No. 4 stock finishing

[arado]

I use Watco Teak oil. Designed for dense woods. Works well. On my FAL"S I use truck bed liner. Gary

[Edward Horton]

Each country sets its own health and safety standards and the United States lags behind the rest of the world in this respect. Canada and the UK have higher safety standards than the United States and I’m just warning my fellow Americans to read the MSDS sheets before choosing which linseed oil to use for your hand rubbed finish.

Please note that American BLO contains toxic chemicals and the British BLO does not.

http://www.newparks.com/PDF/MSDS/SOL...LinseedOil.pdf


British boiled linseed oil below

SAFETY DATA SHEET
PALE BOILED LINSEED OIL
Use / description of product: No significant hazard.
Main hazards: No significant hazard.

ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Mobility: Readily absorbed into soil.
Persistence and degradability: Biodegradable.
Bioaccumulative potential: No bioaccumulation potential.
Other adverse effects: Negligible ecotoxicity.

http://www.abbey-chemicals.co.uk/MSD...OIL%20MSDS.pdf

[madcratebuilder]

I've read about all the dangerous chemicals I use at times, scared the crap out me, so I quit reading.

[madcratebuilder]

Read the MSDS Sheets

Real boiled linseed oil gives much better durability and water protection, fake non-boiled linseed oil does NOT plus it is TOXIC.

Toxic Linseed oil
1. Hazardous Ingredients, Cobalt Neodecanoate, Cobalt 2-Ethylhexanoate, Mineral Spirits, Diethylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether, Manganese Neodecanoate, Manganese 2 Ethylhexanoate
2. Potential Chronic Health Effects:
Signs and Symptoms: Effects of overexposure include irritation of the nose and throat,
irritation of the digestive tract and signs of nervous system depression (e.g., headache,
drowsiness, dizziness, loss of coordination and fatigue).

3. Skin Protection: Prevent skin contact. Wear chemical-resistant flexible-type gloves
(neoprene, PVC, butyl, nitrile or similar). Depending on conditions of use additional protective equipment may be necessary such as face-shield, apron or coveralls.

http://www.newparks.com/PDF/MSDS/SOLVENTS/BoiledLinseedOil.pdf



Nontoxic Linseed oil

1. Linseed oil, CAS # 8001-26-1, % by Weight 100 (100% pure linseed oil)
2. Toxicological Data on Ingredients: Linseed oil LD50: Not available. LC50: Not available. (no toxic additives)
3. DOT Classification: Not a DOT controlled material (United States).

http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-Linseed_oil-9924500

Three are three types of Linseed oil on the market in the USA.

Raw linseed oil, can be food grade and is edible. No MSDS

What is commonly marketed as Boiled Linseed Oil in the USA, this BLO is a combination of RLO and driers to speed film drying and hardness, and well have a MSDS sheet. I would wear rubber gloves.

You can also get traditional BLO, also called Purified BLO now days, it is raw linseed oil that is purified and refined through the addition of oxygen to produce boiled or "cooked" linseed oil. This process eliminates proteins and improves aspects such as the drying time, shine and purity. No MSDS.

Be sure of the product you are using. Purified BLO is a specialty product and can be found at boat supply shops.


So, what is the "CORRECT" finish to use on a No4 MkI? BLO or RLO? I've read both.

[jona]

BLO is the specified finish. RLO was for wartime emergency. So, if there is no war, use BLO.

[Milsurp Collector]

Raw linseed oil is available as "flax seed oil" in the health food section of your supermarket, WalMart, and online

http://www.walgreens.com/store/catal...n=push-product

Amazon.com: Now Foods Flax Seed Oil, 24-Ounces: Health Personal Care

Raw linseed (flax seed) oil takes longer to dry than boiled linseed oil, and like all linseed oil it provides poor protection against moisture, but it oxidizes to an attractive reddish hue much more than BLO.

[EnfieldNutt84]

So I take it its a bad idea to contemplate using shellac on a restoration then, will wax bring an equivalent shine?

[jmoore]

So I take it its a bad idea to contemplate using shellac on a restoration then, will wax bring an equivalent shine?

Neither is proper for "restoration" purposes. A good hand rubbed linseed oil finish can get too shiny, it just takes more effort! I'm thinking wax may be a disaster in the long run.

[Rowdy]

Military rifles were not supposed to be shiney - over the years RLO can oxidise and with use form a semigloss surface.