Boiled linseed oil vs raw linseed oil for finishing a rifle stock

[Loudenboomer]

I have used tru oil to a high gloss many times. If I'm looking for a more traditional look I'll mix spar urethane, boiled linseed oil and low odor turpentine in about equal parts. I put in a old baby food jar and give it a light shake before each use. goes on easy with a cloth or hands. The first couple coats really soak in. A couple more and your good to go. Dries overnight. Touch up any time. Hope this helps.

[Winger Ed.]

That seems wrong, rainwater would get in there and cause the wood to swell, affecting accuracy I am sure. So does one do alot of sanding to keep the metal to wood fit in those areas when applying the finish?

Raw linseed oil will tend to stay 'gummy' rather than dry.
The govt. ran their stocks through a pressure cooker like they do the green pressure treated wood.
The process is to seal the chamber, draw a vacuum on it, then flood it with the desired treatment, then raise
the temp. and pressure cook it awhile. The oil soaks in pretty deep.
If they started with raw linseed oil, it'd be boiled by the time the stocks came out.

For what you're doing, I wouldn't waist the time sanding inside the cut out.
Jst mop it down well, let it soak and wipe off what you can.

[todd9.3x57]

i started out on my stocks with Lin-speed oil. it took me about a week to dry it. linseed oil is about the best, IF YOU HAVE TIME TO DRY IT!!!!

i use Minwax Antique Oil and i let dry overnight (about 24 hours). Minwax Antique does the same thing but better. i use it much like Lin-speed oil, my finger takes out a drop of Antique Oil and its put on the stock. the first coat sucks into the wood, it will take me around 10-12 drops, if not more. the second coat is only about 5-6 drops while the 3rd and up coats only takes 3 or 4 drops.

i recently take the Antique Oiled stock and i use polyurethane oil and mineral spirits, 3 poly: 1 mineral spirits. i take a lint free cloth and put it into the mixture, wring it out and then start the stock with the grain. i only have to wring out once or twice to do the stock. i then let it hang overnight and then its time for another coat of 3:1. i do that 3 or 4 times and then i'm done.

you could use Wipe On Poly, but it costs more to do. the 3:1 mix is still cheaper than the Wipe On and the Wipe On is basically the 3:1 mix.

[shootrj2003]

I just did a Rem. 511 with blo it was the oil finish I’ve looked for for years drenched it for couple hours wiped it down dried over night ,next day beautiful color ,but still oily on hands so I wiped with a cloth that night I hand rubbed like with Tru oil and left a thin coat of oil next day it was again oily to touch,the color was deeper and I liked it better,wiped it dry,let it set all day,then that night repeated the same,next day color still great but not much darker so I wiped it no more coats ,next day I just rubbed it by hand and built a dull sheen with hand rubbing ,it was and is now dry with a beautiful e dull gleam,this is the finish my 1966 Marlin 336 had when I bought it in 1970,that was pre Marshield, nothing else has ever replicated that look ,the same look as a fresh M1 Garand or m14 walnut stock.Tru oil has too much shine for THAT look,I like Tru oil,but this is a different look,one I tried to replicate for years,now I have to redo my 336 again.I’ve had this can for years still had the tin seal under the lid,finally got the guts ( and patience)to try the old style finish,it was worth it.perfect for Walnut.Yes,it does dry and does not stay tacky .

[KCSO]

The old timers used shellac or varnish as BLO is not really waterproof. Tru Oil is good and I prefer it over tung oil. Boiled has dryers in it and it sets up way faster and is a little more waterproof, raw oil I only use for soaking and conditioning ram rods and ax handles and such.

[longbow]

I can't speak for other people's experiences but I have used double boiled linseed oil for a finish on several wood selfbows and it has worked just fine. I jave a yew bow I made close to 20 years ago that has been used a lot in weather ranging from 40°C to -15°C (104°F to 5°F) and in snow and rain. Water beads up and runs off the finish. This bow was waxed once many years ago and has never been refinished. While the linseed oil may not stop wood from warping due to moisture/humidity, rain has not affected the bow and water still beads up and runs off.

The double boiled linseed oil has yellowed and darkened some but is not sticky at all. I put on about 8 coats of the oil thinned with mineral spirits, wiped on with a rag then any excess wiped off with a clean rag and left to dry for a day. I did that every day for 8 days. Each coat was obviously very thin. I did not sand or rub with steel wool after the last coat was applied. I won't say it is the most attractive finish for a fine piece of wood but it has certainly been functional.

I do not know the details of how boiled and double boiled linseed oil are made so looked up what seems to be conflicting information. I read that boiled linseed oil is not truly boiled and that it does have additives that may be solvents and/or heavy metals added as "dryers" on one site and that it was safe for food use on another site (seems contradictory to me if heavy metals are additives), where double boiled linseed oil seems to be boiled and has no driers added... at least this brand:

https://www.swingpaints.com/product/...ed-Linseed-Oil

More linseed oil info:

https://thewhittlingguide.com/guides...d-linseed-oil/

Based on that 2nd link and referring to the polymerized linseed oil, it is possible (probable) that the military method of pressure cooking resulted in a polymerization of the linseed oil. I'll have to look into that some.

I have also used Birchwood Casey's Tru-Oil on both gunstocks and bows and like it a lot. I don't believe it soaks into the wood like double boiled linseed oil but it is quick and easy to apply and makes a nice finished that seems quite durable, and doesn't darken over time. I've used 3 coats on the last couple of bows I have made.

Not trying to change anyone's opinion, just adding to the knowledge base.

Longbow

PS: this link posted by ogre is a good read and answered some of my questions: https://thecmp.org/wood-cleaning-article/

[Gobeyond]

LO mixed with paint thinner soaks into the wood better so it can preserve it deeper. Thin coats.

One time Royal Danish cherrywood finish worked real well on a walnut m1 carbine stock. It sealed, preserved, finished to satin and looked natural and almost original. Royal Danish is for high end wood a fine finish that artists would use, but it looks good on a stock.

[toot]

true, RAW LINSEED OIL, does not ever seem to dry, it takes forever to dry and every time you touch it to check to see if it is dry, you will leave leave a thumb / finger print!

[Edward]

I build guns for a living. I don't use any sort of BLO product. It isn't water proof, water goes right through it. I find tung oil finishes much better. I like Formby's. I have had many originals apart, NONE of them have finish in the barrel channel or lock mortise.

Me too I 2nd that and Tru oil works too/Ed

[uscra112]

I personally don't use or like linseed oil in any form. There are much better finishing products out there that are much more durable and less of a hassle. My own preferences are polyurethane or acrylic based finishes. Gasp, did I really say that? Use what floats your boat.

I could wish I had a nickel for every hour I've spent scraping that synthetic stuff off fine old classics when doing restorations.

[dondiego]

I could wish I had a nickel for every hour I've spent scraping that synthetic stuff off fine old classics when doing restorations.

After they are scraped, what do you finish with on those classics?

[uscra112]

London Oil Finish. After whiskering the wood, one coat cut 50-50 with turpentine or mineral spirits, applied to wood warmed almost too hot to handle. Let cure 2-3 days. Then straight linseed, once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, once a year forever. Rubbed in with a pad of burlap each time. Or a piece of wet-or-dry 240, which will load up and cut finer and finer with each successive coat. This is necessarily a labor of love - you can't rush it.

[dondiego]

London Oil Finish. After whiskering the wood, one coat cut 50-50 with turpentine or mineral spirits, applied to wood warmed almost too hot to handle. Let cure 2-3 days. Then straight linseed, once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, once a year forever. Rubbed in with a pad of burlap each time. Or a piece of wet-or-dry 240, which will load up and cut finer and finer with each successive coat. This is necessarily a labor of love - you can't rush it.

HA HA! I like it.

[uscra112]

Frankly, rubbing down an oil finish on a fine piece of wood is as sensuous as anything you'd find in the Sultan's harem.

[Jedman]

I don’t have the time to wait for linseed oil to dry. I have found many other “ oils” that dry much faster and look just as good. I don’t like glossy so any refinish gets rubbed down with 0000 steel wool or rottenstone after as many coats I feel it needs. Just can’t see waiting weeks or months to get a finish to get cured.

Jedman

[freakonaleash]

I have built muzzleloading rifles full time for 42 years. BLO sucks.

[FrankJD]

I always have put stain and a coat of finish in all inlets. No extra sanding needed. Sometimes finish will build up a bit in the lock mortise, that will need scraped a bit to allow the lock plate to seat properly.

As has been said, linseed oil is a poor finish, it was just a military expedient. I've had good luck with Truoil, and Hunters Shack finish.

I've done a few guns with tung oil, but no more. Last weekend I went to a dangerous game rifle shoot, where we by chance ended up shooting in the rain. Pretty much all the tung oil finish came off of the checkering on my .375 H&H. I've not had that problem on any of the muzzleloaders I have finished.

For those who HAVE used linseed and ended up with a tacky mess, wipe it down with paper towels and white gas.

BLO et al is not a good finish for all the above reasons.

I stain the entire stock and then wick in quality water thin CYA to all inlets - bbl, lock, trigger - that will harden and seal the wood from BP residue mitigation. My CYA of choice is Hot Stuff, but any quality hobby shop water thin CYA will work just the same as Hot Stuff.

Tru Oil is my stock wood finish of choice.

[HighUintas]

BLO from hardware store is junk and shouldn't be used without modification for gunstocks.

Traditional finishes on rifles long ago (not sure what military was actually doing to rifle stocks of your subject type) were actually a linseed oil varnish. Heated or bodied linseed oil with metallic driers (lead compound), resin, and sometimes gum added. This creates a fast drying, flexible, tough finish that isn't tacky and is decently weather resistant. You can make it, or buy something similar.

Tried and True oil varnish is probably the closest to traditional easily available and easy to use quality linseed oil finish you can get. It is partially polymerized oil with resin added.

The key to getting linseed oil finishes to dry and harden (if you used hardware linseed oil it may never harden) is to put on super thin coats and let it dry in the sun and warmth. If sun is not available, warmth and air movement can help. But, UV light really speeds the polymerization. With Tried and True, you only need maybe 6 coats. Applying a coat a day, for a week, a coat a week for a month, etc etc until you're too old to shoot your gun because it's not finished yet is a waste of time.

There are very professional gun builders that use minwax antique oil, Sutherland Welles polymerized tung oil, tried and True varnish, and Chambers traditional oil finish. Laurel Mountain Forge Permalyn sealer is another option. It is synthetic and polyurethane based, but can be made to be indistinguishable from a linseed finish, is tough as nails, and very very weather resistant.

[uscra112]

Having used nothing BUT plain "hardware store" linseed oil for at least a dozen highly successful gunstock restorations, I take umbrage, sir.

[freakonaleash]

Having used nothing BUT plain "hardware store" linseed oil for at least a dozen highly successful gunstock restorations, I take umbrage, sir.

OH NO! NOT UMBRAGE!