I recently purchased a new stock and am in the finishing process. For the right or wrong I used Linseed oil for the finish. I let the initial coat sit for about ten minutes before I wipped off the excess and it has now dried. With Linseed oil do you use more than one coat or will it make no difference? Also what else can I use on top of the oil to help protect and bring out the sheen? Any input would be appreciated.

My immediate response would be if you only have one coat on it, start over with a good finish. Linseed oil is not on the list or anywhere near it.

Like Chic said, linseed oil is not a real good finish for gunstocks. A finish that I have used that works very well is called Pro Custom Oil. Brownell carries it and also Midway, I beleive. I prefer it over Tru Oil, although TO works well, also.

Hey Chic, not on topic really but I passed you name on to a gal that ran an antique store today. Seems she has a piano with a scratch she wants repaired, when I saw the wood I thought of you. A Steinway Grand that appears to have been made of Claro Walnut. Other than the scratch it is impecable. Dates from the 1880's...my jaw hit the floor when I saw that...thing. Never saw a piano that I thought beautiful until today. It's not veneer as far as I can tell, looks to be solid wood.

Mebbe you'll hear from her, mebbe not. Located in Williston, FL. Kentucky Derby Horse country...

Gee, I wonder what UPS charges to ship a piano from Florida to Washington?

quote:

It's not veneer as far as I can tell, looks to be solid wood.

Bought my wife a new Stienway about 8-10 years ago. They are still solid wood, even the backboards ( sound boards?) are solid wood there is no plywood used in these. Still built to the old school way by craftsman.

Mohunt, any of the better Danish tung oils like Dalys of Pro custom will melt right in on that linseed oil and will seal the wood. Ive mixed alittle Linseed in with Dalys and Deft and it works good for final coats.

I found I like useing straight linseed oil when just wet sanding on final coats. It doesnt tack up and get sticky like the danish tungs and is just easyer so you dont have to do little tiny sections when wet sanding, I wipe it off and it leaves a nice looking blended sand job with 600 or finer paper. Then rub in thin coats of dalys tung .

Some gun checkering would look nice on a piano!

Mohunt,
I'm in the same boat, and got the suggestion to do as follows: Sand progressively to 600 grit, rinse in plain water, dry with hair dryer immediately. The water's to raise "fur", not soak in. Sand again and do this water/sand about 5 times. Then sit a day to really air dry. Next 50% True Oil and Mineral Spirits. Slather this on and keep adding with little rubbing action, just keep it "wet" for about 15 minutes. Wipe any droplets, but little runs don't matter at this point. You can add a little more "mix" to areas that look really dry after a day. Let this hang for three to four weeks (I'm on week two and it's killing me). Next wet sand with same 50% mix. Really use a block for support and make sure all your flats are flat and your rounds stay round. This is the end of the shaping. The True Oil cut w/ spirits should be well below the surface and mostly sealed. Let this dry a day. Now sand in small areas with 600 grit and 50% mix. Use small circular motion to make a "mud" of sanded wood and the mix. Periodically wipe against the grain with kraft paper or those old Filling station paper towels. They won't absorb much liquid, and will help you work that "mud" into the grain. At this point you're "filling" the grain holes with wood mud. It will take a few repeats of this mudding and wiping with a day's drying between to get your "finish" built up pretty even surface. Once you're comfortable with the surface level of the grain, let dry two days. Now go to 100% True oil one drop at a time and spread as far as possible with the palm/fingers. One or two applications of this should (they say) give you a dull finish. Keep adding True oil in single drops, and you can build up the finish to any gloss desired.

Reasoning. The initial diluted coats and mudding will seal your stock against rain. Follow up coats give the finish desired. Repairs are easy because you know what is under every level of finish. You judge the effort that goes into repairing a gouge or scratch.
If you're in Alaska, you may want to use Acraglass liquid (not gel) in the barrel channel. Real thin coats to give you a hard as nails and totally water tight barrel channel. Removing the barrel and action every rainy night is not really an optioni on a "high accuracy" hunt like sheep in the rainy north east.

This isn't too bad of a process if you can wait through the first four week "drying", and if you don't I understand the stock can continue to shift "as it really dries" over the first year. I've heard the really long drying times are critical to a deep sealed finish and stable stock.

Safe Hunting
Clint

Chic what is your choice for a gun stock finish?

Well folks after talking with some people I went ahead and put 4 light coats of hard satin poly over the linseed oil. Not exactly what I wanted to do but I must say it looks great. I steel wooled it with 0000 between coats and it has a very smooth finish. Thanks for all the advise.

Mohunt; I am about finished with a walnut stock that came with a 1917 enfield that has be customized. What I did (suggestions from this site). Sealed with numerous coats of Watco's Teak Oil finish (Danish oil recommended, teakoil listed as exterior finish). Then filled in the pores using diluted teak oil and 320 grit wet dry sandpaper with a hard backing. I have the last sanding coat (1000 grit) and like the dull finish. The Teak Oil may be a little darker than the Danish oil but so far so good. By the way, thanks for all the input I got, definately made a difference.

Doug, I use Dalys BennMatte for a finish. It is a polymer modified tung oil.

Thanks Chic i appreciate the info.

added info about Tung oil ! some people are allergic and get a rash from tung oil , any novice who wants to use it put a drop on forearm and wait 1 day , If arm gets red don't use tung oil as face will break out and you will be miserable , Dem Bart sanding oil and filler is good Brownells have it

You know, I got a great refinish recipe from Larry Koller, in his book, "Shots at Whitetails". After I'd sanded and steel wooled 'til it was ready, I sealed it with a wood sealer(it's called "wood sealer" at the gunshop). Following his advice, I mixed linseed oil and turpentine on a 50/50 split, and put multiple coats on my Super X stock. I let each coat thoroughly dry, and used less and less of the mixture with each coat. Oh, and I steel wooled each coat before applying the next. Weatherproof and durable, my 12 coat finish mad the figure in my stock jump out - it was beautiful and held up well out in the field. I'm doing another stock now and I'm using this 70 year old recipe again, with good results. It does take time, but boy does it look good.