Question about 98k wood finish

[Emilbusch]

Hello everyone, I am opening this post to find out if the finishing of 98k woods at Mauser during the Second War is documented anywhere. I would like to know the treatment that was applied on raw wood from stock. Would anyone know? Thank you in advance for your help in my research. Alex

 

[Muncher 1953]

this has been discussed here at some length, try the search function.

 

[Cyrano4747]

It would probably be worth pinning a thread that spells it out in the FAQ stickie up top. Out of curiosity I did a quick search myself and it can be stubbornly difficult to find a good effort post on the subject. We've got an excellent thread on G98 stock finishes over in the Imperial subform that indexes quite well, but there's a LOT to sift through here.

Frankly if I found myself wondering the same thing I'd probably reach for the 98k books on my shelf before spending much more time fiddling with the search function here.

I wonder if a domain-specific google search would be more productive, their indexing is often better than what forum software ships with.

 

[Cyrano4747]

Ok, yeah. The google search indexing is both higher quality and MUCH faster than the in-forum search. OP, my advice would be to do an advanced google search, set your terms (I just used "k98k" "stock" and "finish" but with even a tiny bit of effort that could be much better refined) and restrict it to the www.k98kforums.com domain. Maybe exclude some of the common false hits, like "G98."

Something to keep in mind is that even here people's understanding has improved and evolved over time. I found a couple of old threads from 2017 using this technique that had some pretty dubious advice in them. So do some research and some digging and double check your findings.

 

[heavy_mech]

Ok, yeah. The google search indexing is both higher quality and MUCH faster than the in-forum search. OP, my advice would be to do an advanced google search, set your terms (I just used "k98k" "stock" and "finish" but with even a tiny bit of effort that could be much better refined) and restrict it to the www.k98kforums.com domain. Maybe exclude some of the common false hits, like "G98."

Something to keep in mind is that even here people's understanding has improved and evolved over time. I found a couple of old threads from 2017 using this technique that had some pretty dubious advice in them. So do some research and some digging and double check your findings.

Maximum verbosity.

 

[Muncher 1953]

I have to admit when I posted my response that I was thinking about the poor results I’ve had with the on-forum search function, but when I’ve encountered the problem, figured it was just the luddite in me. I’ve been unable to find particular posts I KNOW ARE THERE, frustrating.

Thanks for the suggestions, even if some are ‘over my head’! (drives my wife crazy!)

 

[Cyrano4747]

I have to admit when I posted my response that I was thinking about the poor results I’ve had with the on-forum search function, but when I’ve encountered the problem, figured it was just the luddite in me. I’ve been unable to find particular posts I KNOW ARE THERE, frustrating.

Thanks for the suggestions, even if some are ‘over my head’! (drives my wife crazy!)

Here is the Google Advanced Search page:

https://www.google.com/advanced_search

Plug the words you want to find in the top box.

Plug words you want to filter out in the 4th box down.

Then in the box that says "site or domain" specify www.k98kforums.com.

That will get you just results from this place.

 

[Emilbusch]

Hello, I browsed many topics on the forum and used Google search. Most topics deal with botched restoration correction methods or modern methods to refresh a stock without distorting it. But the subject of my question was; does it exist traces of the methods used at Mauser? Do we know how they did things at the time?I only found one subject describing treatment methods but it concerns the G98 from 1916 to 1918.

I agree with one of the answers given here; Indeed, if there is an interesting typical subject, it would be useful to pin it in the key subjects, this has the advantage of guiding the reader. Searching this ocean of posts can be laborious for non-English speaking visitors like me. Google is strong, but doesn't translate everything...

 

[harborrat]

I did search this forum for "original stock finish" and came up with a myriad of results, few of which discussed the original finishing method and none of which definitively answered your question. The original manuals can be found here. https://www.germanmanuals.com/ It appears to be the case that linseed oil was the only finish applied.

 

[Emilbusch]

Thank you for your help and response.

 

[Cyrano4747]

I did search this forum for "original stock finish" and came up with a myriad of results, few of which discussed the original finishing method and none of which definitively answered your question. The original manuals can be found here. https://www.germanmanuals.com/ It appears to be the case that linseed oil was the only finish applied.

I think that's partially incorrect, at least depending on how we define "finish" here. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure a thin seal or stain was applied. You can really spot this if you take a cupped buttplate off. I'm normally not a late-war kind of guy, but IIRC this is one of the things that you can spot with some late war stocks, as they stop doing that here and there.

edit: note that this is in addition to the linseed oil

 

[Muncher 1953]

I did search this forum for "original stock finish" and came up with a myriad of results, few of which discussed the original finishing method and none of which definitively answered your question. The original manuals can be found here. https://www.germanmanuals.com/ It appears to be the case that linseed oil was the only finish applied.

thanks for that link, an excellent resource!

 

[harborrat]

I think that's partially incorrect, at least depending on how we define "finish" here. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure a thin seal or stain was applied. You can really spot this if you take a cupped buttplate off. I'm normally not a late-war kind of guy, but IIRC this is one of the things that you can spot with some late war stocks, as they stop doing that here and there.

edit: note that this is in addition to the linseed oil

Linseed oil will darken over many years time.

 

[Cyrano4747]

Linseed oil will darken over many years time.

Yes, but it's more than just that.

I'm away from my books right now, but I'm pretty sure I recall a thin stain or sealant being one of the things that was omitted in the late war stocks and leads to some of the variation you see in their apparent color.

This was in addition to the oil, not instead of it.

 

[harborrat]

Yes, but it's more than just that.

I'm away from my books right now, but I'm pretty sure I recall a thin stain or sealant being one of the things that was omitted in the late war stocks and leads to some of the variation you see in their apparent color.

This was in addition to the oil, not instead of it.

Thanks. I have heard anecdotal information about some kind of a stain but have never found any evidence for it. Please share if you are able to do so.

 

[Muncher 1953]

research will tell, but I think the ‘finish’ may have been boiled linseed oil, which has lead, cobalt & zinc compounds added to it so that it will dry faster than raw linseed oil. I’d expect some variation in recipe. since German industry led the world in production of synthetic dyes, it wouldn’t be surprising to find that they added color to the finish to darken the laminated stocks, as beech is a light colored wood. If true, seems there would have been documents. As to variations due to supply disruptions, one can only imagine the improvisations!
there are a number of products today that are exactly that, stain mixed with boiled linseed oil. (Scaftol, WATCO oils, etc)
I have 2 bcd 43s, a g block & an x block. they couldn’t look more different, the g is blond,(possibly cleaned) the x dark like wet coffee grounds!

 

[Cyrano4747]

Thanks. I have heard anecdotal information about some kind of a stain but have never found any evidence for it. Please share if you are able to do so.

Ok, quick grab. Page 165 of Volume 3 (Kriegsmodell) of the Steves/Karem K98k series, under "Material and Finish" for late war Gustloff stocks:

<paragraph about types of laminates, e.g. the normal vs pinstripe stocks>
Most of the late war stocks used by Gustloff Werke will have little final finishing and exhibit heavy pantograph and belt sanding marks. There are exceptions to the norm, however, with random examples showing higher degrees of final finishing. There is an even distribution of stocks that have had a seal or stain coat applied, and stocks that have no surface coating.

I know I've seen reference to this elsewhere as well, but that's the most solid one I can throw to you.

This isn't a hill I'm particularly dedicated to dying on if someone can point to me having an incorrect understanding of the issue, but it's something I've seen referenced more than once.

 

[Sauer_Kraut]

I want to say my byf 42 has more then just 81 year old linseed oil applied. It's very dark, though maybe its just from a production difference in oil.

 

[corifleman]

It astounds me that with all of the precision found in the german military industrial machine that there is no clear record of something that seems so crucial. I suppose, though, that it's only crucial to us today as we try to restore or care for these weapons.

I have a number of Argentine mausers, and they almost have taken a hand rubbed finish appearance. And through use and handling I suppose that is what has happened. They are not as dark as the gewehrs, though, and perhaps that's because they didn't see as much field use... that may be the darker appearance come somewhat from the oils and grime that would be encountered through extensive use in theater.

 

[Nehalem Man]

Tag along to this thread with another question regarding finish.....the cupped butt plates.

Were they ever blued, and if not, what do you call the finish that they left they factory with?

-E-