doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com Alkanet Root / Red Oil

Thanks to Steve for the tip on Mountain Rose Herbs.

I just had my package of Alkanet Root powder delivered yesterday.

Have you had more or less success in red oil with any particular liquid to make the Red Oil? Anyone else's experiences are welcome. I am not planning on using it for a couple of weeks but I want to get some oil brewing as quickly as possible.

Thanks again

You are more than welcome Travis.

I use BLO as a carrier for the alkenet root and harden it using Daly's Seafin. The dryers in the Daly's do an excellent job of hardening the red oil. You can also finish the stock using Daly's with the Alkenet root in it. I like this method as you do not get any light colored spots from rubbing out.

Steve

Red Oil a brewing

Thanks again

I have been reading Flexner's " Understanding wood finishes" and it got me thinking that Red oil made with Pure Tung Oil might be a better option than BLO for making the red.

My view of the pros and cons

Pros
- It seems to be the better oil in regards to moisture protection/transfer so no reason to start with a lesser protective oil
- It takes little longer to cure so the stain can have longer to absorb into the wood making for stronger color.

Cons
-It takes little longer to cure so the finish time is increased a little.

What am I missing or why does it not matter?

BTW the book is really a mystery solver.

Thx

Travis

The red oil is not meant to seal out moisture, just to impart color. You use it like a stain. The BLO does not dry on its own, I use Daly's to harden it but there are other methods. You sure could give Tung a go. I found the Wiebe method works better than any other I had tried so I have stuck with it. That said, I have been playing with Timberluxe as a top coat on some stocks and like it, fills fast with lots of solids and gives a nice warm glow.

Funny I just left the Timberlux sight before coming here.

I have some wood I am going to try several finishes on. It is crazy how this is, after all these decades, a topic no yet put to rest. Fun isn't it