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gryphon
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An interesting read on walnut stocking.
      #297850 - 26/03/17 05:57 PM

http://www.rmef.org/TheHunt/Before/RealGunstocks.aspx

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Rule303
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: gryphon]
      #297852 - 26/03/17 07:18 PM

A good read. Thanks for posting.

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GABE93
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: Rule303]
      #297866 - 27/03/17 12:11 AM

I have enjoyed his articles for many years. This article is much older than it's listing date in the article list. He is quoting Don Allen when he was alive. Allen died 2003.

His writing about linseed oil as a gunstock finish is very rudimentary.

Would anyone here be interested in a thread about better linseed oil stock finishing? Not so much the finishing procedure but more about modifying linseed oil to make it a better stock finish.

I started researching and teaching myself about the British style linseed oil finish before my accident. When i have enough energy i can start a thread about it and others can also contribute.

cheers,GABE93


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Vladymere
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: GABE93]
      #297882 - 27/03/17 05:45 AM

Lots of good info in that article. I have copied it and archived it.

Vlad


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gryphon
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: Vladymere]
      #297886 - 27/03/17 07:06 AM

Who wouldnt want to know Gabe,we know who you are and what magnificent work that you have done.

All the better for the NE knowledge bank,bring it on.

I was let down by a bloke that was going to do a walnut stock for me and would be very interested in your own recipe in case i do it myself.


On another note I used BLO with added terabine to rub down Baltic Pine lining boards and architraves rescued from a fallen farmhouse that I then installed as dado`s and feature walls in a house I was building at the time.

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Rino
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: GABE93]
      #297889 - 27/03/17 08:12 AM

Quote:

Would anyone here be interested in a thread about better linseed oil stock finishing? Not so much the finishing procedure but more about modifying linseed oil to make it a better stock finish.




Yes please!

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Alf Rino Hals


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Rule303
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: GABE93]
      #297890 - 27/03/17 08:18 AM

Quote:


Would anyone here be interested in a thread about better linseed oil stock finishing? Not so much the finishing procedure but more about modifying linseed oil to make it a better stock finish.

cheers,GABE93




Most certainly.


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Claydog
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: GABE93]
      #297895 - 27/03/17 09:38 AM

Quote:

I

Would anyone here be interested in a thread about better linseed oil stock finishing? Not so much the finishing procedure but more about modifying linseed oil to make it a better stock finish.

I started researching and teaching myself about the British style linseed oil finish before my accident. When i have enough energy i can start a thread about it and others can also contribute.

cheers,GABE93



For Sure


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Waidmannsheil
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: Claydog]
      #297901 - 27/03/17 10:40 AM

You don't have to ask, we would all be very interested.

Waidmannsheil.

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VonGruff
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: GABE93]
      #297938 - 27/03/17 04:25 PM

Quote:


Would anyone here be interested in a thread about better linseed oil stock finishing? Not so much the finishing procedure but more about modifying linseed oil to make it a better stock finish.

I started researching and teaching myself about the British style linseed oil finish before my accident. When i have enough energy i can start a thread about it and others can also contribute.

cheers,GABE93




I have played with the odd stock or two over the years and would be most interested in anything you post on the finishs you use.

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Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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BillG500
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: VonGruff]
      #297939 - 27/03/17 04:45 PM

Hi Gabe,
I'd be more than interested. I just finished a stock for my 303/25 I got off Gordon Cussens and I finished it with Linseed oil. Bloody time consuming and I'm not all that happy with it. I'm not really that worried as it is going to be my stalking rifle and me being a bit rough on the gear a few bumps and scratches won't worry me too much.
In future I'll stick to what you told me to use a few years ago.


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GABE93
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: BillG500]
      #297945 - 27/03/17 07:58 PM

Ok, Great, I will try to post something soon. I'm slow. I am doing some courses with my job provider but i will try tomorrow and wednesday. NitroX also recently suggested i post something about any rifles i have built.

Just wondering, does the software system here have a time limit when you write a reply? I just spent about 2 hours writing a better response to Gryphon, Von Gruff and BILLG500 but the system would not accept the reply when i tried to post it.

Regards,
GABE93


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gryphon
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: GABE93]
      #297946 - 27/03/17 09:45 PM

Best thing to do is do it in an email draft Gabe and it should save automatically.Then a simple copy and paste into the NE reply box is easy.

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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: GABE93]
      #297949 - 27/03/17 11:24 PM

Quote:



Just wondering, does the software system here have a time limit when you write a reply? I just spent about 2 hours writing a better response to Gryphon, Von Gruff and BILLG500 but the system would not accept the reply when i tried to post it.

Regards,
GABE93




Yes it times out for some reason.

If you post and says it has timed out.

Hit BACK.

I usually select the entire post in the text box, COPY. Just in case the following doesn't work. 99% of the time it does.

Then hit REFRESH.

Your post should still be there. Hit enter or post and it should all work now and post.

Otherwise, re PASTE what you copied just before.

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GABE93
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: gryphon]
      #297951 - 27/03/17 11:45 PM

Thanks gryphon,
That should work well as the email draft will sit there till i'm ready to paste it in the box between some images.

A quick reply here about BLO etc on the baltic pine. BLO, terebine, thinners, wax etc looks good on many wood items and features. On gunstocks or anything else that is handled a lot, and subject to blood, sweat, tears etc it is not very durable. It marks and gets dirty quite easily. I tried it many years ago on some refinishing jobs, and many guys continue to use it.

The linseed needs to have resin added to it to get a harder finish. Some woodworkers add synthetic resins. I have done some work with Baltic Amber resin. At some point i intend to also try african copal resin. These are the hardest of the natural resins. Also in the english style linseed finish the resin oil is used in conjunction with alkanet infused linseed.

I don't have a favorite formula yet but i have enough info and images to make an interesting post.

Regards,
Gabe


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GABE93
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: NitroX]
      #297952 - 27/03/17 11:48 PM

Thanks NitroX, I'll make a note of this method as well.

Gabe


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GABE93
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: BillG500]
      #297953 - 28/03/17 12:07 AM

Quote:

Hi Gabe,
I'd be more than interested. I just finished a stock for my 303/25 I got off Gordon Cussens and I finished it with Linseed oil. Bloody time consuming and I'm not all that happy with it. I'm not really that worried as it is going to be my stalking rifle and me being a bit rough on the gear a few bumps and scratches won't worry me too much.
In future I'll stick to what you told me to use a few years ago.




Bill, see my reply just now to gryphon. Plain linseed isn't hard enough for gunstocks. It can look very nice but isn't durable when you handle it and lick it. Did you use it with driers? If not try this on top of your linseed finish... get some purple cobalt driers. I use the Pebeo brand. It has 3 types of driers in it.

If the stock is dirty clean it with something mild eg white spirits. Then wear gloves, wet a cloth pad with the driers and rub a coat all over and into the stock. If you are worried about the purple colour try it on an offcut first. It usually blends in with the colour and figure of the wood. Apply a few coats with a few days between coats.

This gives you the best chance to harden the linseed you applied to the stock. IF you have any residue on the stock rub it with a bit of scotchbrite to even it up a bit. Then rub the other finish you like on the stock.

If you mean the Liberon Finishing Oil, i stopped using it. I finished one tin then the next tin did not work the same way. I could not hand rub it the same, the formula seemed to have changed. This is why i decided to learn about the English style oil finish.
Regards,
Gabe


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GABE93
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: VonGruff]
      #297955 - 28/03/17 12:31 AM

Quote:

Quote:







I have played with the odd stock or two over the years and would be most interested in anything you post on the finishs you use.




Hi VonGruff, I have seen your posts in the past. I can't remember if you used linseed or tung oil. If it was straight oil does it work better in your colder climate? In the tropics here i have also had trouble with getting tung oil hard enough. It can also be improved with resins but i have not tried that yet.

GABE 93


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GABE93
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: Vladymere]
      #297956 - 28/03/17 12:50 AM

Quote:

Lots of good info in that article. I have copied it and archived it.

Vlad




Vlad, The article was good but it has many generalizations in it. If you have an interest in walnut stocking search for more articles to get a wider range of info about the subject.

Most top level stockmakers won't want to use steamed wood i believe. Long ago Geoff Slee told me not to use steamed wood for gunstocks. It apparently adversely affects the colour and workability of the wood too much for gunstocks.

Most high level custom stockmakers also won't want to use kiln processed wood. Apparently not many kiln operators can be trusted to run the kiln perfectly to suit walnut gunstocks.

The wood cutters that strictly air dry the wood use coats of wax or sealers to control the early release of moisture in the slabs of wood. I'm not an expert on it however, guys like Roger Vardy and Gordon Cusens know a lot more than me about processing walnut.

Regards,
GABE93


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Igorrock
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: GABE93]
      #297962 - 28/03/17 03:41 AM

Seems that this first link do not open with my computer. I just pondering why ?

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http://promaakari.wordpress.com/


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gryphon
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: Igorrock]
      #297974 - 28/03/17 04:55 AM

Igorrock you can read here.


Real Gunstocks
by Wayne van Zwoll

Older hunters may well be wondering: Where’s the walnut? These days it’s harder to find, unless you shop the custom rifle market.

If you’re old enough to remember the manual typewriter, you probably recall the real gunstock. It was walnut. It looked warm and felt like part of a real rifle.

Sadly, real gunstocks have become harder to find and more expensive, driven from the blue-collar market by rising prices for walnut. When I was a lad, you could buy a fancy American walnut stock blank for $25. Land sakes, I paid just $7.50 for the semi-inletted blank that went on my first deer rifle! Now even American walnut has become too costly for ordinary rifles. Birch and other cheap hardwoods are replacing it. At the same time, injection-molded synthetic stocks have become easier to produce. Top-end carbon-fiber or Kevlar stocks retail for several hundred, finished, but they’re still less expensive than mid-level walnut, hand-checkered.

The problem with walnut is that you can’t make it. You have to grow it. Growing walnut takes a lot longer than growing tomatoes, so we’re inletting wood from trees that may have been around before the V-8 engine, before metallic cartridges, before the Declaration of Independence. Don’t figure on cutting gunstocks from trees you’re planting now.

In a cruel twist of circumstance, when Europeans first learned about walnut they had no guns to put it on. That was back in the 13th century, when Marco Polo allegedly brought walnuts from their native Persia to Italy. Nuts and seedlings eventually found their way to England, then to France and other parts of Europe. The tree eventually wound up in California, to be adopted as “California English.” Grown from nuts, it has a tawny cast like Old World English but with less black streaking and “marblecake.” Classic French is often red or orange. Most of the Circassian walnut I’ve seen runs heavy to black. It’s named after a region in the northwest Caucasus, on the Black sea.

The scientific name for the species is Juglans regia, or “royal walnut.” Though grain structure and color varies, J. regia is the same world-wide. Common names denote location, not genetic differences. English walnut is J. regia; so is French.

“These days the best regia walnut comes from Turkey and Morocco,” says Don Allen, who knows more about walnut than anyone else I can name. Before establishing Dakota Arms, Don built rifle stocks while finishing a career as a commercial pilot. His passion was – still is – fine wood, and he has traveled all over the world to get it. Currently, Dakota processes about 1000 stock blanks a year. “The best Turkish walnut is superb,” he says. “Unfortunately, it’s being sawed into dollars at an unsustainable rate.” Don predicts current reserves will be depleted in five years. “We think some of the trees being cut in Turkey are 300 to 400 years old. Age adds color and figure to wood. But old trees soon become scarce.”

California is unlikely to relieve the shortage. “There are lots of new walnut trees,” says Don. “But they’re planted close and pruned for nuts. Gunstocks have always been a byproduct of walnut trees, and the current crop won’t grow big enough for stocks.”
J. hindsii, or Claro walnut, was discovered in California around 1840. Decidedly red, and with more open grain than English walnut, Claro was crossed with English to produce ornamental Bastogne walnut. The nuts from these shade trees are infertile, but fast growth and dense grain has made Bastogne a favorite of stockmakers. It checkers more cleanly than Claro and withstands heavy recoil. The best of Bastogne has beautiful color and figure. Sadly, this walnut is almost gone, the limited supply diminishing fast under unrelenting demand. As with J. regia, the most desirable Bastogne comes from trees at least 150 years old.

“Black English” or Claro rootstock adds figure to California English – the black streaks, “smoke” and rusty accents characteristic of the Old World variety. Grafting also brings meaty thin-shelled walnuts from hardy native roots.

American or black walnut, J. nigra, has been the mainstay of our firearms industry since the first “Kentucky” rifles were forged in Pennsylvania. This relatively open-pored wood is warm brown in color, with just enough black to justify the name. It can be as plain as a power pole or richly patterned, depending on the tree’s age and locale, and the location and type of cut. Quarter-sawn walnut has the striping most of us are used to; the saw runs across growth rings. Plane-sawed walnut shows wide color bands because the saw runs tangent to growth rings. Either cut can yield a sturdy, handsome stock, but quarter-sawn walnut is most in demand.
Walnut must be dried before it is worked. Says Don Allen: “Immediately after a blank is cut, free water starts to escape. Think of a soaked sponge dripping. If the water leaves too fast, the wood surface can crack and check, and eventually crust, inhibiting movement of bound water from the core. Structural damage may result.” Don explains that a kiln helps throttle the release of free water. “Most drying damage occurs in the first weeks after cutting a blank. Moisture content will then stabilize at about 20 percent, after which time the blank can be air-dried or kiln-dried without damage.” He adds that you don’t need a special environment to air-dry wood that’s been properly brought to 20 percent moisture. “Just avoid extremes of temperature and humidity. Weigh the blank periodically. When the stock no longer loses weight, it’s dry enough to work.” Stockmakers may turn the blank to profile at this point and let it dry another six months before inletting.

In France, walnut growers used to steam logs before cutting them into slabs or flitches. Steaming colored the sap, turning it from white to amber. It also wiped out resident insects.

Dakota rifles are renowned for their fine walnut. Don is quick to point out that you’ll pay extra for figure but concedes that Dakota’s wood room is one of few places where you can still find figured walnut – at any price! “Less than five percent of all walnut cut passes muster as fancy or exhibition-grade,” he says. “Without a market for standard-grade wood, large mills can’t afford to handle fancy walnut.” Dakota Arms has established a milling operation in New Zealand, where Don says he still finds dense, figured walnut.

While Don Allen plans ahead, he’s quick to recognize opportunities on the doorstep. A couple of years ago he bought one of the largest Bastogne trees in the world. Very old, the lone tree towered over a California prune orchard. Its trunk measured 12 feet in diameter, and the canopy spanned over 150 feet. Thirty feet above the ground some branches were 20 feet in circumference! “It was a real find,” says Don, “And a real job! First we had to limb it, then trench around the stump. We didn’t cut the tree down as you might fall a spruce. Instead, we cut all the roots and pushed it over. Wood deeper than a foot underground is too soft for gunstocks, though the buttwood usually delivers the best color. Figure can reach high in the tree. In this case fiddleback ran all the way to the small limbs.”

Don says that light-colored walnut is commonly assumed to be worthless. “Truth is, many walnut trees contain no dark wood, and the white core is hardly distinguishable. Knowledgeable buyers know that the best colors lie next to the core or sap pillar, so they don’t mind a little white trim in their blanks.”

Sections of tree go to the mill, where they’re sawn into blanks 3 inches thick. “The big Bastogne gave us 4700 blanks,” chuckles Don. “More importantly, we got some of the finest figure I’ve ever seen.”

Handsome walnut is of no value if it breaks. “Layout” is an important first step in stockmaking. The grain on a quarter-sawn walnut blank should run roughly parallel with the top of the grip, when viewed from the side. That way, you’ll get maximum strength through the grip, while reducing the tendency of the forend to bend. Viewed from the top, the grain should run parallel to the bore, to prevent side pressure on the barrel. Many costly rifles have stocks with highly figured butts and plain forends. Figure in the butt doesn’t affect accuracy, but up front the knots and crotches that make for interesting patterns can twist the forend. Though figured wood may be dense, it is not as strong or stable as straight-grained wood.

Glass bedding strengthens wood but does not eliminate warpage. My own preference is for glass or epoxy in the recoil lug mortise, both to prevent splitting through the magazine well and to give the metal firm and unchanging contact with the stock. With glass compound at the bottom of the mortise, you can tighten the front guard screw securely without compressing the wood. Glass displaced into the first inch or so of barrel channel and under the receiver broadens the metal’s platform. You may want to put a smaller bedding patch under the tang to ensure it has a solid base of support. Aluminum pillars around the guard screws serve the same purpose, giving you solid contact from bottom metal to receiver.

The best custom rifle stockers dismiss glass as a fix for shoddy inletting. They pride themselves in skin-tight fit of wood to metal, maintaining that a properly bedded stock won’t split at the web or grip. While that’s true for most rifles, the brutal kick of some modern magnums tests not just inletting but the integrity of the walnut That’s why you’ll see crossbolts reinforcing wood stocks on “safari” rifles. Pins fore and aft of the magazine well appeared on Winchester M70s when stocks began to give way under the pounding of the .458 Magnum.

Whoever came up with checkering deserves a free elk hunt in Arizona. Not only does checkering help you grip the stock, it can be an elegant finishing touch. The finer the checkering, the more demanding the work, because each diamond must be the same size as all the other diamonds and properly “pointed up.” Checkering can be as fine as 32 lines per inch, though such small diamonds are more decorative than functional. You’ll get better purchase with crisply-checkered panels cut 22 to 26 lines per inch. I like 24-lpi checkering, but it’s hard to find on production-class rifles. Expect from 18 lpi (coarse!) to 22.

Though electric cutters have taken the place of traditional tools for hand checkering, most factory stocks are now checkered on machines. They’re remarkably good at keeping diamonds uniform, borders clean. If you want intricate panels or wrap-around checkering at the grip, better see a good stocker – after a trip to the bank. Oddly enough, fleur-de-lis patterns that typically draw the most admiration are easier to cut than point patterns. That’s because the fleur-de-lis is a fill-in job. You scribe a border, then simply cut grooves to it. In a point pattern, the border is part of the checkering, not simply a frame. If you’re off a tad on a fill-in effort, the border will still be right, and only close inspection will show an error. In a point pattern, and the mistake follows to completion. A full-wrap point pattern on any grip is for experts only. So too ribbons inside patterns. Among the most skilled contemporary stockers is Gary Goudy, of Dayton, Washington. His ribbons are fine as flyline, uniform and unbroken by over-runs. I can’t tell you how he does that, because I don’t know.

Checkering is best done after finishing; otherwise finish gums up in the trenches. To finish fresh-cut panels, I use a toothbrush – which is also handy for cleaning the checkering of dried blood and tuna sandwiches. Dip the brush in boiled linseed oil and scrub vigorously.

By the way, boiled linseed oil (raw linseed oil will not dry!) is the traditional finish for walnut stocks. It’s still a good choice, albeit tedious to apply. After sanding, wet-sand with 600-grit paper to raise whiskers in the wood, polish off dust and rub in oil until it gets hot under your hand. When you’re tired, wipe off excess oil with a clean rag and set the stock aside to dry, preferably where conditions match Death Valley in July. When the stock is really dry, repeat the process, and so over weeks build up microscopically thin films of boiled linseed oil. Open-grained wood takes longer to fill. To polish out trapped dust, use a slurry of rottenstone in oil, then wipe off the excess. One advantage of boiled linseed oil finish is its easy maintenance. Because the oil has soaked into the wood, scratches wipe away with an oily cloth. Dings can be steamed out with a flat-iron over a wet washcloth. Then use the rottenstone slurry to smooth and blend. Boiled linseed oil can be used with stain, but by itself often brings out the most pleasing look. It is not a waterproof finish; however, it does repel water adequately for most elk hunting.

Polymers, such as used on bowling pins, deliver more durable finish, but the look is neither warm nor natural. Polymers do excel as sealants, and have largely supplanted the traditional spar varnish I used 35 years ago on my first gunstocks.

If you want a sturdy, lightweight, weatherproof riflestock, buy one of Kevlar. If instead you crave one with personality, walnut is your only choice. Really.

Wayne van Zwoll-- writer, scholar, sharpshooter, hunting guide--has published hundreds of articles, six books and several short stories about guns, hunting, and hunters. His latest books are The Hunters Guide to Accurate Shooting and The Gun Digest Book of Sporting Optics.
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Waidmannsheil
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: gryphon]
      #297979 - 28/03/17 05:28 AM

Gabe, I have used "Rustins Danish Oil" with good success which is tung oil blended with synthetic resins and some vegetable oils. I find it very durable and easy to apply. Years ago I got some off- cuts from Roger Vardy and prepared them the same way as a gun stock and then hung them from the clothesline to see how they would weather. For the first nine months they didn't change (autumn, winter spring), only after hanging in the Aussie summer sun for weeks on end did they start to fade and haze.

Waidmannsheil.

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TilleyMan
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Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: GABE93]
      #297986 - 28/03/17 08:26 AM

Quote:



Would anyone here be interested in a thread about better linseed oil stock finishing? Not so much the finishing procedure but more about modifying linseed oil to make it a better stock finish.

I started researching and teaching myself about the British style linseed oil finish before my accident. When i have enough energy i can start a thread about it and others can also contribute.

cheers,GABE93




Definitely very interested Gabe!

I have tried any different combinations of gunstock finishes over the years...

Started with Birchwood Casey Tru Oil (usually ended up soft and far too shiny) then tried BLO with Terebine drier and Alkanet Root stain (disappointing and hugely time consuming) but most recently using two pack Marine sanding sealer as a hard water impervious base for multiple coats of Feast Watson Scandinavian Oil hand rubbed (using a new makeup removal pad each coat) like a traditional 'London Gun' satin linseed oil finish.

This last finish holds some promise for hunting rifles under hard field use... it looks traditional but so far seems very durable and can be 'freshened' easily with a little of the oil rubbed in from time to time.

Keen to hear more of your experience and techniques...

Edited by TilleyMan (28/03/17 09:08 AM)


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GABE93
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Reged: 01/03/17
Posts: 73
Loc: FNQ, AUSTRALIA
Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: Waidmannsheil]
      #298017 - 28/03/17 06:55 PM

Waidmannsheil,
I was going to catch up with you sometime about the Rustin's Danish oil. I saw you mentioned it in another post. I was aware of it but have not tried it yet. I looked up the Rustin's website a while ago. I would buy some to try if i could find a supplier willing to ship it. It's classed as dangerous goods. There's none available up here.

I'm curious about how it behaves when you rub it into the stock. Can you rub it for while before it goes too tacky or do you have to rub it on very quickly? After you rub on a small amount can you then wipe it off smoothly with a cloth pad, with plenty of working time, or does it go very tacky too quickly. When you have time please let me know, publicly or privately.

In the past i have tried various other brands of danish & teak oils. The formulas vary a bit. I have some Watco teak oil. This one can be rubbed a long time, doesn't go too tacky. I have to put some driers in it up here, except in my winter. I had only used it for some small jobs.

I think everything fades in the sun/uv light after continuous exposure. A short exposure to sunlight or a UV light box is good to kickstart curing of various finish's. I don't have a UV box set up but i have needed it in the humid times here.

There are many types of finish's we can try. I also have a tin of Organoil Garden Furniture Oil, Marine Grade etc,etc. I havn't tried it yet. It's very convenient if you find something like that and it works well for you.

The better quality linseed oil finish is quite different. It's also more of an adventure, sourcing and assembling the ingredients. It's not an economy or convenient type of finish. Various modern finish's are harder but i think a high quality grade of linseed with alkanet brings out the best colour in nice wood. It's not just due to the red colour. Compounds in the alkanet seem to react with compounds in the walnut. Then the additional coats with resin added make it a bit more durable.
Regards,
GABE93


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GABE93
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Reged: 01/03/17
Posts: 73
Loc: FNQ, AUSTRALIA
Re: An interesting read on walnut stocking. [Re: TilleyMan]
      #298019 - 28/03/17 07:47 PM

Hi TilleyMan,

Something in your post, "traditional london gun satin oil finish" Don't get caught up in that nostalgia. They used various formulas,oils and varnish's. All the old english gunstocks we see are dull or satin because they are old, faded from hard use and no maintenance. Who knows which ones where satin or dull or shiny when new.

When i was about 19-20 i bought a Fraser best quality m94/95 bolt action in 303 rimless and a Rigby square bridge magnum 98 in 350 rimless, both from Wal Winfer when he was dealing & trading a bit. The Fraser was in extremely good condition. The oil finish on it looked original and looked to be all oil, no resins. It had a light satin shine to it, like you get when you hand rub for many hours, with a few duller spots from light handling. The Rigby had a thicker built up finish, some sort of varnish or lacquer, and very dull/faded.

A good guide is the grade of the gun, cheaper gun, less time spent on finish & finish materials. They were still businesses trying to make profit. Keep experimenting if you enjoy it. See my earlier replies above. I'll try to start the linseed oil thread, i have to upload my linseed images onto P bucket.

The higher quality linseed finish is usually done to a very high gloss shine, as indicated in the various images that are posted in this site of the new Rigby's etc, but it looks better in the hand than in the images.

Regards,
GABE93


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