Linseed oil

[Tracy]

Has anyone onsite ever tried linseed oil as a boolit lube? I'm pretty sure I read a reference to its use in a manner similar to Liquid Alox. This was several years ago, but I have never attempted it. I have used it as an anti-rust coating on metal, where it goes on liquid and dries to a semi-tacky surface. Thoughts?

[montana_charlie]

Linseed oil is the main ingredient in "oil-based paint".
Do you want to lube bullets or preserve a wooden fence?

CM

[btroj]

It also dries pretty slow unless dryers are added. Even then it can be days, worse in humidity.
I really don't want to think of loading tacky bullets.

[John in WI]

I agree with that--linseed oil will get gummy in a hurry (even if there's no drying agent). Did you ever find an old nasty bottle of vegetable oil in the back of your cupboard, and the cap is kind of gummy and hard to remove? When oils go "rancid" it's the same kind of oxidation.

[uscra112]

Not a lubricant of much value to begin with. Ceases to be one at all when it oxidizes, which it does too quickly to be of any use on boolits. Oxidized linseed does a good job of protecting wood from rot and metal from rust. Leave it at that.

[docone31]

Isn't that stuff exothermic also?
Put some patches in a closed container and you might also have a lantern at the least.

[giz189]

Isn't that stuff exothermic also?
Put some patches in a closed container and you might also have a lantern at the least.
Docone31 I absolutely had that happen after cleaning up some spilled linseed oil with some paper towels once. Fortunately I smelled smoke and threw it out before it did any damage.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Linseed oil usually Boiled Linseed Oil is often used in woodworking applications as a finishing agent on furniture projects. If it is on paper or towels it can ignite by spontaneous combustion so the rags or whatever have to be disposed of properly. It is not very slippery especially when it is allowed to dry and would not make a very effective bullet lubricant. When anything less than dry it is sticky and gummy. It is otherwise a good wood preservative. LLS

[OuchHot!]

My memory is a terrible place but I seem to recall that Paul Mathews used about 10% Linseed oil to soften his BP lube. He used pure linseed oil, if I recall, not the stuff with petroleum driers added. I cannot imagine using a high concentration as it is pretty gummy.

[xs11jack]

I used George Bros. Linspeed on a bp rifle stock and remember the instructions said don't use a rag, spread it with your fingers. So far my fingers haven't tried to lite my fire.
Jack

[captaint]

I would think the heat involved would be way too much for linseed oil. After all, we know it burns nicely. Mike