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Barrel channel finish

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CWH28

32 Cal
Joined
Aug 9, 2022
Messages
9
Reaction score
3
Location
New Hampshire
I pulled the barrel on a recently acquired Miruko and the barrel channel looks dry and appears never to have had any treatment. I was going to apply a couple of coats of boiled linseed oil (cause I have some), but I see several mentions of boiled tong oil in this forum. Does it matter as it gets something applied?
 
The bare wood is very dry and hairline cracks are beginning to show near the ramrod pipe near the nose cap. My thought as that some “oil” to penetrate and protect the wood be good and prevent further deterioration.

I am not a woodworker, but would a couple coats of wax after the BLO cause problems? That is basically what they do with wood floors.
 
It seems BLO would soak into the wood and work well.
That's been my experience. BLO continues to soak in and after a couple of coats does a nice job IMO. A coat or two of paste wax on top finishes it off. While it's a know fact original guns had mostly zero done to inletted wood, in the extreme humidity cycles where I am I prefer to have all the wood sealed to some degree. But this can be accomplished with different techniques.
 
BTW- years ago someone here said they had examined many original rifles and the barrel channels were a mess, all gouged out- we do it better today.
I've posted this before but as you get about done- if you have a straight barrel (won't work with a swamped barrel) use the barrel as a sanding block. Cut sand paper EXACTLY the width of a flat and glue on the bottom three and back and forth- makes a really good channel. No paper on the sides. Glue in place with Elmer's Glue, don't fold the paper around the barrel's edges.
 
What are we protecting from? Is the stock going to turn to dust?
Stock channels, lock mortises etc. unfinished, can and will absorb moisture, even yours! What part of that do you not understand? They are not trying to re,design the wheel, they are putting a thin coat of BLO on raw wood. Done.
 
Stock channels, lock mortises etc. unfinished, can and will absorb moisture, even yours! What part of that do you not understand? They are not trying to re,design the wheel, they are putting a thin coat of BLO on raw wood. Done.
BLO is not water proof. There is no reason to put it in barrel channels if you're trying to seal the stock, water goes right through it. If you do put some sort of waterproof sealant in the barrel channel you'll have trouble with rust as there is no place for the water to go.
 
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