Quote:
Originally Posted by saskbooknut
Gunstock finish is much about the process. There are many good products.
Tru Oil is one of the good ones. You can get any level of gloss you want with Tru Oil, by cutting back the gloss when the finish is built up. Before Tru Oil one of the commonly used products was GB Linspeed. Showing my age here.
Buzzword that I hear these days is "wiping varnish" when applied to Tru Oil.
You start with thinned Tru Oil to get the early coats soaked into the wood. You cannot rush applications of Tru Oil by laying on thicker coats.
Crucial to getting a good finish on a stripped stock is to fill the grain, multiple applications of finish built up, or stock filler product.
You should be careful with sanding to preserve edges and contours of the stock.
I am not a fan of BLO. It never really sets up unless you have years to wait, and becomes sticky on a hot day. Boiled linseed oil was a good stock treatment on military rifles 100 years ago. Tung oil is an allergen to some people.
Oil finishes with a drier added, or Polyurethane products do a superior job of sealing wood. There are satin poly products that do not have the gloss of Tru Oil, even with many coats.
It sounds to me that the OP has a pretty sound handle on the process.
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We all have our preferences but if you need years waiting for boiled linseed oil to dry and it gets sticky on a hot day you likely shouldn't have soaked your stock in it for weeks.
A little knowledge of the how to's is always a good idea. Mine are dry to the touch at 5-7 days and don't get sticky at all in hot weather. If you've sealed wood properly you don't need polyurethane and as noted in the OP's post he prefers not to use it.
If you enjoy cutting oils, adding driers, polyurethane, use stock fillers, and multiple steel wool rubs to achieve the level of gloss you prefer, then have at er.