How to protect an oil-base walnut stock??
 

Was wondering what the best brand/type of oil is to use occasionally on an already finished wood stock to keep it looking good and from drying out......thanks..

RE: How to protect an oil-base walnut stock??
 

GorV good ol linseed oil will keep the stock looking brand new, properly applied and maintained it will give the stock a mellow, low luster finish. If your gun truly is a "hand rubbed oil finish" then more than likely it was linseed that was used to treat and protect the oil. Taking the action/barrel from the stock and making sure you rub it into the inletting and barrel channel will make sure you are protected properly and even hunting in the rain with it shouldnt be that big of a problem. A good coat rubbed into about 1ce a year will be plenty unless you hunt in very wet conditions (washes some oil out) or hunt in extremely dry climates (the oil drys and evaporates out). Be sure and rub it into the checkering and other cut areas as well. Some cheaper "oil jobs" are applied too the stock before checkering and hardware is applied so you get unprotected wood as a result.

Good luck,
RA

RE: How to protect an oil-base walnut stock??
 

Try a 1:1:1 mix of beeswax, linseed oil, and Zinnser shellac. This will buff out to a nice satin finish.

RE: How to protect an oil-base walnut stock??
 

It's kinda hard to get real boiled linseed oil, but Outer's Linspeed is available everywhere guns are sold. I only use wax on the metal, one of the hard furniture waxes will keep away rust on a rainy day.

RE: How to protect an oil-base walnut stock??
 

I agree with you Slamfire......Also storing your guns butt down, all lubricating oils will seep in the stock and rot the the wood.
I store mind barrels down.

KEEP ON ROOTING!!!

RE: How to protect an oil-base walnut stock??
 

Birchwood Casey true oil and stock wax.

RE: How to protect an oil-base walnut stock??
 

Boiled linseed oil is sold at any hardware or home improvement store, you can get it in quarts or gallons, take your pick.

RE: How to protect an oil-base walnut stock??
 

Wow, how much oil you putting on the guns? Light Coat. Then rub off.

RE: How to protect an oil-base walnut stock??
 

Doesn't linseed make your wood swell some like gun oils do? I don't know so I was curious?

I would prefer the wax myself.

RE: How to protect an oil-base walnut stock??
 

Was gone for a few days and couln't get back to you.

Linseed oil shouldn't swell the wood, ,however, water will. If the wood is swelled at all by linseed oil, it would mean that the wood was excessively dried out. Wood will shring when it dries, and if it shrinks too much, it will crack- often around the tang of a rifle stock.

Petroleum oils will degrade and soften wood, while linseed and tung oils are natural oils found in plants which won't harm the cell wall structure of the wood. Sealing with these will keep the stock from drying out, though linseed oil isn't very water resistant, that's why slellac and/or beeswax should be added to it.

As BC said, you would have to slop a lot of oil on a rifle to have it run into the stock and damage it. I'd worry alot more about cleaning practices getting oil or solvents into the wood- using a bore guide will prevent a lot of this from happening, or having the rifle set in a vice with the action upside down if the rifle has to be cleaned from the muzzle end will help too.


'Boiled' linseed oil is linseed oil that has had japan dryer added to it, it has not been physically boiled. The japan dryer helps speed up the crosslinking and polymerization of the finish, so that the linseed oil only takes a day or two to dry instead of weeks or never.