-
- Species
- Whitetails
- Big Game
- Small Game
- Birds
- Special Methods
- Bow Hunting
-
- Species
- Bass
- Trout
- More Freshwater
- Saltwater
- Special Methods
- Fly Fishing
AnswersASK YOUR QUESTION
Print
Email
Share
Answers
Browse By
Top Users
Q:
Surplus rifle stocks: Tung Oil? Or Linseed Oil?
Which is best to protect the wood from elements? I have a Mosin Nagant I want to take into the woods this year- forecast doesn't call for rain, but I still want to treat the wood, and at the same time not detract from its original look. I've heard both tung oil and linseed oil work well- any experience with either?
Question by MN_deer. Uploaded on November 04, 2009
Answer QuestionADVERTISEMENT
Today on Field & Stream
Loading...
Visit Our Sister Sites at Bonnier Corporation
| Enthusiast | Kiteboarding | QUAD | SKI | Skiing | Scuba Diving | Sport Diver | TransWorld Ride BMX | TransWorld Business | TransWorld Motocross | TransWorld SKATEboarding, | TransWorld SNOWboarding | TransWorld SURF | WakeBoarding | WaterSki | Warren Miller Entertainment | WindSurfing |
|---|---|
| Travel | Caribbean Travel & Life | Destination Weddings & Honeymoon | Islands | Meeting Traveler | Resorts & Great Hotels |
| Lifestyle & Shelter | Florida Travel & Life | Garden Design | Home Ft. Lauderdale | Home Miami |
| Luxury | SNOW | Spa |
| Marine | Boating Life | Cruising World | Fly Fishing in Salt Waters | Power Cruising | Marlin | Motor Boating | Sailing World | Salt Water Sportsman | Sport Fishing | Yachting | NewBoats.com | UsedBoats.com | YachtBroker.com |
| Outdoor | Field & Stream | Outdoor Life | SHOT Business |
| Parenting | Babytalk | Parenting |
| Science | Popular Science | Science Illustrated |
| Saveur | Saveur |
| Working Mother Media | Working Mother |
| Entertainment / Events | World Entertainment Services | World Sports & Marketing |
FieldandStream.com is part of the Bonnier Outdoor Group Network
Copyright © 2009 Bonnier Corp. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Answers (10)
Linseed oil was the "stock" finish. Couldn't resist.
When I re-did a couple old stocks, I used about a half-dozen or more coats of Birchwood-Casey Stock Oil. With a bit of light sanding in between coats, it turns out beautiful.
If you can find a way, get all the wood in the dishwasher for a cycle or two to get the old stuff out of the wood.
Although I haven't worked on wooden gunstocks, linseed oil has worked best on my numerous other wood projects. It amplifies the natural grain of the wood, making it look better. Also, it lasts a long time, and protects the stock.
Back in the Day (1959) When issued a "New" M1 Garand the Drill SGT gave use linseed oil and told us he whanted to see ---holes & elbows till he could shave in the shine on those stocks Worked well then.
Both are "drying oils," and both are from vegetable sources. Boiled linseed oil is what you want. It is the bonding agent in genuine linoleum. You must be careful to apply EXTREMELY thin coats, and wait for them to fully cure in warm dry air. The first couple of coats will soak in immediately, but don't be fooled. If you put too much on or recoat too quickly, the oil will turn into a tacky gel and take months to harden, if at all. Probably best to clean it off and start over if that happens. A piece of wool blanket is an excellent applicator, as it does not have lint. Some people use very fine abrasive and a tiny bit of oil to seal the grain.
I thought I would speed things up with by using a clear acrylic finish, and it's better than nothing, but it does not come close to the beautiful warm tone of hand-rubbed linseed oil, and it sets up too quickly to properly fill the pores. You get a grayish filmy look on the endgrain. Polyurethane is no good either: it is too hard, and if it chips it is difficult to feather the touch up.
BTW, I completely disagree with the idea of removing the old finish, especially in a dishwasher. If you rub the oil into the wood with wool, the old finish may disolve in the new oil, preserving the character of the original. If it doesn't, you could try very fine wet/dry sandpaper with the oil. Remember, you are not trying to remove the wood, just move the finish around. If you are trying to get a vintage look, that's the way to go.
Jeff4066, you're kidding about the dishwasher, right? I don't even put wooden spoons in the dishwasher.
I also have a Mosin-Nagant and I use the linseed oil. It works well but I don't even find it necessary sometimes. Those stocks are well treated to begin with and pretty solid.
Good question. The only time I've used either was on stocks that were in good shape and I wanted to shine them up. Then I used linseed oil. Heard good things about tung oil though.
Behr tung oil. Use lots of coats of it and it will have a beautiful luster and a very protective finish. the same stuff you'd use on a deck. I used it for an axe handle I made a few years ago it looks great.
All excellent posts guys, thanks! I tried the boiled linseed and it looks good- but JordJohn, you're probably right about the saturation/age- they're probably pretty saturated to begin with! (I only saw "high gloss" tung oil and since I didn't want the stock to shine, chose the linseed.....heard that was the original "issue" stuff too.
the original shelec on it should be suffisiant but if your despret formbys tung oil woks wonderfly.
Post an Answer
Although I haven't worked on wooden gunstocks, linseed oil has worked best on my numerous other wood projects. It amplifies the natural grain of the wood, making it look better. Also, it lasts a long time, and protects the stock.
Both are "drying oils," and both are from vegetable sources. Boiled linseed oil is what you want. It is the bonding agent in genuine linoleum. You must be careful to apply EXTREMELY thin coats, and wait for them to fully cure in warm dry air. The first couple of coats will soak in immediately, but don't be fooled. If you put too much on or recoat too quickly, the oil will turn into a tacky gel and take months to harden, if at all. Probably best to clean it off and start over if that happens. A piece of wool blanket is an excellent applicator, as it does not have lint. Some people use very fine abrasive and a tiny bit of oil to seal the grain.
I thought I would speed things up with by using a clear acrylic finish, and it's better than nothing, but it does not come close to the beautiful warm tone of hand-rubbed linseed oil, and it sets up too quickly to properly fill the pores. You get a grayish filmy look on the endgrain. Polyurethane is no good either: it is too hard, and if it chips it is difficult to feather the touch up.
BTW, I completely disagree with the idea of removing the old finish, especially in a dishwasher. If you rub the oil into the wood with wool, the old finish may disolve in the new oil, preserving the character of the original. If it doesn't, you could try very fine wet/dry sandpaper with the oil. Remember, you are not trying to remove the wood, just move the finish around. If you are trying to get a vintage look, that's the way to go.
I also have a Mosin-Nagant and I use the linseed oil. It works well but I don't even find it necessary sometimes. Those stocks are well treated to begin with and pretty solid.
Linseed oil was the "stock" finish. Couldn't resist.
When I re-did a couple old stocks, I used about a half-dozen or more coats of Birchwood-Casey Stock Oil. With a bit of light sanding in between coats, it turns out beautiful.
If you can find a way, get all the wood in the dishwasher for a cycle or two to get the old stuff out of the wood.
Back in the Day (1959) When issued a "New" M1 Garand the Drill SGT gave use linseed oil and told us he whanted to see ---holes & elbows till he could shave in the shine on those stocks Worked well then.
Jeff4066, you're kidding about the dishwasher, right? I don't even put wooden spoons in the dishwasher.
Good question. The only time I've used either was on stocks that were in good shape and I wanted to shine them up. Then I used linseed oil. Heard good things about tung oil though.
Behr tung oil. Use lots of coats of it and it will have a beautiful luster and a very protective finish. the same stuff you'd use on a deck. I used it for an axe handle I made a few years ago it looks great.
All excellent posts guys, thanks! I tried the boiled linseed and it looks good- but JordJohn, you're probably right about the saturation/age- they're probably pretty saturated to begin with! (I only saw "high gloss" tung oil and since I didn't want the stock to shine, chose the linseed.....heard that was the original "issue" stuff too.
the original shelec on it should be suffisiant but if your despret formbys tung oil woks wonderfly.
Post an Answer