Tried and true drying time ...

[Long Beard]

Just wondering how long tried and true typically takes to dry. I have put the second coat on 9/26. It is now 10/2 and it still has that tacky feel when touched. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Also how many coat do most people put on a rifle and is there something to put on top of tried and true? I was thinking something like a Johnson's paste wax. Please advise...

 

[Phil Coffins]

Depends on which one you have. The type I bought didn’t dry for a week so it got rubbed off and Tru-Oil was thinly rubbed over it.
IMG_0541 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[RobertE]

I’ve found the secret to Tried and True is to apply a thin coat with my fingers, let it set for an hour or so, then take a soft cloth and rub it off, like you’re polishing it.
I let that dry well, about 24 hours depending on weather, then do the same all over again. About 4 or 5 coats have worked well for me.
It’s important to wipe off after the initial application, or it will feel sticky and never seems to really dry.
If the weather is nice, I’ll also hang it in the sun after wiping.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Obviously drying conditions matter a great deal. Try to put the gun out in direct sunlight if the temp is above 65 degrees. The secret to T&T is you apply it however, you wish, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, and then wipe off every drop of excess finish pooled on the surface. Every drop in every corner, nook, and cranny. Then let it dry completely for at least 24 hours before the next coat. If it stays tacky it means your drying conditions are too humid or cool, you did not wait long enough between coats, or you did not wipe off the excess properly.

dave

 

[Col. Batguano]

I had the same experience with it. It took some coats 2-3 weeks to dry, even when applied very thinly and wiped off as mentioned above. That said, it DOES eventually dry though. You can't rush it by saying; "Oh well, this is dry enough. I'll put another coat on now." That will just compound your problem and make the next coat take even longer to dry.

As I said earlier, it's very dependent on low humidity, so the dry winter months are the best time to do your finishing Try leaving it in a south facing window for a few days.

So if you're planning on using Tried & True it might make some sense to leave yourself some work to do AFTER the stock is done. Like engraving of pieces that can be done off the gun, like the lock, patch box, barrel / tang, butt plate, off side lock plate, trigger guard, thimbles. For most hobby builders that's at least a couple of months worth of work. That's plenty of time for a few coats of varnish.

 

[Long Beard]

Depends on which one you have. The type I bought didn’t dry for a week so it got rubbed off and Tru-Oil was thinly rubbed over it.
IMG_0541 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

How did you rub it off after a week ?

 

[Phil Coffins]

Dampened a cotton cloth with lacquer thinner and rub hard.

 

[LME]

Just wondering how long tried and true typically takes to dry. I have put the second coat on 9/26. It is now 10/2 and it still has that tacky feel when touched. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Also how many coat do most people put on a rifle and is there something to put on top of tried and true? I was thinking something like a Johnson's paste wax. Please advise...

When you applied the coat of oil did you wipe it off? If you didn't it will not dry properly. An oil finnish takes several steps to get a decent finnish if you leave one out you will have a slight problem. All is not lost as you can take acetone and wipe the stock down removing most of your oil then you can start again making sure you don't leave a step out. Linseed oil can produce a very nice durable finnish but I personally don't care for it.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

What is "tried & true"? I am not familiar with it?

 

[Siringo]

I’m toying with the idea of using my damp box for browning (tall enough) and install ultraviolet lamps. As the untraviolet light spectrum is what actual cures the oil.

 

[LME]

What is "tried & true"? I am not familiar with it?

Boiled Linseed oil!

 

[SlidePicker]

Boiled linseed oil has to be applied super thin. As in rubbed out with the fingers as thin as you can get it, leaving just a sheen. You won't get much buildup. Then it takes longer to get completely dry than you might expect. The old saying to apply it every day for a week, every week for a month, every month for a year, and every year forever is optimistic in the first week. You can do the thin sheen application over oil that's still a bit sticky, but you have to be very careful. I do this on old military rifles, as it was part of the expected maintenance when they were in use. Yes, I have used Johnson's Paste Wax when I was impatient, applied it too thick, and it stayed sticky too long.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

Boiled linseed oil has to be applied super thin. As in rubbed out with the fingers as thin as you can get it, leaving just a sheen. You won't get much buildup. Then it takes longer to get completely dry than you might expect. The old saying to apply it every day for a week, every week for a month, every month for a year, and every year forever is optimistic in the first week. You can do the thin sheen application over oil that's still a bit sticky, but you have to be very careful. I do this on old military rifles, as it was part of the expected maintenance when they were in use. Yes, I have used Johnson's Paste Wax when I was impatient, applied it too thick, and it stayed sticky too long.

I understand that you can mix BLO with either turpentine or mineral spirts and it speeds up the drying process?

 

[SlidePicker]

Yes, particularly turpentine. Mostly it's done to help the first coat or two penetrate into the wood, but you can do it on later coats too.

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Said it before. If yer gunna use Linseed -- USE ARTISTS REFINED LINSEED it soaks in quicker and better. Cleaner and Not Sticky. Last couple of coats ADD 20% TERABINE.. AND Elbow Grease on a
pad of Old Towelling O.D.

 

[akroguy]

Tried and True varnish with some artist grade Turpentine mixed in gets into the wood fiber very well and when rubbed briskly with the hand, heats it up and it dries just fine overnight. Do wipe off excess wetness. Successive "coats" are really just a few drops here and there and get the elbow grease workin'. It'll shine up nicely. This Colonial was done this way with some LMF cherry stain added. Aqua Fortis was the first treatment of the wood.

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Tried and True varnish with some artist grade Turpentine mixed in gets into the wood fiber very well and when rubbed briskly with the hand, heats it up and it dries just fine overnight. Do wipe off excess wetness. Successive "coats" are really just a few drops here and there and get the elbow grease workin'. It'll shine up nicely. This Colonial was done this way with some LMF cherry stain added. Aqua Fortis was the first treatment of the wood.

If ya use Artist refined Linseed Ya don't varnish .Just takes a bit longer with oil only. A best London Oil finish will take oil every other day for about a Month,On Quality Wood, Hand applied and the finish is more durable than varnish. Just look at some Best London Guns from the Last 2 Centuries ..

 

[FlinterNick]

Assuming that you’re using one of their more organic oils, Tried and True is a little too organic, which slows up the dry time. Some very good suggestions on here, I’d only recommend that if the time between coats is too long you add some Japan solvent to your next coat, not much is needed or Milkpaint sells a pretty good citrus solvent that cuts down drying times on organic oils. Someone mentioned using an artists solvent in the finish, this would work very well too. The main issue with organic oils (walnut oil, oil finish, danish oil) is they tend to be more purposeful for food safe products, like salad bowls, canteens and spoons. Tried and True Varnish is not bad, but also will take long to dry if the weather conditions are not ideal.

When I apply oils its usually as a top coat after I varnish, and i use extremely small amounts. I rub on the oils (linspeed linseed oil) with a magic eraser, which acts as a type of buffing pad, my stocks dry well in about a day or two in most conditions. I recently did one in damp conditions here in NJ. Dried in 2 days.

 

[Feltwad]

For a good oil finish most people go wrong because they add too much oil for each application, all you need is two or three drops on a piece of cloth and rub it into the wood which should have first had the grain filled. let it stand for several days then using a rough piece of cloth burr of any tacky oil although there should not be much, a piece of hessian is best Repete the procedure at longer interfolds until the stock takes on a glossy finish, always remember a good oil finish will not happen overnight it will take months.
Feltwad

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

Very very thin coats and dry in direct sunlight and never apply another coat until it's completely dry. I found thinning it with mineral spirits slowed the drying time down. I have tall windows in my house. I hang my stock in a window facing west and seal it in with one of those mylar reflective emergency blankets. In my shop it would take a week for one coat to dry. In my window heat box it dries in a day.