Raw linseed darker?

[GerryRA]

Does raw linseed oil provide a darker finish than the boiled linseed?

Many rifles with original stock finish, that don’t seem to have been covered in grease and crud, have a darker and redder finish than those that have been cleaned and re-oiled with boiled linseed or BLO and mineral spirts mixture.

WW I and II photos show a dark stock finish on ‘03 and M1917s and on M1s and 03A3s that can’t have been exposed yet to much service life.

Information

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[Jim Tarleton]

Both change color with time. On freshly finished rifles, I haven't noticed a significant difference in color in the ones I have finished, including tung oil. I use a dye to produce a reddish tint when desired.

Jim

[Lancebear]

Hey Jim,

What dye do you use? Thought about you tonight. Military channel had a show I haven't seen before about modern Marine Scout Snipers. Good. Finally something new.

Robert

[Emri]

Both types will darken when exposed to sunlight. I've seen really nice rifles that the stock was just about black. I refinished one that was black. Thought it was grease and would never come clean. Turned out one application of stripper took it all off and the wood was clean as a whistle. Ask JB about his experience with a new pic-nic table he used it on!!

FWIW,

Emri

[Jim Tarleton]

Lancebear,

I use logwood stain that I make in my kitchen. Didn't I send you some once?

Jim

[John Beard]

Both types will darken when exposed to sunlight. I've seen really nice rifles that the stock was just about black. I refinished one that was black. Thought it was grease and would never come clean. Turned out one application of stripper took it all off and the wood was clean as a whistle. Ask JB about his experience with a new pic-nic table he used it on!!

FWIW,

Emri

linseed oil, both raw and boiled, will turn black as coal with prolonged exposure to sunlight. But boiled linseed oil is available that has been chemically-treated to suppress photochemical reactivity. The can will be labeled if treated.

And Emri is right. I once oiled a fine redwood picnic table with regular linseed oil. It promptly turned soot black and my wife never forgave me.

J.B.

[joem]

linseed oil will darken the finish. I started using tung oil or danish oil and IMHO it brings out the color better.

[Lancebear]

Lancebear,

I use logwood stain that I make in my kitchen. Didn't I send you some once?

Jim

Jim,

Musta' got lost in the mail. You makin' stuff in the kitchen again?

Thought about your home parkerizing experiment while making some Finnish stock treatment. One third each beeswax, turpentine and pure pine tar.
Started by trying to melt the wax in a glass mixing cup in the microwave. Well it took forever and I finished the job on the stove with the cup in some hot water in a pot. A wax explosion in the microwave would have been a beeotch to clean up. Mixed in the tar and turpentine outside, didn't know if there was any sort of reaction to look out for. None, mixes up easy. Consistency of Johnson's paste wax. It's a treatment for a stock that has been finished already. Use it just like paste wax. Stock feels like it has a bit of rosin on it after you wipe it down. Not sticky but grippy.

Anyway, the Finns I think stained stocks with a fifty fifty mix of pine tar and turpentine. Finished M39 stocks in WWII with a mix of turpentine and linseed oil and whatever. I have three and in normal lighting the colors are honey gold and chocolate. But if you shine a bright light on them you see a red glow. The wood is Arctic Birch and is crazy beautiful.

The wax treatment only adds color to any bright scratches.

Couldn't get an original '03 last year. I looked the whole year. Missed the one I did find. That's why I bought the Finns and am glad I did. Don't feel too guilty.

They have everything that I love about the M1903, looks, accuracy and history. Finely made rifles, and the right price for now.

I didn't put the wax concoction on any '03 wood and won't. Gotta' keep'em real.

Yours in adventures in chemistry,

Lancebear