Boiled Linseed Oil Finish?

[Taevers]

When 11 yrs. old , Dad and I took my new "sporterized " 6.5 mm Sweedish Mauser out for the first day of Pa. buck season , 1959. It was a steady light rain all day. I remember the European birch stock of my Mauser going from Linspeed brown to white , as the five coats of BLO washed off. After the wet gun dried off a week later , next to the coal furnace , we used another type finish , which is still on the rifle today. Think I might get that little kids gun out and use it this season. It's a killer. Back in the early 1970's , when there was little to no available knowledge on gunstock finish in my world. As a trial , I had built myself a .58 cal. Jager rifle w/ an English walnut stock. I decided to try a tung oil finish,. I literally soaked it w/ tung oil mixed w/ Japan drier , and let the stock dry for a couple weeks. Months later , took the flint rifle out on a damp light all day rain in the Pa. mtns. , for deer. Since it was ice storming , I wore gloves , and where I held the stock , the finish wore off that day. Just another failed experiment by a young builder.

I read in Howard Hills book about finishing arrows with tung oil. After finding some arrows lost in the cow pasture from the previous year, I could see it wasn’t going to work for me. They were swelled up like a tick. I started using thinned down Varethane ( tough enough to roller skate on) and found a winner. Duco cement worked well on the fleches and I had a set of ash shafts I’ll bet I wore out 3 sets of feathers. Cane rods are dipped in spar varnish, so we know that is water tight. I can see why a lot of fellas add some of these to their blo. I’ll prolly just keep mine straight up and without ice like I’ve always done. Once traditions are established, they must be maintained.

 

[WonkyEye]

When 11 yrs. old , Dad and I took my new "sporterized " 6.5 mm Sweedish Mauser out for the first day of Pa. buck season , 1959. It was a steady light rain all day. I remember the European birch stock of my Mauser going from Linspeed brown to white , as the five coats of BLO washed off. After the wet gun dried off a week later , next to the coal furnace , we used another type finish , which is still on the rifle today. Think I might get that little kids gun out and use it this season. It's a killer. Back in the early 1970's , when there was little to no available knowledge on gunstock finish in my world. As a trial , I had built myself a .58 cal. Jager rifle w/ a English walnut stock. I decided to try a tung oil finish,. I literally soaked it w/ tung oil mixed w/ Japan drier , and let the stock dry for a couple weeks. Months later , took the flint rifle out on a damp light all day rain in the Pa. mtns. , for deer. Since it was ice storming , I wore gloves , and where I held the stock , the finish wore off that day. Just another failed experiment by a young builder.

I can't say what went wrong, I wasn't there. I can say that's not how properly applied and cured BLO or tung works. It polymerizes, the molecules cross link and it turns into something like plastic that does not dissolve in water.

"I literally soaked it w/ tung oil mixed w/ Japan drier , and let the stock dry for a couple weeks.". This does not sound like proper application. Raw tung +Japan driers is not Polymerized tung. Wood should not be soaked with a thick coat. The wood should be flooded with a thinned product and allowed to soak up as much as it wants for 10-20 mins, then all product should be wiped off as much as possible. Then an hour later it should be wiped off again and buffed. Then a week later a 2nd coat is applied and buffed off completely. And so on, every time, buffing everything off the surface that can be. An oil finish is not a film finish. It sounds like you had a thick, gummy uncured coating.

 

[oldwood]

Not to mislead anyone , but I always used a wipe on , wipe off process w/blo and Linseed.

 

[bpd303]

Tung oil is my preferred finihs.

Mine also. Been using Formby's Satin low gloss Tung oil for the better part of 40 years. Never had a complaint and the guns I restored and are in my collection still look good. So I guess I'll stick with it.
I use BLO on outdoor wood ladders and hafts for tools but that's about it for the BLO, hate it on gun stocks. I also use Renaissance wax as is what Jim Supica former curator of the NRA Firearms Museum recommended for old guns.

 

[Mike in FL]

I'm wondering if mixing in something like kerosene would assist the oil with penetration. Seems like i have heard of that being done. I know I once spent many days finishing a stock with just blo, allowing it to dry well between coats - advice from my dad. Turned out very nice. Durable enough to hunt in the rain, a thing I often did as a kid.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

1/3 BLO, 1/3 Mineral Spirits, 1/3 pure Tung oil worked beautiful on a test piece of walnut. I'm gonna try it on the next walnut project. The Sam Maloof finish I put on the Woodsrunner turned out beautifully also. Many ways to skin a cat but Pure BLO will have you in the skinning shed for a WHILE.

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Quick question?
What gunsmith would use a finish that literally took a month to a year to apply?
That never dries, and is water permeable? Gets sticky in the rain or heat.
Guys, there are so many better finishes out there.

A LONDON Gunmaker !!! If your payng Tens of Thousands £££ for your Guns, you Expect to be able to stay out in British weather all day shooting Pheasants or Partridge AND you may have to wait 2 to 3 years for your chosen piece..That finish lasts several life times.. OLD DOG..