It is a 1954 manufacture and the furniture is a medium color Birch or Beech wood.
I know that the walnut furniture on the No.1 Mk.3 was finished with linseed oil.
Was it the same finishing techniques used??
It is a 1954 manufacture and the furniture is a medium color Birch or Beech wood.
I know that the walnut furniture on the No.1 Mk.3 was finished with linseed oil.
Was it the same finishing techniques used??
Knowing the way we pack firearms nowadays, they probably just put the rifles with nice new wood, straight into a vat of Cosmoline!
Below on the left is a untouched South African marked 1950 No.4 Mk.2 that appears to have boiled linseed oil applied. (higher gloss deeper finish)
On the right is a 1916 No.1 Mk.3 that went through FTR or overhaul in 1953 and has raw linseed oil applied (dull non-gloss finish)
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...iffrence-1.jpg
The heating process on BLO causes the linseed oil to form long interlocking molecular chains and plasticises the oil which makes it more durable and water resistant. BLO will build up much faster on the surface of the wood and give a thicker surface finish. Raw linseed oil will soak deep into the wood and has less surface build up.
How the BLO is made and what country it is manufactured in can make a difference, the majority of American made BLO is toxic and is not actually "boiled".
NOTE: My 1950 Mk.2 was center bedded and used for target shooting and the South Africans "may" have applied the BLO over RLO. On both Enfields the finish is original and untouched since being sold out of service. Also NO official printed material has surfaced stating anything but raw linseed oil was ever used on the Enfield rifle.
The British forum members should have more information and knowledge on what was applied on later 1950s Enfields. (Mr. Laidler) ;)
Linseed ol is all that was used at the factories. They all went through a big hot vat of the stuff and were then left to drip-dry
I wonder how hot the oil was, how long it stayed hot and what chemical/physical changes if any, it underwent as a result?
The linseed oil tank we used was very warm to the touch. You could see the air being drawn out of the wood where the linseed was presumably being drawn in. I have to say that after my experience of just how the heat, water from the monsoons, damp and saltwater would just destroy anything less, I have the greatest admiration for just linseed oil. If it's good enough for Malaya, then it's good enough for anywhere. But those Armourers who served in the dry of Aden etc etc say that you had to rinse it out of the wood with petrol before it was acceptable there.......... They wanted everything dry
Did troopies even get blo for maintenance, or was it rlo as well?
Not the soldiers as a rule - but the Arms storemen used to get some just to wipe the woodwork down occasionally
I apply raw linseed oil to my Lee Enfields a couple times a year. Should I be heating it first? I've always just rubbed it on at room temperature.
NO Baal, it was heated slightly when we were immersing dozens at a time, production line fashion and letting them hang afterwards. They were going to and doing what yours ain't going to do no more! Just a room temp wipe over a couple of times a year should do for anyone
I remember from my schooldays being told of the two types of linseed oil , one for gunstocks and the other for cricket bats . I do recall being told not to get them the wrong way round , but I can't remember which oil was for what . I suspect it is the cricket bat that has problems with the wrong oil .
How can you tell the difference ? ( presuming there is no label ).
In a practical sense, either will work fine. I usually use BLO on most guns simply because it dries in a reasonable amount of time.
BLO can and does leave a sticky skin which might be OK on your cricket bat but not on your rifle - or have I got it the wrong way round!
As Peter said BLO will leave a sticky coat, so you need to wipe of excess when applying, the main difference between the two, is the drying time, Boiled will dry a lot quicker but in the manufacture process it was never boiled like we would boil water, hot air was forced through it, changing the structure .......
How true it is I dont know, but was told many years ago (and it does make sense), the reason for the Warm to hot vats in the production of the the woodwork for the rifles was to change the density of the oil, and to speed up the process, the seaoned wood would soak up the hot oil like a sponge (plus hot oil drips a lot quicker than cold).
While looking for info on tung oil, fould this link.
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/features/finish2.html
So what is the secret of getting a glossy but non-sticky BLO finish? I'm currently cleaning up my Enfield P1914 and would be very interested to know.Quote:
Originally Posted by bigduke6
Cheers,
Mark
When I did mine, by soaking it in warm linseed oil (boiled) for 3 hours, and the wiping it off and letting it drip dry. The parts that looked PERFECTLY like factory originals, were the guards, where I didn't wipe much of the bulk off. They got that glossy, waxy look that all those new old stock ones have, the rest looked fine too, but the surface looks more dry than the look I'm sure your referring to. So all I can suggest, is do as the man says and don't wipe components off much (or at all???) and let them drip dry by themselves. Mine took at least a couple of days to dry out, and even then any runs that had skinned over needed to be wiped off and allowed more time. But the result is on the money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by peregrinvs
Time and patience is the key, If you have the time use normal linseed, if your pushed then use BLO, apply leave to soak in, and wipe off excess , let it dry room temp, repeat process until you gain the required finish. After a few coats I rub over with wire wool, and repeat the process, I find with the wire wool it gives some of the satin/glossy finish I think your after.
I,ve left it by mistake and a few days later returned to a sticky mess, If this does happen then thin down some BLO with white spirit, and use this with fine wire wool and rub untill the sticky layer comes off.
BLO and white spirit is good for cleaning up old stocks, after initial clean use just BLO, rub it in hard and fast to generate some heat, then wipe off with kitchen towel. (if you havent sanded the P14 I would sugest this method).