply two coats of linseed oil in the next two days....letting sit 10-20 minutes each after rubbing it in...wipe with paper towels......you are done except waxing with a coat of Tom's Mix in a couple days.....Yours will be real nice... I Know....very fine example...good luck....don't be scared.....make a mess, then clean it up......
