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Old June 15, 2011, 12:03 PM   #1
LAlineman
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Milsurp stock refinishing

I'm basically just Re-conditioning my old Lee Enfield . All the furniture is prepped and I'm trying to deside whether to use Boiled Linseed Oil or Beachwood Casey " Tru Oil". I've used the Tru oil before , then buffed out the shine and it worked really well. Never used Boiled Linseed Oil but I see a lot of guys have . Any recommendations ? Thanks
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Old June 15, 2011, 12:18 PM   #2
chasehav2014
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Where are the surplus rifles sold I never see any around where I live.
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Old June 15, 2011, 12:29 PM   #3
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I got this one here in Costa Mesa Gun Show. They had several in different condition. Also, Gunbroker.com. If you,re really interesed, send me a contact # or E-mail and I,ll keep an eye out for you. Glad to help !
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Old June 15, 2011, 12:33 PM   #4
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One more place I forgot about, depending where you live is J&G Sales.com- 928-445-9650, Prescott,Az. Hope this helps !
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Old June 15, 2011, 12:37 PM   #5
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Stick with tru-oil.
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Old June 15, 2011, 12:38 PM   #6
LAlineman
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RE:

Tru Oil !! Ok thanks- love that stuff !
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Old June 15, 2011, 12:42 PM   #7
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Chasehav2014 - Gunbroker.com right now has some Enfields. Just click on Rifles under Firearms . Then go to search and enter Lee Enfield . No cost to look ! Buy it and have it sent to your nearby FFL. It's that easy ! Great site, Beware, you get hooked !!! LALineman
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Old June 15, 2011, 01:11 PM   #8
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If you're going for a "correct" finish, it's not Tru-Oil. It's BLO. Goes on with a clean, lint free, rag, in several thin coats. Be sure to dispose of the rags safely. BLO has been known to spontaneously combust.
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Old June 15, 2011, 01:48 PM   #9
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O'Heir ,
Does it give a Dark finish or a lighter finish ? Thanks for the great info !
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Old June 15, 2011, 02:14 PM   #10
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I guess I am the odd man out. I use Tung Oil varnish with superior results. I don't like TruOil and I dont like BLO. They just don't feel right to me nor offer good enough protection from the elements. JMHO.
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Old June 15, 2011, 04:37 PM   #11
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Either will give very little color change. Most color change is with dyes, stains & so on not oil finishes.
I oiled a light blonde (beech) wood stock with many coats of good ol' BLO & after a few years it has changed a little, a kind of honey color that I like.
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Old June 15, 2011, 05:03 PM   #12
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Wogpotter,
Ok , that's exactly the answer I guess I was looking for . I want the Honey color look ! Thanks for the info !!
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Old June 15, 2011, 05:45 PM   #13
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Some milsurps used Tung oil.

I like BLO. It's not the most weather resistant thing but I don't like outside yet

BLO can give a very shiny finish or a more matte finish. Depends on the wood and how smooth it is.

I've refinished M1 carbine stocks from 'filthy firewood' to 'pretty stocks' in two hours using just denatured alcohol, odorless mineral spirits, and BLO. Depending on what you want, you can go military-looking (which is, honesty, about as rough as 100gr sandpaper produces) or you can go pretty and shiny, all with BLO, tung oil, pure tung oil etc. Tung is little more matte of a finish to my eye
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Old June 16, 2011, 12:17 AM   #14
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BLO was NOT applied to the Enfield rifle.

Only "RAW" linseed oil was applied.

The majority of American made BLO today is nothing more than raw linseed oil, resins and driers, and it is NOT actually boiled. You can NOT apply it bare handed because of the toxic chemicals added.

Below, at the start of WWII the yearly tear-down inspection, maintenance and the oiling of the stock by hot dipping in a tank of raw linseed oil were canceled. Everything below the wood line was painted and "RAW" linseed was issued to the troop to be applied by them as noted below.

NOTE: You do not take a shiny rifle into combat!






95% of all Enfield manuals you find on the internet today were donated by me for free downloading.
(you will not find the word BLO in any book or manual on the Enfield rifle)



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Old June 16, 2011, 12:26 AM   #15
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The stock on the left had real boiled linseed oil applied and this was non-standard, this Enfield was used in competition and the stock was made more water resistant. The stock on the left is raw linseed oil that was applied to standard issued Enfield rifles. "RAW" linseed oil is used because it penetrates deeply into the wood and keeps the wood hydrated but still allows the wood to breathe. BLO is a surface application to make wood look good, "RAW" linseed oil makes the wood last longer in actual use.


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Old June 16, 2011, 12:57 AM   #16
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Edward,
Outstanding info ! Amazing the people you meet on this Forum . Thank you Sir. I never knew any of that ! I guess that's sets the record straight. But is the "raw" LInseed Oil Avail ? And Where ? I do like the color, but is the finish " Sticky " ? Thanks again !
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Old June 16, 2011, 01:58 AM   #17
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I go to the local craft store and buy raw linseed oil used by artist for oil painting. The only difference is the raw linseed oil is filtered to remove the impurities. (Filtered linseed oil helps prevent mold growth on the impurities and contaminate particles)

Below raw unfiltered linseed oil next to filtered artist grade raw linseed oil.



Below is pure raw linseed oil that can be applied bare handed.



Below, Stand oil is actual real boiled linseed oil that can be applied by hand.



By reading the product MSDS sheets you can tell the true contents of the products you plan to use.

NOTE: I have American military manuals dated from the mid 1970s and raw linseed was still being applied by our military to wooden stocks.

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Old June 16, 2011, 06:19 AM   #18
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Raw Linseed oil well have some very long drying times. Most every LE collector I know uses BLO. Apply a heavy coat, allow it to set for 30 minutes then wipe off. Repeat this 3 or 4 times allowing the blo to dry between applications(24-48hrs) Tom's gunstock wax is a good product to use every 6 months or so.

BLO applied to blond (Beech) furniture well have little effect on color change. BLO on walnut well darken it, you can wet the wood with water to see what color the blo well give you.

These are Beech with BLO.

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Old June 16, 2011, 07:37 AM   #19
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Great Pics. Thanks
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Old June 16, 2011, 08:49 AM   #20
Edward Horton
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Quote:
madcratebuilder

Raw Linseed oil well have some very long drying times. Most every LE collector I know uses BLO. Apply a heavy coat, allow it to set for 30 minutes then wipe off. Repeat this 3 or 4 times allowing the blo to dry between applications(24-48hrs) Tom's gunstock wax is a good product to use every 6 months or so.
Raw linseed oil is what was applied by the British and Commonwealth Nations on their Enfield rifles and this was confirmed by Peter Laidler the senior armourer in the UK.

Some people clean their stocks with Easy Off oven cleaner or put them in the dishwasher. This doesn't change the fact of what was actually put on the Enfield rifle and "WHY" it was put on the wood.

Todays American made BLO is toxic and it is "NOT" what the British put on the Enfield wooden stock. Opinions or a WAG do not matter when the official documented material put on the Enfield rifle was raw linseed oil.



In our forums we have some people who tell you to grease or oil your cartridge cases to prevent the case from stretching and prevent case head separations and these people do "NOT" know what they are talking about.

This also doesn't change what the British said about oil or grease on cartridge cases.





There is a difference between "FACTS", fiction, myths, opinions and guesswork.

Now read about BLO that IS toxic, the company below makes knapsacks and haversacks for Civil War reenactors only to find out they could NOT use Ace Hardware BLO because it "IS" a toxic product EVEN after it dries.
(And you hold your rifles in your hands and put your cheek against the stock)

"The Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) rate the health hazards of boiled linseed oil as low. But and this is a very important BUT-- that is when the oil is used in the context of the MSDS guidelines as an exterior coating for wood or metal. No one has addressed the use of boiled linseed oil for coating cloth items containing food, cloth items for transporting clothing and food and cloth items to sleep on.

When we first began to reproduce the double bag knapsack we contacted the Sunnyside Company that produces boiled linseed oil. We described how we proposed to use their product and asked about the health warnings on their container. Their response was that to ask that we find an alternative coating or if we did use boiled linseed oil we not use their brand due to the liability issue."


American made Boiled Linseed Oil contains lead, arsenic, beryllium, chromium, cadmium and nickel. These elements are toxic and carcinogens.

http://missouribootandshoe.tripod.com/id18.html

I deal in facts and I research what I write so take this for what its worth, I don't care if you put peanut butter on your Enfield stocks but "RAW" linseed oil was what was used and not BLO.
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Old June 16, 2011, 09:08 AM   #21
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Good quality BLO works perfectly well & the finish is absolutely indistinguishable from regular linseed oil once it has dried. Avoid the cheap bargain brands & you'll be perfectly fine. The only real world difference is the drying time, everything else is pretty much the same in practical terms.

If you want more penetration from real BLO just dilute the first couple of coats with denatured alcohol which will act as a carrier & impregnate the wood before evaporating. Follow up with undiluted BLO to complete the job. Keep adding light coats till you get the degree of "shine" you desire, if you go one too many you can bring the finish back to a more matte look with a piece of burlap & buff the shine back again.

Here's an unfinished brand new stock, the same stock after a few coats of BLO, & the same stock again many coats of BLO & a couple of years later.







See the BLO didn't cause any harm at all & as I don't have to account to the RSM, the Queen, or anyone else for what I do to my property I did this & it worked just fine.
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Last edited by wogpotter; June 16, 2011 at 09:16 AM.
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Old June 16, 2011, 11:39 AM   #22
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Quote:
wogpotter

See the BLO didn't cause any harm at all & as I don't have to account to the RSM, the Queen, or anyone else for what I do to my property I did this & it worked just fine
Without reading and checking the MSDS sheet for the BLO no matter what it costs you do NOT know the contents.

Raw linseed oil was used to keep the wood hydrated and prevent wood shrinkage and bedding changes. On top of this if the stocks were dry the armourers would place the stocks in a tank of hot raw linseed oil during the yearly tear down inspection.

Your method is nothing but a surface treatment and your alcohol is drying the BLO mixture even faster than normal. Read the material I posted, the troops were to oil the stocks monthly, and not once with BLO and alcohol.

My big point here is the printed material you have read and everyone understanding that "RAW" linseed oil will make the wood swell and keep the bedding tight in the draws area because the linseed oil only dries when it contacts air. BLO has catalyst driers added "speed" drying time and dries inside and outside the wood.

As I said before RAW linseed oil was all that was used and this was confirmed by the senior armourer in the UK Mr. Peter Laidler.



Yes you can put BLO on your Enfield rifle BUT a good soaking with raw linseed oil or even mixed 50/50 with turpentine might save you from having to shim the draws to tighten up the fore stock and make your Enfield shoot much better.

If you can place a feeler gauge between the rear of the fore stock and the receiver socket you have wood shrinkage. Then you have two choices, oil the stock and see if the swells or shim the draws.




The "TYPE" linseed oil you put on your Enfield stock and if the wood stays hydrated (oil soaked wood cells) effects the bedding of the rifle and its accuracy. Below at section "A" is the draws and a critical bedding area, any cleaning that removes any oil from this area will cause the wood to shrink and make your Enfield shoot poorly.





Your right wogpotter, you don't have to account to anyone for what you do, BUT BLO was never applied to the Enfield rifle and over 95% of American made BLO is toxic.
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Old June 16, 2011, 12:04 PM   #23
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So I guess Krylon spray-on polyurethane is considered a no-no?
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Old June 16, 2011, 12:05 PM   #24
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I would also like to clarify my above postings, I worked 38 years at a military overhaul depot and the last 25 years I was a Quality Control Inspector or a professional prick forcing people to go by the manuals.

This does not mean that madcratebuilder or wogpotter and their fine rifles do not look beautiful. It just means a grumpy old man has spent a lot of time researching the Enfield rifle and he still knows how to be a pain in the a$$.
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Old June 16, 2011, 12:24 PM   #25
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LarryNTX

So I guess Krylon spray-on polyurethane is considered a no-no?
Considering the South Africans bought their paint from the Ishapore rifle factory in India, and it came off with Kroil or alcohol.................

Below a 1949 SA marked No.4 and two other SA marked were painted with this same paint.




Its my understanding the Ishapore rifle factory bought this surplus paint from the Australians at a garage sale.



Therefore any paint will be correct because three South African marked Enfields I have has this same semigloss spray pain applied to them and any solvent will remove it. (these rifles were untouched by Bubba)
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