What brand of boiled linseed oil do you guys recommend and use?

Trepang · Aug 1, 2021

I had no idea there was so many different brands of boiled linseed oil until I went on Amazon to order some.

What brand of boiled linseed oil do you guys recommend and use?

Does it even matter?
Anything to avoid?

Looking to use it on Garand and M1 Carbine stocks.

Thanks

inkd · Aug 1, 2021

Trepang said:
I had no idea there was so many different brands of boiled linseed oil until I went on Amazon to order some.

What brand of boiled linseed oil do you guys recommend and use?

Does it even matter?
Anything to avoid?

Looking to use it on Garand and M1 Carbine stocks.

Thanks

I just got Kleen Strip from Lowes and it was fine on my Garands.

In fact, I have pretty much an entire can left over if you want it. Seeing as you're in Calvert, we could meet up somewhere around the bridge.

Trepang · Aug 1, 2021

inkd said:
I just got Kleen Strip from Lowes and it was fine on my Garands.

In fact, I have pretty much an entire can left over if you want it. Seeing as you're in Calvert, we could meet up somewhere around the bridge.

I appreciate it but I'm just gonna stop on my way home from work and grab some or order it from Amazon.

I have several stocks that need some love.

inkd · Aug 1, 2021

Trepang said:
I appreciate it but I'm just gonna stop on my way home from work and grab some or order it from Amazon.

I have several stocks that need some love.

No problem :thumbsup:

Get a small can, if you can. I got the quart size and it did 3 stocks with almost a full can left over.

Trepang · Aug 1, 2021

inkd said:
No problem

Get a small can, if you can. I got the quart size and it did 3 stocks with almost a full can left over.

Gotcha - Thanks - I will look for a pint can

Straightbolt · Aug 1, 2021

1/3 turpentine + 1/3 boiled linseed oil + 1/3 natural bees wax

Or buy it already made http://www.thegunstockdoctor.com/products-page.html

I use Tom's on all my military stocks.

John from MD · Aug 1, 2021

While I have used linseed oil in the past, I have always obtained better finishes with real Tung Oil.

http://www.garandgear.com/m1-garand-new-oil-finish

Trepang · Aug 1, 2021

Thanks for all the input guys.
I appreciate it.

Threeband · Aug 1, 2021

John from MD said:
While I have used linseed oil in the past, I have always obtained better finishes with real Tung Oil.

http://www.garandgear.com/m1-garand-new-oil-finish

Real Milk Paint Tung Oil is the stuff I use.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Real+Milk+Paint+Tung+Oil&ia=web

rifelman · Aug 1, 2021

Trepang said:
I had no idea there was so many different brands of boiled linseed oil until I went on Amazon to order some.

What brand of boiled linseed oil do you guys recommend and use?

Does it even matter?
Anything to avoid?

Looking to use it on Garand and M1 Carbine stocks.

Thanks

I was very happy with the brand at Dunkirk Walmart in the paint section. My walnut stocks were pretty dry. It made them good and not too shiny like a commercial firearm.

toppkatt · Aug 1, 2021

Threeband said:
Real Milk Paint Tung Oil is the stuff I use.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Real+Milk+Paint+Tung+Oil&ia=web

I've used Boiled Linseed oil and the Tung oil from Milk paint. Both worked well. Main difference between the two is the Tung oil tends to have a higher sheen or gloss than the BLO.

Threeband · Aug 1, 2021

I see people overthinking this.

Years before I ever heard about real tung oil, I just used some random linseed oil from an open can that had been sitting around the basement for years. Used that stuff on several stocks and was happy with the results.

mvee · Aug 1, 2021

I have tried a bunch of different types of oil finishes. In all the old manuals they were calling for raw linseed oil. Raw linseed oil typically gets gummy or takes a while to dry.

Boiled linseed oils cure quicker. They add metallic dryers to the Linseed oil to make it cure quicker. I’ve heard that BLO doesn’t darken with age like RLO. The metallic dryers are also something that I don’t like having on my skin.

The The formbys Danish oil finish is a mixture of varnish and oils. It’s not what should be on the rifles.

The stuff I have settled on using is “Tried and True” brand Danish oil finish. It is non toxic polymerized linseed oil. As I understand it l, it is made from linseed oil that is partially cured. It only contains linseed oil and is food safe.

toppkatt · Aug 1, 2021

Threeband said:
I see people overthinking this.

Years before I ever heard about real tung oil, I just used some random linseed oil from an open can that had been sitting around the basement for years. Used that stuff on several stocks and was happy with the results.

Unfortunately, this type of anecdotal 'evidence' may quickly lead to poor outcomes. Using old or stale finishes give less than desirable results and frequently create more problems than throwing out old finishes and starting with fresh. But hey it's your TIME and your DIME...

pre64hunter · Aug 2, 2021

OILY RAGS CAN CATCH FIRE!

A warning that is common knowledge is that oily rags can spontaneous combust. The warnings are on paint and solvent cans and usually disregarded as California warnings.
BUT I had a rag I used to wipe some linseed oil on a stock, it was laying on the floor not near anything. A few hours later it caught fire all on its own.

I apply linseed oil with my hand and the first couple coats I thin it with paint thinner. I add a few coats every hour or so till it is well saturated and let it dry some overnight. Then I apply a final coat and wipe off any excess after a couple hours before it dries or it will become gummy.

Then burn the rag in the fire place or lay it flat outside to dry, then wet it with water and discard it in an outside trash can.

Trepang · Aug 2, 2021

pre64hunter said:
A warning that is common knowledge is that oily rags can spontaneous combust. The warnings are on paint and solvent cans and usually disregarded as California warnings.
BUT I had a rag I used to wipe some linseed oil on a stock, it was laying on the floor not near anything. A few hours later it caught fire all on its own.

I apply linseed oil with my hand and the first couple coats I thin it with paint thinner. I add a few coats every hour or so till it is well saturated and let it dry some overnight. Then I apply a final coat and wipe off any excess after a couple hours before it dries or it will become gummy.

Then burn the rag in the fire place or lay it flat outside to dry, then wet it with water and discard it in an outside trash can.

I'm with ya - I usually put the rags in the fire pit.

trickg · Aug 2, 2021

I think that important as anything else is the fact that a BLO finish can't be rushed, and in fact, should probably be drawn out.

According to my mom, my Dad would actually buff between coats initially with 0000 steel wool. I wish like hell he was still around to ask because he did some really nice work.

I was in the process of redoing a the stock on my 25-06 that was built by my Dad, but it wasn't turning out like I wanted, for a couple of reasons.

I think I was trying to go too fast - in some of the videos I saw it said that a person should wait a minimum of 12 hours between coats, and I was doing that more or less. I think 24-36 hours is probably better.
In hindsight, I probably wasn't applying it thin enough.
I tried to do a touchup, and some areas needed a bit of sanding. I'd have had better results if I'd have started from scratch and have taken my time.

I think my main error is that I was trying to get it done before I went on a camping trip where I was planning to take that rifle, and I was trying to do too much too fast. I think this winter I'll make a proper project of it and do it correctly. I'll likely clean the whole thing with mineral spirits, do a general sanding on the whole stock, smoothing out some of the minor scratches and dings, and then take my time finishing the whole thing.

JimB · Aug 2, 2021

BLO apply very thin. Once a Day for a Week. Once a Week for a Month. Once a Month for a Year. Once a Year forever.

trickg · Aug 2, 2021

JimB said:
BLO apply very thin. Once a Day for a Week. Once a Week for a Month. Once a Month for a Year. Once a Year forever.

I'd even go so far as to say once every other day for 2 weeks - I think that's the direction I'll go when I redo the stock on that 25-06.

RoanWrangler · Aug 4, 2021

Garand Gear

Someone mentioned Garand Gear and I agree that the products work well and are easy to use. Even for the inexperienced. Lots of info on the website. http://www.garandgear.com/m1-garand-new-oil-finish

What brand of boiled linseed oil do you guys recommend and use?

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