Lithgow wood finish

[Cdn303]

The when you are done with the oil take a piece of flannel and give it a good hand buffing. It will just pop.

[madcratebuilder]

The original finish was raw linseed oil and creosote. 50/50 I think. It's got a very distinctive smell.

Well that explains the feel and smell of this Lithgow...Cerosote. Thanks Brian.

I've done dozens and dozens of No4 and No5 resto's but the No1's are new to me. Thanks to all for the info. BTW, i did find a small JJCO mark

Undecided on if I well do anything with this wood, a very light cleanup with some rlo at most.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Australian Cadet forces in the late 1960s / 1970s, (just before their thorough gutting), used, from memory, something called "OX52". This was used on the metal AND the wood. I have no recollection of using linseed on the wood at any time over about five years of Cadet training with SMLEs.

Anyone out there with a better memory of such things?

Interestingly, linseed oil is still in use in Oz units. It is not supposed to be used on weapons, (apart from the odd wipe on wooden MAG 58 butts from the armourer. Every so often some bozo at the "issue desk" will hand out a pump-pack of linseed oil, (intended for shovel and pick handles), instead of the correct synthetic lube. It's not much fun to disassemble an F-88 (Steyr AUG) that has been glued together by hardened linseed oil. Carburetor cleaner gets it off, however.

[Peter Laidler]

OX52 was the standard weapon oil until OX18 and OX24. It wasn't meant to be used on wood but probably didn't do it any harm. OX52 would leave a hard brown deposit on the steel a couple of years after it eventully dried.

I still have an oilbottles worth left, found in a Vickers oil bottle grip handle. It was a sweet smelliing oil and quite thick.

You're giving your age away if you remember OX52 Bruce!

[muffett.2008]

Yep. Linseed was still in use in the 80-90's, funny thing though, it was always supplied in US gal. tins.
OX18, general purpose preservative oil was run alongside PX18, CLP. the greases of the day were XG485 semi fluid, and XG264 graphite.
We also used the good old standbys, PX112 and my favourite(ha ha) PX115 Oil thixotropic
What a wonderous blend of Nostalgic aroma's this conjures up.

[trooper554877]

Yep. Linseed was still in use in the 80-90's, funny thing though, it was always supplied in US gal. tins.
OX18, general purpose preservative oil was run alongside PX18, CLP. the greases of the day were XG485 semi fluid, and XG264 graphite.
We also used the good old standbys, PX112 and my favourite(ha ha) PX115 Oil thixotropic
What a wonderous blend of Nostalgic aroma's this conjures up.

Might be your adult nappy needs changing mate!!!
Can you remember the stuff called Gamlen?
I remember cleaning up a few in the grease FTR SLR's at singo with the stuff.
It was a degreaser but there was something different about in the fact that it had something extra? i dunno I was just a grasshopper grunt then!
Cheers
Ned

[Peter Laidler]

We had some stuff in a brown can called FOSBRO that seemed to work and do everything with small arms. It smelled like that linament stuff that you rub into bruises, torn ligaments, smashed knees, broken backs - all you ex paratroopers will recognise the smell - Anyway, this stuff was really good. In fact, it was so good, it even made the first SA80's function smoothly. Anyway, after a couple of years, they withdrew it because it was supposedly toxic, nauseous, cancer causing, even radioactive, contained depleted uranium and probably even caused the Thai tsunami. Strange, because it's on the shelf of my local harware shop now

Anyway, all those out there in Forumland. All have a good Jubilee long weekend

[muffett.2008]

Yeah. Gamlen, a water soluble cleaner they used on vehicles and anything else that wasn't tied down.
It's probably the same stuff Peter mentions, it had that smell about it, also removed skin if used undiluted, didn't do the woodwork on SLR's much good, caused the laminates to seperate on those stupid round hanguards.

[trooper554877]

Yeah. Gamlen, a water soluble cleaner they used on vehicles and anything else that wasn't tied down.
It's probably the same stuff Peter mentions, it had that smell about it, also removed skin if used undiluted, didn't do the woodwork on SLR's much good, caused the laminates to seperate on those stupid round hanguards.

Jeez you are showing your age now old man!!
Didn't they change them from triangular to round in or around 69-70?
Anyway anyone who was worth anything as a decent shot preferred the triangle hand guards.
cheers
Ned

[muffett.2008]

They were good Ned, sat in the hand well, just like a target rifle, why is it that when something is almost perfect, some prick want's to change or replace it?