Has anyone any experience in "baking" a tru-oil finish on a gun stock in the over at low temp?

If so, what temp and how long

I've never tried that but Tru-oil is linseed oil which cures not by drying but by oxidation and polymerization. It gets better with time .
A series of thin coats with time in between is the way to go.

Go to Toy's R Us and get you an "Easy bake oven". Or try a couple of heat lamps.

And thin it out, never put it on straight, damn it seems to me that it feels tacky for months! I have some for trying to patch up the finish on a stock but i won't use it again I don't think for a full stock finish job. it has benefits, but drying time isn't it's strong suit. (mind you I only fully finished one stock in tru-oil, following the directions, but my experience is limited).

Red

Red,

How long have you had that Tru-Oil? The older it gets, the longer it takes to dry/cure.

If you want to put it on thin, just use the spray can version.

Don't get the stock too warm or it will gas out and your stock will look like it has little moon craters all over it. Don't ask how I know.

True oil drys just fine with air, as it is supposed to..Linseed also...I suppose you could use a little Jap dryer, but I am not sure why anyone would want to do anything other than hang it up in a dust free enviorment and let it dry for 8 hours. I use a drying cabinet but seldom turn on the 25 watt bulb, unless its cold in the shop.

BTW,I am of the opine that Tru-Oil is modified Tung oil not Linseed..Linspeed is Linseed oil..

These modified oils are not ment to be baked on and putting wood in the oven is plumb scary. These finishes dry by oxidation in air and the Tru oil and Linspeed should be thinned at least 2 part Oil and 1 part thinner. or even 1x1 with a thinner for use, then sanded into the wood with a mixture of 2 parts thinner and 1 part oil. Its not real critical as to the mixture as long as it not thick..You can even wet sand with water or straight thinner, but I personally don't like that.

Here in MS a coat of unthinned Tru-Oil needs at least 3 weeks to dry before applying another coat. Repeat, AT LEAST 3 weeks!

It's very common for a new Tru-Oil finish, after 6-12 mos, to show small irregularities where the partially-cured finish has sunken down into the pores as it fully dried over time.

Answer, for me at least? Thin coats and Jap drier and warmth (not heat, just warmth) and air circulation during drying.

Then I can get by with only 1 week's drying between coats....(grin)
Regards, Joe

Why would anyone want to use Tru-Oil anyway ? There are many way better finishes available , I quit using that stuff 20+ years ago !

For me, it had all the qualitys of raw linseed oil.
It never seemed to dry.
I quit trying to make it work for me by the early 70's.

As Mike says,,there are so many other choices available.
Ones that actually do dry, some rather quickly,, and can produce a fine finish either in or on the wood.

So, why don't you guys tell us about these magic new finishes? (grin) Details, we want details!

Actually I personally use mostly Permalyn, Tru-Oil and Teak Oil these days, depending upon the particular wood and color.
Regards, Joe

Pro Custom, not new or magic, but I like it.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx...-OIL-GUNSTOCK-FINISH

Tru-Oil's strongsuit is that it does dry fast and hard. I've finished and re-finished over 20 stocks with it and never had to wait more than 24 hrs to re-coat; except in one case. That was when I applied it to a stock that had residual oil and cosmoline still in the wood. Penetrating oils won't dry in the presence of grease or gun oil.

Tru-Oil is a polurethane/refined linseed oil blend with added driers. You can thin it with mineral spirits or turpentine and rub it in like BLO/LO, spray it, or just brush it on. I have actually had it begin to dry as I was applying it. Once, I had an entire bottle harden with the cap on. If you are experiencing drying problems, then the wood is oil contaminated or the Tru-Oil is too old. The drying qualities can be destroyed by heat and exposure to air.

Heating the stock prior to the first application can speed up the oxidation process, but do not heat the stock in a drying cabinet any warmer than it is when you apply the oil. The absorbed oil will bubble out of the wood pores and leave tiny donuts in the dried finish. Once you have a sealer coat dried on the wood, you can use a drying cabinet.

guys thanks for the input. Thats about as clear as mudd. :-)

I am no wood expert, but the last stock I
refinished I used Formby's Traditional Tung Oil Finish Low Gloss.

I put on several thin coats and it worked great. I like it a lot better than the Tru Oil I have used in the past.

You can get a very nice finish with Tur-Oil, and their are many different types of application procedures one can use to do so. And I do believe that what part of the country you live in has an effect on how long it takes to dry between coats.

quote:

Originally posted by craigster:
Pro Custom, not new or magic, but I like it.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx...-OIL-GUNSTOCK-FINISH

+1. It's all I have used for years.

quote:

Originally posted by mad_jack02:
And I do believe that what part of the country you live in has an effect on how long it takes to dry between coats.

I can ASSURE you that you're correct! I went to smithing school in Trinidad where a coat of Tru-Oil would dry rock-hard overnight and I now live in MS where it takes 3 weeks. I'm not what I consider to be a real stockmaker but have done over 100 in the last 45 years.
Regards, Joe

Pro-Custom Oil is what I use , with Permalyn sealer underneath . Now days if you want a satin finish just spray Pro Custom aerosol over the hand rubbed base coats . makes a nice even finish , instead of rubbing it out with steel wool . Very durable finish !

quote:

I went to smithing school in Trinidad where a coat of Tru-Oil would dry rock-hard overnight

Yes it did seem to dry faster in Trinidad when I was their to. We'd blue on Wednesdays, and that would leave me Thursday and Friday to refinish the stock of an old rifle or shotgun so that on Saturday morning early we'd be headed to Pueblo, or the Springs to the gun show to sell or trade it for something else. I did learn a lot from Joe Tessari when I was there. He was only teaching part time at that time, but he was full of information, and fun to be around.

Most all of todays finishes are good..Pick your finish by what works best for you..some folks apply one finish better than the other..

I have tried them all and right now I'm really liking Brownells Gun-sav-R...its quick and its the very best of finishes..I also like Fin and Feather, but am leaning more and more to Gun-Sav-R, the more I use it the better I like it and is tough and wears like iron.

With modern finishes like Tru Oil I see no need to let a gun sit for 3 weeks, if you want additional finish to interlock with these finishes then you need to re-apply coats every 8 hours as you wet sand..When finished applying then let the gun stand for a week and polish it off if need be...

Too much witch craft going on in this thread..It ain't that complicated.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
With modern finishes like Tru Oil I see no need to let a gun sit for 3 weeks, if you want additional finish to interlock with these finishes then you need to re-apply coats every 8 hours as you wet sand..When finished applying then let the gun stand for a week and polish it off if need be....

A lot depends upon your local conditions, for instance I'd bet that your average humidity there in ID is about 1/3 of ours in MS. Much of the year the overnight humidity here stays near or at 100%. Occasionally the daytime level falls below 50% (and then we celebrate, grin), but it never lasts long.
Regards, Joe

Joe,
I'm sure that's right..