Linseed Oil Alternatives?

lupothebutcher

lupothebutcher

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
54   0   0
Hi,
I have a question for you experts; on rifle stocks, particularly milsurps, I like to rub Boiled Linseed Oil, which I believe is an excepted method of preserving and waterproofing the wood grain as well as bringing out the wood’s colour. The place I am living now, Boiled Linseed Oil is unavailable mainly due to shipping restrictions; what I have found among my things is a bottle of Pressed Organic Hemp Seed Oil (a cooking product, essentially vegetable oil I guess) and a can of Arctic Dubbin with Silicone (boot waterproofing, I would assume a full synthetic) I have often used coloured boot polish on stocks but not Dubbin, and I think I can find Mink Oil Dubbin in this village.
So, thoughts on using these products? Anyone tried any of these? Any ideas on other possible alternatives? The rifle stocks in question would be the dark wood (Walnut?) on an SMLE, the blond wood (Pine, Oak?) on a No4 Mk1, and mostly a small area of modification to a Boyds Walnut stock (as well as the entire stock) for an M305. All rifles are used in arctic conditions.
Thanks,
Lupo
 
If you have the patience, try pure tung oil from lee valley. First cut it with varsol 50/50 for penetration in the wood, then lovingly apply over time to the desired finish. Read up and take heed to the advice. You will be very impressed.

Boiled linseed is a form of drying oil with additives to help it set up faster, some advise suggest BLO is not very good with fungus over time. Cooking oils are not drying oils and will only make your stock smell nicer. Other than that, your birchwood casey stock refinishing options may work out better, but wont give you that true-oil finish you are looking for.

In a pinch, stick with wax products and apply sparingly (ie carnuba wax). They will wear off over time, but can be removed later with relative ease. Keep the boot additives for boots. My 2c.
 
i think tung oil is also a curing oil which might be under the same shipping restrictions. maybe if you get a little bottle of some kind of dedicated gun stock oil you might get the same stuff but not under the same regs they are funny like that.
 
Skip the hemp seed oil unless you test it for drying.

Most of the cooking oils will turn rancid before they harden. One exception is Canola cooking oil which, with exposure to air and UV from sunlight, will turn to a varnish like resin over a reasonable time before it turns. It's quite a lot like raw linseed oil in this regard.

Another oil that I know will harden is walnut oil. Again it takes many weeks and exposure to air and sunlight to "kick" it into curing. But it too will form a varnish like film.

Keep in mind that the hardness and durability of the films created by such oils are questionable. It would still be much better if you could find the proper stuff.

In the meantime good ol' shoe wax or furniture paste wax is just fine. Dubbin not so much since it's a mixture of waxes and oils intended to protect from water with a grease like mixture. I would not use it on wood products.

If you avoid anything with silicone and stick to animal or vegtable products or a paste wax you can at least wash it out later on with mineral spirits
 
BCRider said:
Dubbin not so much since it's a mixture of waxes and oils intended to protect from water with a grease like mixture. I would not use it on wood products.
Click to expand...

if the dubbin is intended for leather products, it should be safe to use on wood. Downside is that it probably never truly dries but just gradually soaks into the wood from one side and rubs off from the outside. I am not sure what effect it would have on future boiled linseed oil finishes (or tung oil or watco oil)

cheers mooncoon
 
What are the Northern Rangers using on their No4s? If you have a very hard blond stock you may have Canadian Rock Maple, which by the way, was found in British tests to be the second most durable and stable of all the woods they tried as rifle furniture. It is so hard and close grained it takes much less oil than other woods in my experience. It's a good candidate for a varnish type coating.
 
Last edited:
I use almond oil on my bagpipes, as far as I understand, if it's high in Omega acids, it won't go rancid as quickly, so almond and walnut are the best choices.
 
Brutus said:
BTW, has anyone tried Danish oil on their wooden stocks?
Click to expand...

I have used Watco Danish oil in medium walnut often. It does a good job but is not fast. It is a multi coat process with at least a day of drying time between. I am having trouble finding it lately.
 
So, wanna just tell us where this mystery place is, that we might actually put forth a suggestion that works?

My view is that a rattle can of satin clear Krylon goes a long ways to cover it from the weather until you get to where the stuff you want is available. Strip and refinish then.

About any oil will work, at least for a while. I have finished wood with Jet engine oil, which is generally just a clear mineral oil. Baby oil, etc. They do not dry hard, so if that is what you are after you pretty much gotta find a work-around for your supply problem.

Cheers
Trev
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom