Linseed Oil, Boiled Linseed Oil, and Tung. Head to Head Test!
- Thread starter jimenez
- Start date
If some of you are looking for quality artist grade Raw Linseed oil at a reasonable price:
$16 PER LITRE - MSDS states it is 100%, no additives.
https://www.currys.com/catalogpc.htm?Category=REFINED_LINSEED_OIL&Source=Search
From the same site, burnt plate oil. This is the best quality Linseed oil you can get and reduced in consistency by boiling. Also obtains a darker colour as well. MSDS states 100% linseed. This is the real BLO deal. ($20-30 per Liter)
https://www.currys.com/catalogpc.htm?Category=BURNT_PLATE_OIL&Source=Search
I have been using the Raw linseed oil above with great results. This test inspired me to try some new stuff, so I will be getting some burnt plate oil and some of lee valleys offerings and trying that as well. FYI the lee valley linseed wont break the bank either ($17 per liter)
A little tip if someone hasnt posted this yet: to get the linseed to penetrate better in the first couple coats (if the wood is unfinished or really dried out), use a hairdrier to heat it up a bit. I usually combine the raw linseed with mineral spirits the first two coats and use the hairdrier to get it in there. Eats it up way faster.
$16 PER LITRE - MSDS states it is 100%, no additives.
https://www.currys.com/catalogpc.htm?Category=REFINED_LINSEED_OIL&Source=Search
From the same site, burnt plate oil. This is the best quality Linseed oil you can get and reduced in consistency by boiling. Also obtains a darker colour as well. MSDS states 100% linseed. This is the real BLO deal. ($20-30 per Liter)
https://www.currys.com/catalogpc.htm?Category=BURNT_PLATE_OIL&Source=Search
I have been using the Raw linseed oil above with great results. This test inspired me to try some new stuff, so I will be getting some burnt plate oil and some of lee valleys offerings and trying that as well. FYI the lee valley linseed wont break the bank either ($17 per liter)
A little tip if someone hasnt posted this yet: to get the linseed to penetrate better in the first couple coats (if the wood is unfinished or really dried out), use a hairdrier to heat it up a bit. I usually combine the raw linseed with mineral spirits the first two coats and use the hairdrier to get it in there. Eats it up way faster.
***UPDATE COAT # 5***
The blocks have finally polyermerized up to a nice dry finish from coat 4. Its taking longer and longer to "dry" between coats. Before coat 5 went on all three blocks were pretty much identical visually and felt the same to the touch. They all feel like there is a hard layer of polymerized oil absorbed into the surface of the wood, they are all much smoother to the touch then the control block. I cant pin down any color differences between them other then the end grain being slightly darker on the BLO block then the rest, but i cant confirm that its not just the grain causing that.
Coat 5 went on just as the previous coats.
The Tung oil block is absorbing the most oil before its wiped off. Most of what is applied is soaked up.
The BLO block soaked up maybe a little, but a fair bit wiped off. Less then the LIN block but not much.
The Linseed block didnt soak up very much oil at all and a lot wiped off after the 30 mins. It feels pretty much saturated with the oil (the surface that is, I know the whole block is not full of oil).
Im thinking 5 coats is enough to start messing around with these blocks once they dry. Id like some ideas for testing them please. Submersion? Heat? Dessicant? Impact? then finally cross sectioning. Let me know.
The blocks have finally polyermerized up to a nice dry finish from coat 4. Its taking longer and longer to "dry" between coats. Before coat 5 went on all three blocks were pretty much identical visually and felt the same to the touch. They all feel like there is a hard layer of polymerized oil absorbed into the surface of the wood, they are all much smoother to the touch then the control block. I cant pin down any color differences between them other then the end grain being slightly darker on the BLO block then the rest, but i cant confirm that its not just the grain causing that.
Coat 5 went on just as the previous coats.
The Tung oil block is absorbing the most oil before its wiped off. Most of what is applied is soaked up.
The BLO block soaked up maybe a little, but a fair bit wiped off. Less then the LIN block but not much.
The Linseed block didnt soak up very much oil at all and a lot wiped off after the 30 mins. It feels pretty much saturated with the oil (the surface that is, I know the whole block is not full of oil).
Im thinking 5 coats is enough to start messing around with these blocks once they dry. Id like some ideas for testing them please. Submersion? Heat? Dessicant? Impact? then finally cross sectioning. Let me know.
We don't normally use our guns in rivers and lakes so I'd say actual immersion would be a trifle harsh. Better would be "rain". Either natural or from a sprinkler.
For starters oil finishes are long term solutions. I'd give all the oiled blocks a month or so to fully polymerize as much as they are going to manage. Even to the point of putting them out in the sun from time to time. THEN let the torture tests begin. Otherwise you won't know if you're hamstringing one due to the product not being fully hardened.
All the samples other than the bare control block should be able to bead up the water and let it flow off the surface. But with "wear" the oiled finishes lose this beading ability and it's a sign that water being allowed into the wood grain is not that far behind. So I'd suggest short bursts of 10 minutes and then examine for beading? Continue until the water no longer beads on each but sheets instead.
Then there's scratch and dent protection. You'll need some way to test for this that is consistent and also realistic in terms of real lift scrapes and dents. Maybe mount the samples on some sort of steel pipe and drag them over some sharp corner of a quad used for hunting?
It sounds funny but it's likely a truer sort of handling damage than dragging a nail in a board over the samples.
For starters oil finishes are long term solutions. I'd give all the oiled blocks a month or so to fully polymerize as much as they are going to manage. Even to the point of putting them out in the sun from time to time. THEN let the torture tests begin. Otherwise you won't know if you're hamstringing one due to the product not being fully hardened.
All the samples other than the bare control block should be able to bead up the water and let it flow off the surface. But with "wear" the oiled finishes lose this beading ability and it's a sign that water being allowed into the wood grain is not that far behind. So I'd suggest short bursts of 10 minutes and then examine for beading? Continue until the water no longer beads on each but sheets instead.
Then there's scratch and dent protection. You'll need some way to test for this that is consistent and also realistic in terms of real lift scrapes and dents. Maybe mount the samples on some sort of steel pipe and drag them over some sharp corner of a quad used for hunting?
It sounds funny but it's likely a truer sort of handling damage than dragging a nail in a board over the samples.Thanks for the input, this all sounds like a fair place to start. I will definately let them sit in the sun some more. I have been doing so all along to help with the polymerization. I like the rain idea, since really that is what I care about with my stock! It will be hard to consistantly ding up the test blocks. I'll see what i can MacGyver up that will be repeatable.
We don't normally use our guns in rivers and lakes so I'd say actual immersion would be a trifle harsh. Better would be "rain". Either natural or from a sprinkler.
For starters oil finishes are long term solutions. I'd give all the oiled blocks a month or so to fully polymerize as much as they are going to manage. Even to the point of putting them out in the sun from time to time. THEN let the torture tests begin. Otherwise you won't know if you're hamstringing one due to the product not being fully hardened.
All the samples other than the bare control block should be able to bead up the water and let it flow off the surface. But with "wear" the oiled finishes lose this beading ability and it's a sign that water being allowed into the wood grain is not that far behind. So I'd suggest short bursts of 10 minutes and then examine for beading? Continue until the water no longer beads on each but sheets instead.
Then there's scratch and dent protection. You'll need some way to test for this that is consistent and also realistic in terms of real lift scrapes and dents. Maybe mount the samples on some sort of steel pipe and drag them over some sharp corner of a quad used for hunting?
CanukMauser
CGN Regular
- Location
- Edmonton Alberta
Homehardware sells raw linseed by the liter and I think also a 5 liter jug? Lists one of it's uses as a Cattle laxative.....
I just bought that 5 litre bottle from Home Hardware and yes, saw that cattle laxative thing too!
BTW, the previous poster who said to warm it up with a hair dryer...good idea. I have a paint stripper blower and will warm it up with that held back a ways before dropping the wood in.
BTW, the previous poster who said to warm it up with a hair dryer...good idea. I have a paint stripper blower and will warm it up with that held back a ways before dropping the wood in.
- Location
- West Quebec
I don't want to think about that one..
All you do is pour the raw linseed oil on the cattle's feed for the first days treatment.
And on the second day just throw some magnum primers in with the feed and.................................
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Bahhahahahahahaha 
Now all you have to do is convince the U.S. Military and the British and Commonwealth Military that putting raw linseed oil on their wooden stocks for over 100 years was wrong.
Or find out why raw linseed oil was used and why you do not want to trap water inside the stock by sealing the surface of the wood.
Did you ever stop to think that the military did more actual wet weather testing than just one drop of water?
I don't mean to rain on your parade but what is there to gain by reinventing the wheel. The British and American military manuals to this day call for raw linseed oil to be applied to wooden stocks.
Jesus. Settle down.
He did a test. He drew no conclusions whatsoever, YOU put those words in his mouth. He has just reported observations, and all you've been doing is vaguely antagonizing anyone who shows positive interest.
The results weren't what you wanted. Big deal.
Maybe posting more more cartoons to tear down your strawman will make you feel better.
Some of us appreciate the time and effort he's put in to seeing what products do what.
He did a test. He drew no conclusions whatsoever, YOU put those words in his mouth. He has just reported observations, and all you've been doing is vaguely antagonizing anyone who shows positive interest.
The results weren't what you wanted. Big deal.
Maybe posting more more cartoons to tear down your strawman will make you feel better.
Some of us appreciate the time and effort he's put in to seeing what products do what.
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This is the milsurp forum and I already know what the military Enfield and M1 Garand rifle had applied to their wooden stocks. And the British military never applied tung oil or boiled linseed oil to any issued military rifles. And the U.S. only applied tung oil during WWII and after the war a message went out saying the remaining supplies of tung oil may be used until exhausted then use raw linseed oil only.
I don't care if you apply whale snot or water base poly to your wooden stocks but military rifles mentioned used raw linseed oil. If anyone doesn't know why raw linseed oil was used then they should do a little research on the subject.
When you put a milsurp stock in the dishwasher its just as wrong as applying BLO to the same stock. In a milsurp forum it is important to "stress" what "WAS" used by the military on a specific firearm and "NOT" what wasn't applied. I also have American M14 manuals stating to apply raw linseed oil only to the wooden stocks and these manuals are from the late 70s and early 80s.
The OP did a test and "DID" come to a conclusion "And this is 6 hrs + 10 mins: Note the linseed block water bead has failed". If the military thought that applying raw linseed to its wooden stocks was a failure, then why did they use it for over 100 years on the Enfield rifle.
Says who? You? You're the defender of Milsurp are you? Are we to use only cordite and corrosive ammo too? Please guide us.
There seem to be a fair number of people here that are flaunting your rules and want to see what happens with this.
Guess what Skip, you've voiced your opinion and set right a great injustice. You can move along now. Sleep well tonight.
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Well then Oddbawl please tell the milsurp forum "why" the military used raw linseed oil. Try and keep your reply to a thousand words or less.
But don't expect me to give up my military manuals and my subscription to "Fine Wood Working magazine".
And just a few more question, if your crawling through the rain, mud and under barbed wire on your belly do you want a stock finish that's as slippery as snot on a door knob or something you can hold on to? Do you want a finish that holds the water and moisture inside the stock or do you want a finish that "breathes" and allows moisture and water to escape. Have you ever been caught out in the rain and watch your stock finish turn milky white and then fall off the stock. Have you ever heard of "pros and cons", "risks and benefits", "strengths and weaknesses" or "two sides to every story". You seem to be taking the facts rather badly on a subject tested hundreds of years ago.
There is a difference between a military rifle used under combat conditions and taking a shiny hunting rifle for a walk.
I'm also not stopping jimenez from posting his information, I just don't understand why non-standard military finishes are being tested and discuses in a milsurp forum. Anyone is free to apply whatever finish they want to to their milsurp rifles BUT there are very few correct finishes you can apply and be original. And its up to the owner to choose how a classic should look like.
All any of you have to do is decide on the classic finish or turn it into a modified rat rod.
But don't expect me to give up my military manuals and my subscription to "Fine Wood Working magazine".
And just a few more question, if your crawling through the rain, mud and under barbed wire on your belly do you want a stock finish that's as slippery as snot on a door knob or something you can hold on to? Do you want a finish that holds the water and moisture inside the stock or do you want a finish that "breathes" and allows moisture and water to escape. Have you ever been caught out in the rain and watch your stock finish turn milky white and then fall off the stock. Have you ever heard of "pros and cons", "risks and benefits", "strengths and weaknesses" or "two sides to every story". You seem to be taking the facts rather badly on a subject tested hundreds of years ago.
There is a difference between a military rifle used under combat conditions and taking a shiny hunting rifle for a walk.
I'm also not stopping jimenez from posting his information, I just don't understand why non-standard military finishes are being tested and discuses in a milsurp forum. Anyone is free to apply whatever finish they want to to their milsurp rifles BUT there are very few correct finishes you can apply and be original. And its up to the owner to choose how a classic should look like.
All any of you have to do is decide on the classic finish or turn it into a modified rat rod.
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