doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Tru Oil Question

Hi all, I was wondering what the cure time is on Tru Oil? I've heard up to 3 months. If this is true, how long do you have to wait until you can use your gun (shooting/hunting)without any ill effects to the finish?

Thanks so much!!!

Greg

I've never had to wait more than a day, two at the most, before putting another coat on. Might be worth reading the label. I've never heard anything like 3 months.

I'm no authority...but have my personal experiences from refinishing 8-10 walnut stocks with Tru-Oil. I learned that I had better success by using many thin coats as follows:

1) I applied a first thin coat;
2) I hung the stock on a coat hanger in the warm dry house (or a warm dry place) for at least 3-4 days...I basically did a coat every weekend...and if there is any humidity / dampness in the environment it takes longer to dry. Doing stock work in the cold winter time means the house is warm and dry and it always cured best and fastest for me during those times;
3) I VERY lightly slid a pad of 0000 steel wool over the stock surface, and wiped off the dust;
4) I applied a second thin coat;
5) Then I repeated # 2 and #3

Then just keep repeating through this whole cycle 6-8 times or more depending on how much / how thick you want the Tru-oil coat to be. Getting the last coat bone dry before applying the next coat is an absolute must...and an environment of hot dry air worked best and fastest for me.

My best experience using Tru Oil is with the spray can. It stays fresh in the can for a very long time while the bottle type seems to be affected by continuing opening and closing the bottle. The spray can oil seems to dry much more consistantly.

Tru oil drying time is affected by humidy and if you have put on a heavy coat and it is humid it could take days to dry. You can thin heavy coats using mineral spirts and make a drying box using a cardboard box and a lamp to speed drying. The heat from the lamp changes the "relative humidty" so process time is shortened. If you can use an air tight box you are better off, but be careful your heat does not get to close to the stock.

I live in a high desert and use about 4 hours between coats. I prefer bottles instead of spray can. I add marbles to replace the material I use. That keeps the oxygen from activating the hardeners.

I am a professional gunmaker and engraver and have used true oil as a base filler for years. Among the other things mentioned above let me say that when true oil or most other stock finish oil gets old it does not work the way it is supposed to. Once opened, unless it is no more than a couple of weeks old You should just go buy yourself a new bottle each time you need it.
Normally I can put on a second coat in four hours. After the grain is filled I let it dry for 24 hours and go to a better finish oil, like permalyn or Dembart. True oil dries too fast for for a good top coat application, in my opinion.
A lot of the guys in the American Custom Gunmakers Guild use the same process.

Jerry have you ever used Spar varnish as a base coat/sealer prior to using the Tru Oil?

Tru-Oil is for those who haven't learned that there are a lot of better products on the market. It is old technology.

Having said that, you CAN improve on Tru-Oil by using it in a three part mix of T.O., boiled linseed, and mineral spirits, along with a few drops of either Japan dryer or Cobalt dryer.

Apply this mixture, rub in thoroughly, then wipe off almost all of it. Repeat until you get what you want. You can sand between coats with 400 grit wet-or-dry paper to fill the pores at the outset.

I like Pilkington's and Chem-Pak Pro Custom oil much better.
JR

Isn't actual cure time and drying time between coats different ?