Maintaining the oil finish on a Sako

sns2 · August 6, 2013, 08:38 PM

I just bought a Sako Bavarian that has an oil finished stock. It is very nice and is exactly what I wanted, a muted piece of lovely walnut. My question for is about what type of oil should I use to periodically maintain my stock and possibly make the grain pop a little bit more.

In my reading there seems to be a mix of opinions between tung oil and boiled linseed.

I would be very interested in the thoughts and experiences of people who have had oil finished guns currently or in the past. I just don't want to screw up the stock on a rifle that I spent a long time saving for.

603Country · August 7, 2013, 09:36 AM

Put a few drops of boiled linseed oil on your hands, rub your hands together and then rub the stock. Add a bit more oil if needed. That's the way I do it, and have done it for decades.

wogpotter · August 7, 2013, 11:18 AM

Heres what my experience has been.

Tung. Dries hard to a glossy finish.

Raw Linseed. Never really dries, semi-matte/semi-glossy finish. Easiest touch up if marked.

Boiled linseed.
Dries faster (overnight) but a bit shinier than raw, not as shiny as Tung.

Theres one final one.
"Old London Oil" a 50/50 raw linseed & Shellac mix you make yourself. Shiniest of all looks like a modern synthetic finish but retains the wood's texture & feel. The shellac dries, but the extra linseed needs to be wiped off the next morning.
WARNING if you make this yourself it is flammable & capable of self iginition. Only make as much as you need & don't throw rags with it on in the regular trash.

Hope that's helpfull.

603Country · August 7, 2013, 05:30 PM

Try it my way first. The BLO can be easily removed with mineral spirits if you don't like the look. The original Sako oil finish is most likely BLO based.

waltin · August 7, 2013, 10:06 PM

I'm not sure if this information is accurate.

I was searching for information on The Bavarian and came across another forum with a post discussing the care of the Bavarian rifle and that factory oil for the stock can be purchased through barrettausa.com

My two cents, Tung is difficult to work with, two drops of BLO rubbed down with your finger should do it.

Careful with MS around the bluing.

Dixie Gunsmithing · August 8, 2013, 02:15 PM

You have to watch the label on tung oil, or what a lot of manufacturers claim is tung oil, as in reality, it may have a bit in it, but have other oils, etc, added to make it like a varnish. Homer Formby's did this years ago, as they called it tung oil, but in reality, it's a mixed finish. If it doesn't say that it's 100% pure, then you can bet it's mixed.

August 6, 2013, 08:38 PM	#1
sns2 Junior Member Join Date: December 14, 2012 Posts: 2	Maintaining the oil finish on a Sako I just bought a Sako Bavarian that has an oil finished stock. It is very nice and is exactly what I wanted, a muted piece of lovely walnut. My question for is about what type of oil should I use to periodically maintain my stock and possibly make the grain pop a little bit more. In my reading there seems to be a mix of opinions between tung oil and boiled linseed. I would be very interested in the thoughts and experiences of people who have had oil finished guns currently or in the past. I just don't want to screw up the stock on a rifle that I spent a long time saving for.

August 7, 2013, 11:18 AM	#3
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Heres what my experience has been. Tung. Dries hard to a glossy finish. Raw Linseed. Never really dries, semi-matte/semi-glossy finish. Easiest touch up if marked. Boiled linseed. Dries faster (overnight) but a bit shinier than raw, not as shiny as Tung. Theres one final one. "Old London Oil" a 50/50 raw linseed & Shellac mix you make yourself. Shiniest of all looks like a modern synthetic finish but retains the wood's texture & feel. The shellac dries, but the extra linseed needs to be wiped off the next morning. WARNING if you make this yourself it is flammable & capable of self iginition. Only make as much as you need & don't throw rags with it on in the regular trash. Hope that's helpfull. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

August 7, 2013, 09:36 AM	#2
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	Put a few drops of boiled linseed oil on your hands, rub your hands together and then rub the stock. Add a bit more oil if needed. That's the way I do it, and have done it for decades.

August 7, 2013, 05:30 PM	#4
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	Try it my way first. The BLO can be easily removed with mineral spirits if you don't like the look. The original Sako oil finish is most likely BLO based.

August 7, 2013, 10:06 PM	#5
waltin Member Join Date: April 2, 2013 Posts: 35	I'm not sure if this information is accurate. I was searching for information on The Bavarian and came across another forum with a post discussing the care of the Bavarian rifle and that factory oil for the stock can be purchased through barrettausa.com My two cents, Tung is difficult to work with, two drops of BLO rubbed down with your finger should do it. Careful with MS around the bluing.

August 8, 2013, 02:15 PM	#6
Dixie Gunsmithing Moderator Emeritus Join Date: April 27, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,923	You have to watch the label on tung oil, or what a lot of manufacturers claim is tung oil, as in reality, it may have a bit in it, but have other oils, etc, added to make it like a varnish. Homer Formby's did this years ago, as they called it tung oil, but in reality, it's a mixed finish. If it doesn't say that it's 100% pure, then you can bet it's mixed.