There's a huge difference between saving 5 or 10 bucks a quart on making a home brew that has numerous and costlier ingredients, and saving around $1900.00 a gallon on something that is simple and cheap to make.
But I'm not really sure why anyone would wish to make their own homemade version of Timberluxe, because even if you save a lot of money by doing so, it still isn't very good as a stock finish. Nothing in the ingredients is worth anywhere near what it costs. I think Mike's example was simply to illustrate what a terrible buy it is, for an inferior product. He gave the name of a couple products that are much cheaper commercially, and will do a much better job of finishing a gun stock and providing long term protection.
Once I thought it would be cool to grow my own alkanet and make my own alkanet root stain from it. Now I realize that I can get equal or better results buy simply buying some Behlen's Solar Lux. But I sure as hell wouldn't do that if the Behlen's cost over $1900 per gallon, and didn't work as well as alkanet. It isn't just about saving a few bucks. But I've already said that.
Mark asks why the negativity for a product that we've never used. The answer to that is simple, and if he had paid attention, the answer has already been provided numerous times. The ingredients in Timberluxe are not anywhere near the best choice for a gun stock finish, and the cost for what you are actually getting is beyond ridiculous. This isn't about cooking a gourmet meal, and we aren't forgetting secret ingredients like eye of newt and wing of bat, mixed under a full moon. I've painted a number of cars too, and always used good brand name automotive paints, primers, and clearcoats. If someone started selling cheap water based latex house paint and marketing it as a great automotive product at an exorbitant price, I wouldn't have to actually buy it and paint a vehicle with it to know that it wouldn't be a good choice. If using our brains drives non-thinking people away from this site, I'd like to be the first to say goodbye to them. I think that's a pretty lame argument for digging in ones heels and trying to convince guys to pay a lot for linseed oil, sunflower oil, and naptha.
I don't think Mike and I are driving folks or a wealth of knowledge away. We are offering knowledge on wood finishes that is proven and very well established. The one reference book I suggested is hardly the only source of this information, and we're not simply making things up about this subject. My opinions are based upon well known facts. Some folks still swear by Linseed oil for furniture and wood floor finish too, even though there are much better choices. The jury came back and gave their verdict long ago, and Mark is rejecting it. At this point, I wouldn't even try to change his mind.
