Making comments about Flexner I feel is you are on the way to ha hiding to nothing. Because people who do not have a real depth of knowledge because of the information given to them from books it is the true gospel of wood finishing. But it is far from it! I found that the opinions in the book are too dogmatic and usually given from a point of minimal knowledge of the subject at hand. I feel that I would stand a good kicking if I am wrong on, I am sure he has not refinished or just finished a Vintage Boss Holland & Holland Purdey with a four Grand rich dark and beautiful Turkish Walnut stock. To do this I have always felt that the recommendation would be a couple of brush applied coats of Yacht Varnish. I suppose it could be said what does a "Process Engineer" also know about wood finishing, all I can say is I have been producing good finishes for lets say sixty years and done a lot of research over those years rather than be a cabinet maker.
As for the rather firm condemnation Of Linseed oil out of hand smacks of little practical knowledge of the full subject. At this point I would like to say that Linseed oil finish on a gun stock is in the wood not just on top and for its time one of the only finishes to allow wood to seasonally move by allowing water vapour to travel in and out of the surface without breaking down quickly. Of course the proof of this is sitting in Museums and Armoires all over the world for any person to see but only if they want to. As we all know saying something controversial sells newspapers and of course books, on the subject of a book I have wanted to put down on paper my experiences and knowledge of gun stock finishing but I cant because things in the subject are still changing fast. Finally I did give my recommendations on using a more modern type of finish starting after colouring by applying a sanding sealer, another of my one of many lifetime Lead balloons!
Finally according to Flexner it would not be possible to perform a gunstock repair on a vintage gun because using Linseed Oil is not worth a Carrot, so when the "Mona Lesa" was damaged I think the book would recommend two coats of emulsion paint and a top coat of oil based gloss.
Just one further point, It has somehow been the thinking of wood workers in general and I do include furniture makers in this. They all seem to have the idea that "I can finish wood" and a gunstock is just wood so by association I can do a perfect job of it. Though they would have no idea how to deal with an oil soaked gunstock head, also I have never seen a page in one of these books giving how to lay out gunstock chequering let alone how to set about cutting it. I would dearly love to hand one a stock and say re cut the chequering and if it turns out bad that is a two grand piece of wood to replace. Though the authors will pontificate "Ad Nauseum" on how to finish and what finish to use in their lofty opinion. Though your Military have a saying that sums up my feelings about what I see are dictatorial authors, "It is all Bull Shit and Shino".

Last edited by damascus; 05/26/20 06:09 AM.
The only lessons in my life I truly did learn from where the ones I paid for!