Tung Oil

[Lazysod]

What is the best oil for keeping a wood stock in perfect shape. I've heard tung oil is the way to go. Any other opinions?

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[Patrick Chadwick]

keeping a wood stock in perfect shape

for, literally, perfect shape

160* years of Enfield Rifles say that pure linseed oil, wiped on inside** and out, will keep the stock in a natural moisture balance and thus prevent the warping that arises from unequal drying out of the wood.

You want a stock that goes brittle with dryness and warps and cracks? - Use something that produces a great shine by sealing off the outside surface of the wood, and leave the barrel channel untouched, so that it is dried out by the hot barrel.

You want a perfect shape to pass down to your great grandchildren? - Use linseed oil and nothing else. Inside and outside.

I have an Arisaka T38 with original urushi (that's real Japanese lacquer, for those who've never heard of it), applied by a craftsman, and a Mosin-Nagant 91/30 with the original shellac as sloshed on by some Bubba in the Ishevsk Tractor Factory (judging by the finish). But if either of them needed a refinish, they would get linseed oil, applied lightly and regularly for as long as I can.


Patrick


*Sorry, a bit of exaggeration there. The 1853 stock on my Snider is only 159 years old!

**Yes, INSIDE as well.

[gew8805]

Patrick, I agree 100%. Don't seal the stock, let it breath, linseed oil does the job.

But, of course, there will be some that don't......

[Lazysod]

Finally an answer I can get. I've been told so many things it's making my head spin. I think linseed oil is the way to go too. Sorry, I have one more question. Would you go boiled linseed oil? Thanks again for the detailed reply.


Ryan

[Smittysretired]

You can use either pure linseed oil or Boiled Linseed oil. The difference being that Boiled Linseed Oil is processed with metallic drying agents, so it dries quicker.

Using either, you will need to apply at least a couple of coats. Usually when I get a new milsurp I will do an oil scrub using boiled linseed oil and #0000 steel wool. This usually helps lift some of the older oil and the steel wool wont hurt any markings or cartouche's on the stock. I will then wipe down with a cotten cloth soaked with some BLO. Let it dry, then do a vigerous hand rub with BLO.

Let it dry for a few hours then apply a second coat by hand and let it dry until the next day and wipe or buff down with a clean cotten cloth. If you use pure linseed oil you will have to let it sit longer between applications.

As mentioned above, some people cut the boiled linseed oil (or pure linseed oil) with turpentine 50/50 and others say 75/25. (25% on the turpentine). I always used it full strength. But that's just the way I was tought.

Smitty

[Patrick Chadwick]

As mentioned above, some people cut the boiled linseed oil (or pure linseed oil) with turpentine 50/50 and others say 75/25. (25% on the turpentine).

There is no "correct" value here. It depends on the initial state of the stock. If the stock is "fresh" i.e. has been stripped or (gulp!) sanded, then use more NATURAL turpentine to get the oil deeply into the wood. As the pores in the wood fill up, use less and less. With a "mature" stock, you don't need much more than a couple of drops on a rag that just has a whiff of turpentine.

For a really deep finish, you only need to apply very little, once a week or so for the first couple of months, once a month for the next century, and then occasionally forever. Never apply more oil to a tacky stock. it will just become even tackier and take an eternity to dry out, since the later layers hinder the drying and hardening of the older, deeper layers. To clean grime off an old stock, or "untack" a tacky layer, use a rag dampened with pure natural turpentine.

In other words: there is no quick fix. This is polishing, not painting. It is the kind of job you can do while listening to the radio or contemplating the universe, while enjoying the pleasant smell. Take it slowly!


Patrick

[JBS]

Pure linseed oil, and read the label you don't want sealers and other crap in it. You may have to go to an Art supply store to get pure linseed oil. Look in the oil paint section.

[jmoore]

Raw linseed oil. Otherwise known as Flax Seed Oil. This was the preferred oil for the Enfields. Boiled linseed oil (Without the drying agents- it was actually headed in an airtight container before companies got cheap and added the nasty chemicals) was approved as an alternate.

I buy my RLO as Flax seed oil in the health food section of the fancier food markets. (But that's a USA thing, it's more easily available outside the US in places you would expect- like hardware stores.) Art supply houses have it also, but it's pricier. But any of the good stuff, raw or boiled, ought to be labeled "non-toxic"! (And it IS pretty tasty, it turns out. Good on salads or green beans.)

[JBS]

I buy my RLO as Flax seed oil in the health food section of the fancier food markets. (But that's a USA thing, it's more easily available outside the US in places you would expect- like hardware stores.) Art supply houses have it also, but it's pricier. But any of the good stuff, raw or boiled, ought to be labeled "non-toxic"! (And it IS pretty tasty, it turns out. Good on salads or green beans.)

Hummm, sounds like a Ballistol sandwich

[WeeDavie41]

In many traditions linseed oil has been a well accepted material to use on wood. In more recent years it has been found out that linseed oil does come with some problems associated with it's use. Having worked for a lifetime with both linseed oil and tung oil mixtures I will suggest that anyone who is interested in wood finishes would be doing themselves a service if they purchased and read Prof. Bruce Hoadley's book on "Understanding Wood" Taunton Press. In Chapter 10 of this book, he focuses on the finishes that are applied to wood and the qualities and failings of these products.

Linseed oil has many problms associated with it. To mention one, is that it is difficult to remove without a thorough sanding which can damage the original surface of the wood object you are trying to preserve. The overall protection that is offered is rated as poor offering very little protection. On the other hand, shellac is an easy product to apply offering fair to good protection against water and it is quite easy to remove if needed whithout sanding and any damage to the wood. Tung oil is highly resistant to water but still requires sanding to remove. You will notice that the better spar varnishes use tung oil rather than linseed oil. Read Hoadley's book and you will learn far more than I can tell you here.