I once heard that lemon oil is used on gunstocks for some purpose. Today I came across a bottle of lemon oil in the supermarket, the Lable says "Old English Lemon Oil", oil is bright yellow, smells like lemon, and contains petroleum distillates. I am refinishing a few stocks of my own now so I thought I'll buy it and ask later what it is for. Now may I ask how is lemon oil used on woodstocks?
Posts: 638 | Location: O Canada! | Registered: 21 December 2001
Pyrotek, lemon oil used to be brushed into the checkering on a new stock, or a stock that had the checkering freshened up. Supposed to seal but not fill or gum up the checkering. Was usually applied with a clean toothbrush....... Grant.
The lemon oil you see in the supermarket is primaily used for cleaning wooden things, mostly cleaning dust off. I haven't heard of use in guns, but Oldmodle70 probaly knows what he is talking about, or atlest more than me . That cinde of oil has a strong smell (vary lemmony... if you couldn't gess). This dosn't lend it's self to hunting applications, the sent must go away, but my coffee table smells for most of a week affter oiling.. and deer have better noses that I.
I've got a little twist for you here. I have used lemon oil melted with bees wax, as an easier way of mixing the old turpentine,linseed oil, and bees wax stock refinishing recipe. It works very well. The only thing the lemon oil is for is to thin the wax out enough to spread it on the stock. It works for me, looks good, and the bees wax smell is more noticeable than the lemon oil, so I like it very well. My bees wax goes on with the same ease of Johnsons paste wax.