Tru oil

[drago]

I’m refinishing a stock, I have been rubbing it with number 4 steel wool, trying to decide if I want to leave it shiny or dull it. What are your opinions? I still have to black the brass and waiting on the Davis deerslayer triggers

[elkhart]

Whatever you like best!

I do 5 coats of tru oil, light sanding with a fiber pad between coats. Howards paste wax to maintain the finish.  So it has a somewhat shiny finish, looks like the old guns I've seen firsthand. It seals the wood and has the look I like.

[Mike Brooks]

Tru oil sucks.

[davec2]

Don't sugar coat it Mike !  Tell us what you really think...

I agree with you, by the way...

[smart dog]

Hi Mike,
I don't like it either but I would like to know your reasons.

dave

[ScottH]

I prefer the dull look or at minimum satin not glossy

[Daryl]

Hi Mike,
I don't like it either but I would like to know your reasons.

dave

Exactly!  I've used it in the past (since 1973) and any finish you want, is doable. Cutting back with steel wool, pumice or rotten stone, to having a perfectly filled - epoxy-type modern-gun finish - & anything in between.
I've done them all and it works.
So does Circa 1850 Tung Oil.

[Eric Krewson]

If you don't slop it on and rub in a drop or two at a time on with a small piece of tee shirt it doesn't get shiny.

This is at least 6 coats on top of many coats of Birchwood Casey walnut stock filler that I sanded back.

[drago]

I haven’t had any problems with it, gives a nice finish

[duca]

Tru oil sucks.

LOL....now that’s being Honest

Anthony

[dogcatcher]

I stumbled on a sun reined flaxseed video a few years ago.  Basically mixing flaxseed oil with water, shaking it up and letting it sit in the sun.  The reaction causes the fats in the flaxseed oil to separate.  Remove the "clarified" oil and repeat.  The result is a clear oil that works wonders on wood, it seals and protects.  It leaves the wood feeling like real wood with a matte finish.  It does sort of build up after a lot of coats. 

This is not the video I started with, but  it does explain the process.
https://www.damianosborne.com/making-your-own-refined-linseed-oil

[Daryl]

If you don't slop it on and rub in a drop or two at a time on with a small piece of tee shirt it doesn't get shiny.

This is at least 6 coats on top of many coats of Birchwood Casey walnut stock filler that I sanded back.

That is exactly how I put it on Eric, except not quite. I use a finger touched into a cap-full, then dot, dot, dot around the stock then rub that in with my palm.
When that rubs in, I move to another area, dot, dot, dot and rub that in, covering for instance, from back of the wrist to the butt on one side, with one of the dot, dot, dot applications.

[elkhart]

I think people put it on too thick. I use a t-shirt cloth, just a dab.

I use it on arrows too, very durable finish. Lost an arrow under the grass, found it a couple months later. Feathers were no good, but the arrow was still straight and the finish was decent. I did put one more coat on to smooth it out, refletched and good as new.

[Fly Navy]

We always used Tru Oil to refinish modern wood stocked hunting rifles and shotguns. On a flintlock its always been Tried & True.

[bob in the woods]

I stumbled on a sun reined flaxseed video a few years ago.  Basically mixing flaxseed oil with water, shaking it up and letting it sit in the sun.  The reaction causes the fats in the flaxseed oil to separate.  Remove the "clarified" oil and repeat.  The result is a clear oil that works wonders on wood, it seals and protects.  It leaves the wood feeling like real wood with a matte finish.  It does sort of build up after a lot of coats. 

This is not the video I started with, but  it does explain the process.
https://www.damianosborne.com/making-your-own-refined-linseed-oil

You can go through this process,,,,,or   , you can buy some " Tried and True "   

[Eric Krewson]

True story; my favorite finish of all time is Chambers oil finish, the problem is, with shipping it is very expensive for me to buy especially if that is the only thing I am ordering. I will have $25 in it for a small bottle.

I had a half a bottle of the Chambers finish, I had my HAVAC guy over to work on my central unit, he rehabs parolees and brought one with him this time. My AC guy is as honest as the day is long, not thinking I showed him and the helper my latest squirrel rifle project in my shop.

The AC guys Fluke turned up missing that night. The next morning I went out to my shop and found that the helper took trophies, one ramrod pipe from my rifle and my half bottle of Chambers finish, months later I was looking at my drawknife collection and found one of them was missing as well. The helper must have been a clepto, I worked with one at the power plant and noticed these people just have to steal something.

Tru-oil is $4.95 at Walmart and readily available so I used it on my last 3 rifles, I do have a bottle of Tried and True oil finish for my current build.

[Birddog6]

Simply love it. Just like any other finish, you have to learn to make it do what you want.
I buy a fresh new bottle for every rifle. Use the leftover for sealing other stuff.

Some guys love boiled linseed oil. I despise it. You couldn’t pay me to put it on a rifle.

I think with any finish, you have to Learn that finish to get the most out of it.

I don’t like a finish that is not waterproof. If it waterspots, I am done with it.

[Mike Brooks]

Simply love it. Just like any other finish, you have to learn to make it do what you want.
I buy a fresh new bottle for every rifle. Use the leftover for sealing other stuff.

Some guys love boiled linseed oil. I despise it. You couldn’t pay me to put it on a rifle.

I think with any finish, you have to Learn that finish to get the most out of it.

I don’t like a finish that is not waterproof. If it waterspots, I am done with it.

Then you should be done with Tru Oil.

[Birddog6]

Well Mike, 🤨 just for that lil comment, I am cutting you off 😡. I’m not buying
Any Tru-Oil from you now !  🤷🏻🤣

[Daryl]

See any water spots? This finish was applied in 1986 & has been through torential downpours, normal rain showers, snow, sleet and hail.
There are a couple dings and scrapes. Over 5,000 shots fired with it.
Yeah - true oil.

[elkhart]

That's purdy! What kind of wood is that?

[Mike Brooks]

How many times have you freshed up that finish?

[brokenhand]

Mike, why don't you tell us what you use and like.

[Daryl]

How many times have you freshed up that finish?

Never, Mike. I did wax it once, back in about 1988 or 1989 using Birchwood Casey's gun stock wax.
Walnut - California English, or Claro, I guess. I paid $450.00 for the blank. Might have been too much?

[bama]

I finished my 2nd rifle with TruOil back in 1982. The last time I saw the rifle was in about 2008 the finish was in very good shape and no water spots that I could see but then I don't use my rifles for coasters either. It does dry to a nice hard shinny finish that can be rubbed back to a nice soft luster. Best part about it is it does dry pretty fast so even here in the good old south you can usually get 2 coats finish on in a day even with our humidity. It's not quite a traditional finish but if done correctly few would be able to tell it from a good old fashioned hand rubbed what ever you like to use finish.