TrueOil

[rmonday2]

I'd like to know what would be best for thinning TrueOil, and what application gives best results; finger,rag,or a high quality brush?
I have always used finger application; as it leaves zero lint in the finish, but by the 3rd coat it begin to leave wavy finish. way to much sanding for #0000 steel wool.
Any sugestions :hmm: Ronnie...

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Greetings R.E.M.,

I suggest sealing the wood first with a high grade of tung oil.

Apply the tung oil with a brush, wait until the oil gets tacky, then wipe. Wait 24 hours between applications. Apply as many coats as you want or until the wood will not accept any more oil.

Steel wool surface between applications.

After steel wooling the final application of tung oil, wait 48 hours, then begin appling the Tru-Oil.

Now to your original question.

Roll a piece of cotton up in a piece of ladies nylon stocking and use this for an applicator.

Tung oil and Tru-Oil are very compatible. I think you will like the combination. It is also ok to apply Tung Oil over Tru-Oil for touch-up work.

The tung oil will give penatration in the wood that you will not get with straight Tru-Oil and enhance the color, figure and character of the wood.

I have not found a satisfactory thinner for Tru-Oil.

Another first rate oil finish is GB LINSPEED OIL FINISH.

Hope this will help.

Best regards,

John L. Hinnant

 

[Bill Brockway]

Ronnie -

First questions first. Tru-Oil can be thinned very nicely with mineral spirits (painters' thinner, varsol, etc.). I normally don't thin Tru-Oil except to seal the stock for the first coat, and also to use as a protective coating for color case hardening. This makes a water thin application which can be brushed on like a coat of paint, leaving no runs, drips or sags.

When used as a stock finish, however, the paintbrush or rag application is all wrong. Following the first sealer coat, all subsequent coats should be rubbed on with the fingers, and applied as thinly as possible. What I usually do is dot the stock with a finger dipped in Tru-Oil, making maybe a half dozen dots on either side of a buttstock, for instance. Apply no more finish than this. Then, with your fingers, thumbs, palm of the hand, whatever, start rubbing the Tru-Oil dots, attempting to spread this minute amount of oil evenly over the whole stock. The oil will be slippery and easy to spread at first. Keep rubbing, and the oil will begin to polymerize and feel more sticky and resistant to rubbing. Keep rubbing until it is almost impossible to slide your hand over the now-partially hardened finish. May take 10 - 15 minutes of rubbing. I've never timed it. Just rub until it feels like your skin wants to squeak when pulled across the now tacky surface.

You will now have a very, very thin coat of partially polymerized finish, evenly distributed over the surface. Set it aside to finish hardening. Time to cure will vary with your ambient temperature and humidity. In south Louisiana, where it is very often hot and humid, I can usually put another coat on after 4 hours or so.

You should not have any trouble with a wavy finish, or dust or lint in the finish, using this method. I have been using this method of finishing for probably 30 years, and it works every time. Most of the problems people have with Tru-Oil come from applying it like a varnish or paint. Try applying the smallest amount possible and rubbing it in. I think you'll like the results. It's darn near foolproof.

Also, you should not have to use steel wool as much. The rubbed finish is self-leveling. About the only time I resort to steel wool is when I pick up a piece of dust or trash off the bench and it makes a bump which won't rub out.

Bill

 

[rmonday2]

Thanks John and Bill! I have used tung oil and linsead oil in the past, but had forgoten about them both.

My favorite finish is to leave the wood natural with water protection. The stock im working on now I stained first and then buffed a coat of carnuba wax on it, but it seamed not to shed water like I wanted.

If my memory serves me right, dont the tung oil seal the wood leaving the natural texture? :hmm:

 

[Erzulis boat]

Tru-Oil.................

One day I am singing it's praise, the next cursing it to the netheregions of Hell!

I thin it with Gamsol(artists thinner, super expensive, but pure as the driven snow) and only use thinned Tru-Oil as a sealer. Thinned Tru-Oil as a subsequent coat has never worked for me, I mean never.

The only real information that I can give is to wait. Do not rush the stuff. Allow each coat to completely dry and never take steelwool or rottenstone to it until it has been sitting on the bench for a week or two, I am not kidding.

There is always one in the crowd that claims that He can put 21 coats of oil on in 1 hour. You can tell, believe me.

I will have to agree with the previous posters, apply it with your fingers, and put it on THIN.

Tru-Oil ages very well and does impart a warmth. After you open the container, even if you store it upside down, about 3 weeks is all you have until you gotta chuck what is left over.

I use the spray for duelling pistol cases (mahogany) and have tried it on a pistol. It is too thick for stocks and caused more problems than it solved.

:results:

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Greetings R.E.M.

Lot of good advice from the other postings.

Yes, the tung oil does enhance the character of the wood. I NEVER, NEVER use linseed oil of any kind on Walnut. Over time it oxidizes with the tanic acid in walnut and turns the wood nearly black.

Sorry fellows, nothing you can say is going to make me change my mind about that one.

I do use use the Tru-Oil spray on oil on open grain wood like walnut. It is sprayed medium heavy and then cut back to the surface of the wood, leaving finish in the grain.

Three to four coats and cutting back between coats and the final coat will fill the pores and grain. Finish off with one or two thin coats of Tru-Oil rubbed in with the finger tips or the cotton in a piece of nylon hose.

Best regards,

John L. Hinnant

 

Say hello to Lucifer:

Lucifer was built from a GPR kit, some twenty odd years ago. I modify the comb a bit and added a grease hole. I whiskered the wood four times with a damp rag moisten with boiling water and degreased four ought wool. The finish is four coats of hand rubbed Birchwood Casey's Tru-Oil. Only the first coat was thinned to act as a sealer. Each coat was allowed to throughly dry, then gone over with 0000 steel wool and buffed out with a woolen rag.The ramrod dyed with Ox Blood leather dye, was the only piece of wood that I stained. Looks pretty good after 23 huntings seasons, numerous BP shoots and a move from Louisiana to Massachusetts. I buff him out with bore butter and a woolen rag every so often.

Just :m2c:, :results:

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Call me wierd ( you won't be the first) but after the first few coats I rub the oil in till it is almost dry. I then buff it after an hour or so and if I don't like it do it again with a 0000 wooling between. You know you are getting close to being done when you pick up more oil on the rag than you put down.

I then let it set for a day or two and 0000 wool again. Then I treat it like any other stock and check the results.

Good news is you can always refinish if you don't like the results.

 

[DRC]

Anybody ever try useing lemon oil . I use to use it on furniture and projects I use to make?

 

[roundball]

I'd like to know what would be best for thinning TrueOil, and what application gives best results; finger,rag,or a high quality brush?
I have always used finger application; as it leaves zero lint in the finish, but by the 3rd coat it begin to leave wavy finish. way to much sanding for #0000 steel wool.
Any sugestions :hmm: Ronnie...

I've used Tru-Oil for a few years refinishing 7-8 stocks...tried fingers and a piece of a clean washcloth to rub it in, prefer the piece of cloth...then I hang it for a week either in the hot dry attic in summertime or just in the heated house in winter...very, very light #0000 then the next coat.

First stock attempt I put it on like a coat of varnish...ended up doing that stock twice ::

Second stock attempt I rushed the time between coats...ended up doing that stock twice too ::

There is no worse waste of time than redoing a stock !!

Got it down pretty good now...love Tru-Oil...great stuff.

 

[LSU TIGER]

I use plain old turpentine to thin Tru-Oil.

 

[davy]

I use plain old turpentine to thin Tru-Oil.

While we are on the subject of stock finishes ... I have a Walnut stock I would like to strip and refinish ... any idears on the complete process would be mucho appreciated! :thanks:


Starting the process with what you use to "strip" the original finish ... to putting on the final new coat ... would be interesting to hear ... as I am always on the look out for a better way of doing things.. who knows I mite even get it rite sometime! :curse:

Davy