I saw a video (the link was posted here on AR) in which a gentleman from Purdey's stated that their stock finish is a combination of beeswax, linseed oil (can't remember if he said boiled) and paint dryer.

I had never heard of such a combination before.

Does this make sense as a stock finish (bearing in mind that we are talking "traditional" here)?

some folks on the military surplus boards swear by the old gunny paste/finnish mix/ye olde woodworker polish of beeswax, boiled linseed oil, and turpentine.

the result on military stocks does look good in pix on the net, and that is as close as I have been to any of it.

Thanks, guys. So that's what "slacum" is. I have heard that term used but never really understood what it was.

And is "paint dryer" nothing more exotic than plain old turpentine?

SDH, I have a custom rifle that was stocked by Paul Hodgins. Needless to say, it's a work of art. Do you have any copies of your first shotgun book for sale? If so, please PM me, as I'd like to buy it.

Thanks again.

Slacum Oil:

BLO - 16oz
Turp - 2oz
Venice turp - 2tsp
Carnuba wax - 200 grs

Simmer/mix 10 min (+/-) until the wax is melted and the liquid clears.

I think this came from one of the posters on Doubleguns. Haven't gotten around to trying it myself yet.

is this mixture used warm or do you let sit to cool to room temp? obviously, it's too hot to use right off the stove, but i if it cools a while, it might be used warm rather than cooled to room temp. i ask because allot of things that are sealed with wax are done with the wax warm for good penetration.

Jus a word on "simmering turp" Did this type of thing ONCE! (I was a lot younger and lot stupider)

Accidentally bumped container...some of the "finish" hit the hot coils..Instinctively grabbed the container...now my hand is on fire...wiped my hand on my shirt (Dumb) shirt was polyester..now my shirt's on fire...result! 2nd and third degree burns..lots of discomfort..lots of doctor appointments..lots of money lost...Be careful...better yet..don't try it!


There is nothing to be gained by this "simmering" and drying can be easily controlled via Japan or Colbalt driers.

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe:
Jus a word on "simmering turp" Did this type of thing ONCE! (I was a lot younger and lot stupider)

Next time use your microwave. 10 minutes on High should do the trick.

quote:

Originally posted by ForrestB:

Next time use your microwave. 10 minutes on High should do the trick.

I think I saw Steven Seagal do that in a movie once...or was it in two movies?

Craigster,

What is Venice Turpentine?

Muchas gracias,
Hoot

Does the turp disolve the wax into solution?

quote:

Originally posted by Hoot Murray:
Craigster,

What is Venice Turpentine?

Muchas gracias,
Hoot

It's a type of turpentine that is distilled from Larch tree resin. It's more viscous than regular turpentine. Artists use it as an additive in oil paints. It's also used as a treatment on horse hooves.

And yes, the wax dissolves in the solution.

Based on craigster's lead, I found this thread at doublegunshop.com, in which all questions are answered.

Slacum Oil Recipe and More

Good, fun reading. Very condensed extracts:

A couple of the posters recommend such odd ingredients as olive oil, vinegar and a one half gill of spirits of wine (this is apparently an archaic way of referring to two ounces of ethyl alcohol). (I looked for, but did not find, eye of newt in any of the recipes.)

Double boilers are (or should be) used to heat the mixture. (I expect that, as ForrestB suggests, a microwave would work just as well.)

Purdey's apparently used beeswax, but it is softer than Carnauba, and Carnauba is preferred by some these days for its greater durability.

Venice turpentine is a viscous liquid resin (i.e., sap) collected from larch trees. It is a thickener and adds body. Canada balsam sap can apparently be substituted. Venice turpentine is used to coat horse's hooves (not sure why) and as a paint additive.

The wax tends to precipitate out of the mixture when it cools. It will be re-absorbed by warming. The oil penetrates better when warm.

Interesting stuff.

I find that Napier's london gunstock oil is very pleasant to handle, and gives very god results.

ante

quote:

Originally posted by ForrestB:

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe:
Jus a word on "simmering turp" Did this type of thing ONCE! (I was a lot younger and lot stupider)

Next time use your microwave. 10 minutes on High should do the trick.

You forget how long ago this was...there were no microwaves

Duane and Steven,

Someone once talked to be about oil finishes and his contention was that driers and solvents eventually evaporate leaving pores in the finish that allows water in. His contention was that sealing the wood with epoxy first, then applying oil over the top resulted in a more weatherproof finish.

Don't think Remington BDL or Weatherby finishes, the epoxy actually soaked into the stock, then was lightly sanded and oil applied. visually you could not see any difference between a traditional oil finish and the epoxy finish.

Have you ever heard of something like this, and do you have any opinions on the merits?

Dressel used to, and may still use, a commercial super glue. The water thin type. Doubt it was built up enough to seal the stock. More likely used as a pore filler.

According to one source on the doublegunshop.com thread, Napier's version of this stuff contains polyurethane.

That type of super glue is common in wood working finishes. Pen turners use it a lot; I have couple and it is as hard as woodpecker lips.

We tried a commercial penetrating expoxy from Devoe Paints called Dev-Prep 66 (you can find it on the internet) that has the same specific gravity as water and penetrates wood like there's no tomorrow. BTW, epoxies are 100% solids by definition and how they get one to that low of an SG is magic expressed in modern chemistry. It seals wood tighter than Leona Helmsley but it darkens it like water. But it is the next best thing to high pressure resin wood stabilization.

CAS II,

Sitka deer over @ 24hourcampfire. According to him, any finish other than the epoxy type you mentioned is inferior.

COBALT DRIERS: another name is "Cobalt Naphthenate"


Cobalt driers or as they are also known; Cobalt Siccatives are made from metal salts dissolved in either solvents or a combination of solvents, oils and resins.

NO MORE than 5 drops of cobalt drier should be used per each 2 1/2 fluid Oz in any medium .



Ingredient C A S No. W T % OSHA(PEL) ACGIH (TLV) Carcinogen
Cobalt Tallate 61789-52-4 40-42 0.1mg/M3 0.1mg/M3 IARC
Heavy Distillate 68476-34-6 9-10 N/A N/A No
Glycol Ether 111-77-3 0-1 N/A N/A No
Technical White Oil 8042-47-5 40-42 N/A N/A No



JAPAN DRIERS were for varnishes originally also used in paint drying applications .

Chemical make up ;

Chemical CAS No / Unique ID Percent
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene 000095-63-6 10-15
Cobalt 2-ethylhexanoate 000136-52-7 20-25
2-Ethylhexanoic acid 000149-57-5 1-5
Manganese naphthenate 001336-93-2 5-10
Stoddard solvent 008052-41-3 50-55
Manganese 2-ethylhexanoate 015956-58-8 30-35
Zirconium 2-ethylhexanoate 022464-99-9 50-55
Cobalt naphthenate 061789-51-3 20-25
Naphtha, petroleum, hydrotreated heavy 064742-48-9 40-45
Solvent naphtha, petroleum, light aromatic

I recommend wearing gloves if your fingers are going to be exposed to either of the above .