doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com artist linseed VS BLO

The tricky bit is the Venice Turpentine. I got mine from Hawthorne Products in Dunkirk, IN but your local horsy-set tack shop or a farrier may have it. While you're shopping the local nag maintenance store, you bp guys should also pick up a quart of neatsfoot oil. Really great mixed w/ parafin and beeswax for lubricated felt wads. Don't be afeared of a little backburner cookery, fellers. My old daddy always said "Steal from the best1!" In this case it's a gift from the British Invasion; take advantage!

It look as though I have gathered most of the stuff. Still on the list is , everclear(spirits of wine best I can tell), plaster paris(I can only find the dental quality in 30lb boxes, I may try the hardware store stuff), and the carnuaba wax. Any brand wax you like? I see it mostly as an ingrediant in other products. As for the alkanet, if I remenber correctly, steep it in mineral spirits for about 6 months then add to oil minus the filler, ie wax and plaster. It should be fun.
Steve

The Real Milk Paint Co. in Quakertown, PA has flake carnauba. Works for me.

jack

Steve,
It is interesting to try a little test. Take a drop or two of boiled oil, same of the artist's oil and smear some on a piece of clean steel or glass, and see how long it takes to dry. Try the same with a little cobalt drier or Japan drier, about 50;50 see how it dries. In my limited experience, raw oil with out any drier takes very long to dry, maybe never. But it does a great job of bringing out the wood color and grain.

Steve (SKB),
The Plaster of Paris is only required as filling agent to close the pores.From a stock enhancement point of view it would not hurt to leave it out.The recipe I posted is an original from the London guntrade.Dig's recipe is also from the Trade utilising modern ingredients.Depending on who you believe and what tests you do yourself it is said Linseed oil never really dries completely if left to it's own devices.That is why we add driers / solvents to aid the drying process.Which drier you use is a matter of personal choice.Not many people use Napthalene but I have and it worked very well, most common drier is turpentine because it is readily available.In the '50's we used Lead as drier, but due to them damn yankees and Ducks Unlimited Lead is bad (only joking chaps) but of course due to the perceived toxicity of lead products it is regarded as hazardous.But the original recipes did use lots of lead family derivatives such as cobalt as driers.I think we have printed most of the recipes on this thread.All I can say is that they are the best without doubt if you want a superb in the wood lustre.

Like Dennis, I put a drop of japan drier in my final coats. Don't add to your entire stock, leave that unmolested. A good grain filler is Easy Sand 20 (or 45) quick drying drywall compound. Available at any building supply, hardware store. It has a nice fine texture and is not abrasive. I just wet sand it in. If you want to experiment, I find it a quick patch for drywall repairs.

I use an artists drying linseed oil I got in a crafts shop. Small 2.5fl. oz. bottle last me forever as I just use it for a couple of very thin top coats over the finish. It does dry in about a day,,day and a half. I just put my thumb over the mouth of the bottle, tip it up and that amount that stays on my thumb is enough to be dotted around one side of the stock and rubbed out as thin as possible. I also use it for brushing into new or recut checkering. Sometimes I'll go back after 6 hours or so of the application and re-rub out the oil on the stock as it's not dry yet at that point. I've just always done it that way and it seems to smooth it out again if I missed any spots and takes away any excess onto my hand. The brand is 'Winsor & Newton'. Labled as 'Drying Linseed Oil for Oil Colour' on the front. Says it's made in England/Winsor & Newton/London (gotta be good,,right??!!). Ingredient lable says linseed oil/manganese dryers (Certified non-toxic). Hope this helps..

No wax in your recipe?

Are you fellas putting the cart before the horse? Don't you have to plant the walnut first?

I am assuming that by BLO you mean boiled linseed oil. Boiled linseed oil is anything but just boiled. It may be ok for gunstock finish, but I always use the unadulturated raw linseed oil for gunstock finishing, and as you indicate it is commonly used by artists as well. Raw linseed can be purchased in one-gallon size and larger, but you will usually have to order it as the local iron monger (or hardware shops) do not regularily stock it. I order mine via internet.

As some English and American gunmakers have found, using boiled linseed oil as a hot oil bath for stock bending (versus using raw linseed oil) can be a mistake. Most boiled linseed oil has chlorine in its make up as a result of the "boiling" (probably better called something else, but would not sell as well) Jack Rowe relates how one of his colleagues used boiled linseed oil for stock bend and the cholorides destroyed the finish of the action. However, this may be moot as many of the top english gunsmiths are using heat guns to heat the stocks for bending. This in itself is tricky calling for a lot of touch and feel experience of heat of walnut when it is just right. I still use hot raw linseed oil, but have a method that keeps the hot oil from soaking into to action and stock.

Just my thoughts from deep in the "bushveld"