Raw Lineseed Oil

I want to freshen the stock on my Winchester. I normally clean and treat with BLO and 50/50 mix of Mineral Spirits. I have never used just RLO before. This stock, however, is not grungy and does not have a sheen from prior use BLO or Tung Oil. I think it just needs a fresh coat of original oil. It is so original, that I don't think it has anything has ever been used on it except the RLO when it was made.

With one carbine, I can't see buying an expensive quart of RLO at Home Depot. I also know that Raw Linseed Oil is basically the same (IIRC) as "flax seed oil". Anyone know where I can a small jar/can of RLO cheap? Is it something a craft shop would have? Would flax seed oil from the health food store work.

I want to give it a tune-up before the next range day where i show it off. (I had to cancel the watermelon destruction derby in So-Cal with my son). I plan of stripping the carbine down, cleaning old oil off with mineral spirits and a tooth brush, freshening the stock, then putting it together with fresh CLP and grease on the bolt lugs.

PS: I thought of doing a first pass 50/50 mineral spirits and RLO and a green scratch pad to get any surface grime and oil off of it, and then one or two thin coats of RLO to finish it. It does not need a deep cleaning like some stocks I have had....

I buy the flax seed oil from Whole Foods. Much cheaper than the arts variety and tastes the same.

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What I've been using:
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Walgreens has it in my area - 8 oz. bottles. You won't be able to call it "unmessed with" anymore! :lol:- Bob

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Originally Posted by USGI

Walgreens has it in my area - 8 oz. bottles. You won't be able to call it "unmessed with" anymore! :lol:- Bob

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Hahaha! Bill, that's why I want to just freshen up the original raw linseed oil! I usually use BLO, but this is the first one I have had that I know was just raw linseed oil. I suppose oiling it, could be construed as messing with it too!

It definitely leaves less shine. And it's good for both your stock and you.

But first you have to 'open' the wood so the RLO can penetrate. And you don't refer to it as 'coats', since you apply it in small amounts to soak in over time. Definitely cut it with Turp. or min. sp. 1:1 to aid penetration.
Pre-cleaning is another story. Don't use soap and water or a strong solvent like lacquer thinner unless you're prepared to stain. Since there is no surviving arsenal stain to buy, you are then venturing into deep water. Actually the RLO:Turp mix should be adequate to clean the stock as you apply it with a piece of terry cloth or cheesecloth. Let it stand overnight and wipe off any excess that did not penetrate. On today's carbine that basically is not used, once or twice a year is adequate for this treatment.
I would not normally use a Scotch Brite pad or any other abrasive on the stock. The wood is too precious.

I use cold pressed natural linseed oil, applied with a soft cloth, polishing it well in until I get a shine. And then polishing it over again next morning. This cleans off any dirt and ends up exhibition grade.

In our small town, I couldn't find any other source of raw linseed oil when I was needing to finish a No. 4 Mark 2 stock so I purchased a bottle of flax seed oil gel-caps from the health food rack at the local dollar store. Used no stain. The capsules were actually quite handy. One just split the end of a capsule and applied a measured amount with less muss and fuss. One capsule goes a long way, even with a dry stock surface, completely void of any oil. The raw linseed oil gives more satisfactory results for me than the boiled linseed oil commonly found. Here's the before and after of rehab'ing a formerly sporterized, yet non-import-marked No. 4 Mark 2 rifle.



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Seems dark compared with all the blonde No. 4 Mark 2 rifles typically seen but internet research indicated that the rifles' stocks were originally finished using raw linseed oil and a good friend who is English, lives and breaths British militaria in Yorkshire, also validated the use of raw linseed oil. At any rate, the finished stock looks better than the nasty orange-colored refinish of the original cut-down stock. The tops of the hand guards stand a little too proud where they meet the bands but I haven't decided whether to try to mimic the appearance of of original No. 4 Mark 2 rifles I see at gun shows or in internet photos and re-contour the hand guards.

It's now been a couple of years since the rehab and the stock now has a bit less sheen and is a nice dark reddish hue, similar to a U. S. Krag Jorgensen or a pre-World War I 1903 Springfield.

Thanks. The only cleaning I was going to do is with a 50/50 of mineral spirits and RLO. I figure soak over night, wipe off the next day, then a light coat of 100% RLO. The stock is not terribly dirty, just trying to clean and freshen stock, and clean and oil the metal with acetone and fresh Breakfree CLP and grease. Acetone is really good at getting old, dried oil and grease out ofd the pores of the metal.