Tung Oil

[us019255]

tung oil in 1938 for newly made stocks. At unit levels, use of linseed oilicon continued as a stock finish. I've used both & prefer TO. It fills the grain (after 5-6 coats both inside & out plus the butt & forearm tip) and makes the wood nearly waterproof.

Tung oil does have a different chemistry than linseed oil. The result for all iis a polymerized finish. The Tung oil finish is better at resisting the effects of water, weather, and sunlight. Traditionally, lots of outdoor wood is treated with an oil finish. Tung oil is universally recommended as listing longer on your fence, garden bench, etc. Normally, the directions recommend that the Tung oil be sanded between coats. This is for general wood where removal of markings will not cause a heart attack among weapon collectors.

I have used all three with good results. You pays your money and you takes your choice.

[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.