Thread: Stock oil?

Have stripped and reshaped my norinco jw15 stock and wondering what is a good ,easy to use oil to finish it with?also have read that you need to seal the stock first?whats that mean and what is used? Thanks

Boiled Linseed oil has worked for me. Plenty of coats and buff when dry between coats.
Cotton rag is good for application, but do not put used rags into the bin. Lay them out to dry before disposing of.

I have some raw linseed oil here wonder if that will work?

Originally Posted by The bomb

I have some raw linseed oil here wonder if that will work?

You will need boiled linseed oil as raw linseed oil has no hardeners and takes an age to dry. You can also use Danish Oil.

I have an old bottle of danish teak oil I think it is out in the garage will that work?

Just looked it's Scandinavian teak oil.

For a good attractive finish try Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil. Thin it with some turps for the first few coats and then apply at least six thin coats. Give each coat about 12 hours to dry. Wait at least 3 weeks and cut the shine back with some 800 wet and dry (lightly) and wax if you prefer. Far more durable and water resistant than any boiled linseed oil finish will ever be. Easy to repair as well. Gave up the so called hand rubbed linseed oil finish about forty years ago and I've been using the Tru-Oil ever since.

The old British gun makers didn't use boiled linseed oil as many believe. They had their proprietary recipes which did use some refined linseed oil but also many other secret ingredients.

If you want some info on stock finishing have a look at Stocks: Making, Repairing, Refinishing, Modifying, and Bedding - RimfireCentral.com Forums

BLO for me

I tend to disagree, linseed oil dries to a fine finish if rubbed in or wet sanded, and the dried resin bonds with the wood itself and is very durable indeed. The problem is the length of the drying time. If you have time on your hands, there is nothing that will compare with it in my opinion.

Tru-oil is an adequate substitute, but I would wait for 24 hours at least between coats otherwise it can turn into a gummy mess; and you have to knock the plasticky shine off it afterwards - either with light steel wool, or buffing with a rough cloth.

I have experimented also with other resin based mediums that are used in oil painting to perform the same task as linseed oil, figuring it might be as good but dry faster, and a product called Liquin which is used as a glazing medium seems to work as well as Tru-oil.

A couple of very thin coats of spar varnish can do alright as well, applied with the fingers.

Scndanavian teak oil is boiled linseed oil, with a bit of hard resin added, so would be ok. Drying time between coats would be a couple of days same as for straight boiled oil, but it seems to be more resistant to water marking than oil is.

I like to use boiled linseed oil. Easy to rub another coat in if your rifle gets wet on a hunt. Also gives timber a bit of a darker colour than danish oil in my experience.

birchwood casey tru-oil, then scrub down with 00 steel wool and use the BC beeswax finish on it. looks good and very "grippy" even when wet.

[QUOTE=Carlsen Highway;642666]I tend to disagree, linseed oil dries to a fine finish if rubbed in or wet sanded, and the dried resin bonds with the wood itself and is very durable indeed. The problem is the length of the drying time. If you have time on your hands, there is nothing that will compare with it in my opinion.

[Tru-oil is an adequate substitute, but I would wait for 24 hours at least between coats otherwise it can turn into a gummy mess; and you have to knock the plasticky shine off it afterwards - either with light steel wool, or buffing with a rough cloth./QUOTE]

I've never had any boiled linseed oil (which is not actually boiled) finish ever dry completely; it was always slightly tacky even after numerous thin, hard rubbed in, coats and still the same many years later. Tru-Oil is best applied in very thin coats rubbed in with the hand. In summer it'll dry in four hours if left to hang. In winter it'll need at least 24 hours to dry.

Originally Posted by The bomb

Just looked it's Scandinavian teak oil.

Teak will work Jason

No offence, but as this is a Norinco JW15 stock (probably make from an old packing crate) I can't imagine you will be expecting a AAA grade finish. If sanded down the timber is very light and could benefit from a stain before oiling.
I recently did a Toz single shot stock (same thing, silk purse/sows ear) using a timber stain from Miitre 10 (Deckmax semi transparent dark walnut stain) which you can get in a test pot for $5. There are other colours available too. I then finished it with some Danish oil I had lying around. I am sure your Teak oil will do the same job. The main thing seems to be to make sure you let the oil dry thoroughly between coats. Good luck and don't forget the photos.