Oil finish on a stock.....

Guys, I will preface this by saying this ole boy has been refinishing gun stocks for many moons. Not only for myself, but for many others as well. I usually put a high sheen finish on them because that's what most folks wants, but not always. However, I have a hankering to refinish another project ML but this one I want to do in an oil finish. The only things I'm seeing so far is boiled linseed oil and perhaps tongue oil to use. Therefore I am seeking information on this.

Recommendations would be appreciated.

Lets hear it guys. And some pics of some of your oiled stocks would be nice as well.

Tung...

Unless there's some kind of kinky stock finishing technique I don't know about yet.

That's a start. I thank you.

Tru-Oil on walnut and maple.
AC7974C7-0330-486A-8F21-6FC2399E8CDE by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr
IMG_0541 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

Phil Coffins said:

Try-Oil on walnut and maple.
AC7974C7-0330-486A-8F21-6FC2399E8CDE by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr
IMG_0541 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

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Now that's something I be looking for right there.

Boiled linseed oil and Tung oil are the only two I've ever used for an "oil" finish. Tru-Oil isn't oil in the same sense, it contains linseed oil, IIRC, and some kind of polymers that have been described to me to aid in drying. Bottom line, if you want an old-fashioned oil finish, use BLO or Tung. Rub it in, rub, rub, rub, coat after coat..........it takes time, but is well worth it.

centershot said:

Boiled linseed oil and Tung oil are the only two I've ever used for an "oil" finish. Tru-Oil isn't oil in the same sense, it contains linseed oil, IIRC, and some kind of polymers that have been described to me to aid in drying. Bottom line, if you want an old-fashioned oil finish, use BLO or Tung. Rub it in, rub, rub, rub, coat after coat..........it takes time, but is well worth it.

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That, sir, sounds good. Thank your for the reply.

My only experience with tung oil was sticky. I have used BLO on my stocks. I rub it in one coat a day allowing to dry before the next coat. I rub it in until it does not absorb anymore oil then let it dry 3 or more days. Buff it with a soft rag and then wax with your favorite paste wax. This yields a semi-gloss finish.

rafterob said:

My only experience with tung oil was sticky. I have used BLO on my stocks. I rub it in one coat a day allowing to dry before the next coat. I rub it in until it does not absorb anymore oil then let it dry 3 or more days. Buff it with a soft rag and then wax with your favorite paste wax. This yields a semi-gloss finish.

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That will work! I don't want a sticky finish. I will have several months this summer to get this done, so taking my time will fit right in.

Thank you for the input.

Boiled Linseed Oil. The old rule says to rub it in once an hour for a day, once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and once a year for the rest of your life. It think that's a pretty good procedure, but after a year or two, I apply Johnson's Paste Wax over the top and reapply it after each time I clean the gun.

Ive used Tung oil for decades. I just tried so Tru-oil and threw it out.

Birchwood Caseys Tru Oil will do what you want. Rub it in by hand and let set for 24 hours between coats

FWIW I gave up on Tru-Oil for its tendency to 'turn white' on hunting arms when subject to moisture, even if carrying the arm with a glove or hand that was wet or it is misty out. I used to use Formby's tung oil, even on my wood cedar arrows, but had problems finding it reliably.

A family friend makes 'high end' custom furniture, mostly of highly figured or flamed woods and he turned me on to the oil based 'wiping varnishes' by Arm-R-Seal. They wipe on thin like a TO, and dry fast - overnight. On figured stocks, they show the chatoyance like nothing else - just amazingly really! For satin finishes, one builds up the bottom coats with gloss - to build that 'depth' of finish - then use satin or semi-gloss for the last 2 top coats. As a bonus, if you ever need to touch-up or fix an area or whatever, it matches the old finish perfectly ... one would never know you re-did an area! It is also not sticky.

TIP: If worrying about using any good oil finish (that air dries) in months to a year from now, Woodcraft store sell cool storage bags that look like IV drip-bags that you put the oil into and use the twist-top to squeeze all the air out of the bag. Works slick!

Now one of my long longrifle photos won't fit here, haha ... so here the satin finish as applied to a black powdah [so I can post it here, LOL!] cartridge Schuetzen rifle on the stock that I made/checkered.

BLO with a little Gum Turpentine
BC Tru Oil
LMF Permalyn Gun Stock Finish
Tried & True Varnish Oil

These all give a different finish.

Many people like boiled linseed oil. Be careful of the rags though. They can heat up and burst into flames. I have used Watco Danish oil finish with great success.
https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/watco/danish-oil

I bought a pint of Tried and True for my next project.

Dale Allen Raby said:

Boiled Linseed Oil. The old rule says to rub it in once an hour for a day, once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and once a year for the rest of your life. It think that's a pretty good procedure, but after a year or two, I apply Johnson's Paste Wax over the top and reapply it after each time I clean the gun.

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Well its looking like I most likely will give that a try, but ain't waiting months or a year to complete this project. Already retired, I ain't looking for another retirement plan.

ETipp said:

Well its looking like I most likely will give that a try, but ain't waiting months or a year to complete this project. Already retired, I ain't looking for another retirement plan.

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Watco oil is much, much easier to apply.

Tru Oil.

I have tried BLO, Tung oil and Permalyn. All worked well. I liked Permalyn because you could dial in a satin or glossy finish but it is expensive and makes you have to seal the can from air or it will go bad. BLO gives a nice sheen and does not get real glossy. Tung Oil is good and it is fairly cheap.