Stock Finish ? - Boiled Linseed Oil or Tung Oil

[Razz]

Woule like some advice from those with experience please. I am redoing a Pedersoli Traditions I just picked up used. I am thinking about either tung oil or boiled linseed oil as the finish. I would like your opinions and experience please. If I use linseed oil will the linseed soak into the wood too deeply? Should I mix it 50/50 with mineral spirits. The stock has been sanded to 240 grit and stained.I've used tung oil on bows with success.
Thanks
Buffler Razz

 

[AeroncaTAL]

Buffler,
I used boiled linseed oil mixed 50/50 with mineral spirits for finishing my GPR. I have no complaints with the finish, other than it takes a while to do it. I have 12 coats on so far. I haven't used other finishes so I cannot really give a first hand opinion. I have heard good things about the Jim Chambers finish and it might be something to look into.
Good luck,
Scott

 

[Norskie]

As far as the boiled linseed oil penetrating too deeply. What would too deeply mean? Most of us using BLO want it to penetrate as deeply as possible. There is no downside that I'm aware of.
I have used a tung oil varnish with success. It penetrated, sealed and dried within a day or so. Looks durable so far.
The varnish is not the same as tung oil, so I can't testify about the straight oil. I've read here that some folks are allergic to tung oil. A skin test may influence your decision.
Moose

 

[jtmattison]

I'm finifhing a Great Plains Rifle kit and I am using Birchwood casey's Tru-Oil. So far I'm impressed. It looks really good and is easy to apply as well as fast drying.

HD

 

[lonewolf5347]

I like satin finish FORMBY'S TUNG OIL
I just started with tung oil a few years back my other choice was TRUE-OIL
I find tung oil a lot easy to use most of the time 20 coats for a glass finish: what I like about tung oil is real easy to touch up compared to TRUE OIL
I use true oil in the barrel channel to seal moisture out and would say true oil it a lot harder finish then tung oil :thumbsup:

 

[dlocke]

I've never used true tung oil, only the finishes mixed with varnish. I use that stuff on mil surp rifles that originally had a rather glossy shellac finish (M91/30, M38-44, T99 Arisaka) and on other rifles that I thought would be heavily exposed to the elements. I've gotten good results with BLO too. Just remember that you have to rub in your finish coats (after sealing and sanding in stain/BLO/thinner) several times and make your hand get hot doing it. It never really dries, so after you are done putting finish coats on let it set a week or 2 and then give the stock a really hard rubbing to get rid of the tackiness. This is not a bad task as you can do it watching TV with a beer handy. It takes a wax finish well, either Butcher's wax or Howard's feed & wax. I would say my BLO finished stocks are more attractive than the tung-oil varnish, and they smell nice too.
One warning though, if you use rags or shop towels for your finishing and get BLO on them, do NOT throw them in the trash, as BLO-soaked rags have a tendency to spontaneously combust. Take them outside and throw them in your fire pit. If you don't have a fire pit, you can put them in a metal can away from combustibles. I use cut-up blue shop towels when sanding in BLO. Afterward, I take them outside, light them w/ my Zippo, and toss them in the firepit.
DJL

 

[bub524]

Buffler, I got this from Birddog6, it is absolutely the best finish I've come across in 25 years. Time consumming, but worth it.

Now take a teaspoon full of tung oil & put it in a jar lid. Take some Japan Drier & put 2 drops of that in the tung oil in the lid, take a screwdriver blade & stir it in. Now apply that with your fingertip & rub in 1 drop at a time til dry working about a 6" place at a time, the last couple strokes of your fingertip should be with the grain of the wood. Do this til you have covered the stock. Depending on the humidity of the atmosphere you are working there, you should be able to recoat in 8 hrs, possibly sooner.

It takes a number of coats, but well worth the trouble. You won't be disappointed.

I stay away from linseed oil. I dosen't waterproof very well and gets sticky after a time.

 

[patriot]

I am not an expert on stock finishing/refinishing, but I have done a few with some pretty good results. I have used Birchwood Casey True Oil, and frankly, I hate it. It dries glossy and "plastic looking". Even buffing with 000 steel wool doesn't do the trick for me. I am not intending to step on anybody's toes, but it is not my personal choice.
My favorite is Wahkon Bay True-Coat. A little goes a long way. It is a true oil finish, easy to apply and easy to maintain. I was disappointed when it went off the market, but ITS BACK!. So is their Aquafortis product that I use on the stock to bring out curl and add a red to the wood prior to applying a dark color to give that red/brown color. Add Wahkon Bay Tru-Coat and you've got a nice finish.

Just my humble opinion.

Patriot

 

[LRB]

1 part boiled linseed, 1 part PURE tung oil, 2 parts mineral spirits. Mix well. Dries in one day with low humidity, two days in high humidity. This is Jim Chambers finish without the driers in it, but you could add some I suppose.I never have.

 

I too am no expert at stock finishing but I love an oil finish with BLO being at the top. Just bear in mind that it will keep getting darker the more coats you apply and rub in. At least that's been my limited experience.

Vic

 

[reddogge]

A noted ex Army armourer who worked on lots of M1's and M14's from way back is now recommending a base coat or two of Tru-Oil followed up by a coat or two of Tung Oil or BLO rubbed in with 0000 steel wool. He claims you get the protection of Tru-Oil and the look and smell of satin Tung Oil or BLO. I may have to try that next.

 

[tg]

When useing BLO and mineral spirits you will get a better finish if you add some marine spar varnish to the solution, I add abot 1 oz. varnish to 2 oz. of the mineral spirits/BLO mix, be sure to raise the grain/whisker and fill pores as needed before putting on final finish, this process shopuld be in the archives.

 

[Heidi 1672]

I like this same concoction but,even better when applied with a QTip

 

[Russianblood]

I'm a big fan of Behr 600 Scandinavian Tung Oil Finish. I've redone or reconditioned many rifle stocks with it with great success.

 

[[email protected]]

Hi,
I am a woodworker and a finish that I have used for years on cabinets and furniture (including table tops).
It is a three part mixtue that you can vary depending on your needs or the circumstances. The base mixture is 1/3 oil (Tung or boiled linseed,BL dries quicker) 1/3 turpentine, and 1/3 spar varnish.
For the first coat I will put in more turp and less varnish (sometimes no varnish) so the oil can really soak in. For the middle coats I will do the 1/3s adding a little more varnish on the last coats depending on if I an looking for a satin or more of a semi-gloss (more weather proof) finish.
Mix in a container, apply with a lint free rag, wiping on, let it sit for a minute and then wipe of the excess. Repeat.
REMEMBER TO BE CAREFUL TO PROPERLY DISPOSE OF THE RAGS, LEFT OUT THEY CAN SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST.
Different oils can color the wood in different ways so try to test it first on an inconspicous spot.
Thats the basics its pretty easy and the results can be great. I can try to answer any Qs about this if you have them. Good Luck

 

Of those two options I would go with Tung Oil. Preferably I would use Laurel Mountain Forge Sealer and Finish as directed on the cans. I have not used anything else since trying these products 10 years ago. One exception. For the final coat I use Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil and rub it with the palm of my hand until it is a satin finish. Something to think about. Boiled Linseed Oil is not a hard enough finish to be a good moisture or water barrier.

 

[jdixon]

The last gun I built I used an oil combination suggested by James Turpin in one of his videos. A 50 / 50 mixture of boiled linseed oil and Danish oil. Put each coat on by hand, rubbing it in with your fingertips, allow to dry 48 hours. Buff with 0000 steel wool, hit it with a tac cloth, repeat - about 7 times. Yields a deep satin finish that looks authentic. Seems to hold up well in the rain so far. On the hidden surfaces, behind the lock, barrel channel etc., I used straight spar varnish.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

I have found pure tung oil to be the most forgiving as to future maintenance for scratches and abrasions. A light hand rubbed application and it blends right in with the old finish.

Others mileage may vary.

 

[Many Klatch]

An old recipe for a Linseed Oil finish is 3 parts Linseed oil, one part vinegar and one part turpentine. Shake well before using. Apply once an hour for a day and rub in well. Then once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and then as needed. Rub in each application with a rag or your hand until the wood gets warm.

The finish goes deep and is reasonably waterproof. The nice thing is that if you scratch or ding the stock, the wood that has just been exposed is still protected.

I keep the rag that I use in a tightly sealed mason jar. Make sure that the jar is just big enough to hold the rag so there isn't too much oxegen in the jar. After a few uses it makes a great tack rag for removing dust from finishes. Otherwise put the rag in a fire or spread it out outside, it will spontaneously combust if wadded up and left in a heap.

This linseed oil finish also rejuvenates old furniture finishes as well.

Many Klatch

 

[Razz]

Thanks Everyone

I was debating using the linseed oil since I have never tried it, but went with tung oil. I used Minwax Tung oil, which I know is not pure tung oil. I have used it on an osage bow with great results. I like the warmth it brings to the wood. Anyway, I gave my gun a first coat this morning, a few more and the grain wil really show. Thanks again.
Buffler Razz