Raw linseed oil vs BLO

kjohn

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" it's been finished with BLO, rather than RLO. That's evident by the shiny appearance of the stock."

The above was taken from another post. I have two or three old "sporters" that I sent over to Deaner to resurrect from the dead. I have been applying BLO to the stocks, a bit at a time. I loaned the BLO to a buddy and used some raw LO. HUGE difference in the end result. I do not like shiny stocks, and BLO barely makes it under the wire. Raw LO is exactly the result I want. :)
 
Interesting! What other qualities does Raw Linseed Oil (RLO) have in comparision to BLO?

I have been using RLO for outdoor woodwork because I have heard that it soaks in better. True or false?
 
Is raw linseed oil good for maintaining a stock without changing the original look if it?

I use Tung oil......once again, here is commentary from a furniture refinishing website:

Linseed will soften if exposed to moisture or is in an environment of high humidity. Once tung oil hardens, it stays hard. Tung oil dries by oxidation, not evaporation and is the most durable of the natural oils. Don't be in a great hurry though, because it takes tung oil a few days to cure unless you add some dryers to it. A linseed oil finish or a stain that has linseed oil in it will also darken over time. Tung oil will tend to stay the same as when applied.
 
I use Tung oil......once again, here is commentary from a furniture refinishing website:

Linseed will soften if exposed to moisture or is in an environment of high humidity. Once tung oil hardens, it stays hard. Tung oil dries by oxidation, not evaporation and is the most durable of the natural oils. Don't be in a great hurry though, because it takes tung oil a few days to cure unless you add some dryers to it. A linseed oil finish or a stain that has linseed oil in it will also darken over time. Tung oil will tend to stay the same as when applied.

Sounds like the perfect stuff. Thanks.
 
I use only Raw Linseed oil on my Lee Enfields, P14's, etc. When I buy a LE that looks neglected I soak the forend in RLO for 6 or 7 hours in a length of PVC pipe. Any time I have one apart I use a linseed soaked rag on inside and outside of stock/ forend. I don't find it takes long to dry. Nice stuff to work with- totally non-toxic.

milsurpo
 
The only finishes I use are either 100% raw linseed or tung oil. On occasion I’ll use natural turpentine to cut it so that it soaks deep into the wood. Cutting a mixture of tung/linseed with turpentine and all natural bees wax (like the Swiss mixture) gives a very nice deep, Matt look with the added protection of the wax.
It may not be as pronounced, but Tung oil will still darken/discolour as it ages and oxidizes like Linseed.
 
The RLO I use has drier added. Dries to a nice satin/flat finish. Didn't take very long to dry. I just put the second coat on an old Churchill No. 4 this morning. I had two or three coats of BLO on it, then 1 coat RLO. Looked way nicer after it dried. JMHO
 
Boiled Linseed Oil, as far as I know, was the treatment of choice for anything the British did. Lee Enfields, in particular.

The Americans by contrast, were fans of Tung oil.

I've restored and rebuilt a few guns myself, and for anything British (or Canadian) I used Linseed Oil, and for anything that came out of the states, it got Tung.

As for other stuff... I hear the Fins used Pine Tar and Turpentine, mixed 50/50. Supposedly the Russians used it as well, or, Boiled Linseed Oil, then would shellac after either. Apparently the colour "Red Garnet" is closest to the original Russian finish.

*If you're looking for Pine Tar, check the local TSC, and look in the Horse Medicine Section

**Apparently, equal mixes of pine tar, boiled linseed oil, and turpentine make a good cure for your wooden boats.
 
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