Correct oil for stock

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MattE93

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I have two stocks in need of an oil job, one a red laminate K98k and the other a 91 TS Carcano carbine, the K98k is better off than the Carcano, but I live in a fairly dry climate and both are a little on the dry side.

I am having a devil of time finding raw linseed oil, BLO is easy to find but alot of it is very cheap stuff from Crappy Tire or Home Depot. I did find %100 pure Tung oil at Lee Valley but wanted to know if this was an appropriate oil to use.

Again not looking at refinishing the stocks, just looking at preserving them longer by giving the stocks a little bit of protection.
 
Do not use BLO. It dries on top of the wood and can leave a gummy surface. Various militaries used either pure tung oil or raw linseed oil to finish and condition/maintain stocks. Rub it in for 10 minutes and wipe off the excess from the surface. Dispose of oily rags in a safe manner to prevent spontaneous combustion. My agent of choice for finishing new military stocks and conditioning used ones is pure tung oil.
 
Cheers!! I will probably go with the %100 pure tung oil.

Is it pretty light, the K98 stock is kinda of a chestnut brown and the Carcano stock is a light blone colour
 
PURE blo is ok. I have been using the stuff found at CanTire for some 20 years. You don't want blo mixed with additives ("danish oil" is one such mixture). Apply very thin coats. About the same way you apply gun oil on metal parts.
 
Double boiled linseed oil is fantastic if used right, it requires more attention and rubbing in while drying.
 
I use boiled linseed oil and it works really well. Non-glossy finish and a nice way to bring out the grain. Never had a problem with it getting gummed up, but I also don't put it on like gravy.

North
 
What’s the best way to apply the pure tung oil? Rub in with a rag? Wipe excess after x amount of time and then let dry before ding a second coat?
 
MattE93 said:
What’s the best way to apply the pure tung oil? Rub in with a rag? Wipe excess after x amount of time and then let dry before ding a second coat?
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Yes, do not let it dry on the surface. I rub it in then wipe off the surface after 10-15 minutes. You want the oil in the wood, not on top of it. Repeat as necessary.

BTW, Canadian Army EMEIs specify RAW linseed oil for stock conditioning/maintenance. That's what we used in the FN era as well.
 
I couldn’t find any raw linseed oil around my parts, so I went with tung oil after reading some other threads. Heard BLO is hard to work with.
 
My experience with oil finishes is they are an investment in time, not results. Put a tablespoon in the palm of one hand and start spreading it all over the stock with both hands. Rub it to warm the oil and keep going. The problem is to remember to do it night after night. Less and less oil will be needed towards the end of a couple weeks.

I just did a Goofle search for raw linseed oil Canada. Home Hardware has a SKU 1675912 for a large jug. And ominously, besides being sold as a cattle laxative (!), it has a 24-month shelf life. I wonder if my old bottle has gone bad?
 
Cheers. I hate adding anything to a milsurp but this carcano stock is so dry I am worried shooting it might crack it
 
I used the tung oil from Lee Valley on an old Winchester stock couple years ago. Applied 5 or 6 coats using 0000 steel wool, and a week to dry after each coat. Finished it with Renaissance Wax, and am extremely happy with the results. It feels great in the hand, and seems very durable.
 
How many costs of tung oil do you guys do? She was thirsty and soaked up a good amount of oil on coat 1 but looks amazing already, much better than it was. Should I do 2, 3 or more coats. When do you stop?
 
Stop when it doesn't seem any different compared to the previous application, or when you don't care anymore, whichever comes first.
 
Never had any issues with BLO, just follow the directions.

Apply by clean cloth, or hand, a small amount and rub in to the wood. Wait up to 30 minutes, and remove excess with a clean cloth (paper towel also works). Allow to dry fully between coats. Repeat as required.

Leaving an oil finish to dry without removing the excess, well that's a mistake you only make once...
 
TheTooner said:
Stop when it doesn't seem any different compared to the previous application, or when you don't care anymore, whichever comes first.
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This! Tung oil is my go too; but...

If you use boiled linseed oil, cut 50:50 with Turpentine; not paint thinner. It stinks, but greatly improves penetration; it also enables thin even coats.
 
Tung oil worked great! Very easy to use, didn’t change the colour of the stock, actually smells tolerable, and dries pretty fast when cut with mineral spirits
 
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