Tru Oil question.

[DA_TriggR4Ruger]

Is there a way to make this stuff harden? 3 cotes and it still seems sticky and wanting to rub off but not as bad. Add more cotes? How long to sit between applications?

 

[Sin6Sec63451022]

How long (I know, he's a chinaman) have you let it sit? You need a good 24 hrs between coats. Maybe more depending on how thick you put it on. It is a slow process, but worth the trouble. Don't rush it.

 

[GunnyGene]

Is there a way to make this stuff harden? 3 cotes and it still seems sticky and wanting to rub off but not as bad. Add more cotes? How long to sit between applications?

Question: Did you apply to bare wood that was completely free of any other finish that might still be in the pores of the wood - including linseed oil?

If you applied to previously finished wood, that may very well be the problem. The volatiles in the TruOil could have easily softened the previous finish, which would effect drying time. If that's the case, wipe it down well with mineral spirits and several clean rags to soak up the excess oil and let it sit for a couple or 3 days before doing anything else.

You may have to repeat the process 2 or 3 times to soak up as much oil/old finish as possible, before applying any new finish.

 

[SAJohn]

I recommend cutting Tru Oil 50-50 with alcohol, especially the first three of four coats when you are getting it to soak into the porous cells of walnut. Wait 24 hours between applications. I keep the part suspended on a coat hanger inside a cardboard box so that no dust can reach it while it drys. Once the wood pores are filled I cut each subsequent application with about 25% alcohol. Before the next coat I rub the previous out with OOOO steel wool soaked in Tru Oil then clean it with paper towels soaked with alcohol.

It is only a few minutes a day but takes about two weeks to get this:


With 3 sticky coats I suspect that you are going to have to sand them off and start over again.

 

[pete44ru]

.

I would suggest that you do yourself a favor, go to HomeCheapo/Lowe's or any good hardware store & buy a can of FORMBY'S Furniture Refinisher, along with a packet of 0000 steel wool.

Following the can's directions strip your stock clean & let it dry overnite.

Stain the wood if you want, but in any case, when you start to apply Tru-Oil, do it by dipping the tip of one finger into the oil & rub it in until the oil "squeaks" under your finger - start with an area the size of a US Qyarter (coin) and gradually expand the rubbing of that single fingerful to an area the size of a US Dollar bill (maximum), before getting a new fingerful to start rubbing it into an adjacent area.

Repeat until the stock has received a single coat, then let it dry overnite (8hrs, minimum) bfore rubbing the dried surface clean again with a new/clean pad of the 0000 steel wool.

Run a magnet over the wood to remove any steel splinters/dust, and apply the next coat, as above.

Repeat until the wood pores are filled and/or the finish is how you like it.

If you do not rub down the last coat of Tru-Oil, the finish will remain glossy; if you do rub it down, it will be a semi-gloss/matte.

In any event, after the final coat has dried for a week or so apply a coat of a good paste wax (like Johnson & Johnson / Butcher Wax).

.

 

[powder smoke]

I have had excellent results with true oil! IMO the best results are obtained with sparse coats.
Drying time is less, steel wool with oooo between coats I found drying time short patients is the key.
Once several coats are applied the results are excellent. Putting on too much will
result slow drying
and tacky, which attracts dust. Thin coat and allow to dry completely well worth the trouble. ps

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Same here. I have refinished many sets of grip panels with Tru Oil. Surface prep consisted of sanding with fine sandpaper and 0000 steel wool to satin smoothness. I apply a VERY light coat and rub it in 'til it begins to feel tacky, then let it dry for at least twelve hours. When it feels dry and smooth, I rub it down with the steel wool and repeat the coating process. I repeat thus 'til I'm satisfied with the look/feel, then apply two more light coats without the steel wool treatment, rubbing between coats with a soft cloth. If you apply even more coats thus, you can get a mirror-smooth, almost glossy finish.

JMHO YMMV

 

[wwb]

I used to refinish furniture and gun stocks for friends and relatives. Doing gun stocks with "Tru Oil" and furniture with Tung oil, I noticed that they smelled exactly the same.... and that the resulting finish was the same.

Tung oil (any one of multiple brands) costs about one fifth of what "Tru Oil" costs. The only drawback is that one quart is the smallest container I've found, so you need to be doing a fair amount of refinishing to make it worth the switch.

 

[Salmoneye]

'Tru Oil' is appx 10% Linseed, 30% 'Proprietary Oil', and the rest is solvent...

I use hand rubbed straight BLO...

One coat a day for a week,
One coat a week for a month,
One coat a month for a year,
One coat a year for life...

 

[GunnyGene]

I used to refinish furniture and gun stocks for friends and relatives. Doing gun stocks with "Tru Oil" and furniture with Tung oil, I noticed that they smelled exactly the same.... and that the resulting finish was the same.

Tung oil (any one of multiple brands) costs about one fifth of what "Tru Oil" costs. The only drawback is that one quart is the smallest container I've found, so you need to be doing a fair amount of refinishing to make it worth the switch.

Yep. Wood is wood, no matter what shape it is. You probably know this, but for others:

Many of the so-called "tung" oil finishes on the market (such as Formby's ) contain NO actual tung at all, and are more appropriately called "Wiping Varnishes". You can make your own with equal parts BLO, Mineral Spirits, and Polyurethane. If you want a thicker or thinner concoction just change the ratios a little.

 

[caryc]

Is there a way to make this stuff harden? 3 cotes and it still seems sticky and wanting to rub off but not as bad. Add more cotes? How long to sit between applications?

What kind of wood did you apply it to? I made and sold grips for over ten years and Tru Oil is all I ever used to finish my grips. When I made a new set of grips, I put each additional coat on every two hours. In any normal situation Tru Oil will dry enough to apply another coat in two hours.

There are certain woods like coco bolo that just will not take a Tru Oil finish. This is because of the woods high oil content. On the first set of coco bolo grips that I made, I used Tru Oil and after three days it still would not dry. I stripped it off with alcohol and just buffed out the wood on a bench buffer. You can get a beautiful finish on coco bolo just by buffing it then applying a little wax.

I've heard the same thing about some of the rosewoods also. I would strip off the Tru Oil you now have on there with alcohol. You might let them dry out a few days then wipe them down with alcohol to remove any surface oil, then reapply your Tru Oil.

 

[DGW1949]

'Tru Oil' is appx 10% Linseed, 30% 'Proprietary Oil', and the rest is solvent...

I use hand rubbed straight BLO...

One coat a day for a week,
One coat a week for a month,
One coat a month for a year,
One coat a year for life...

Yeah, that gets my vote too, and in that exact-same order....but just to keep things somewhat in alignment with the OP.....I've occasionally been known to top-off the first "years worth" of BLO with 2-3 light coats of Tru Oil. Reason is, after many years of fooling around with rifle stocks which get a lot of exposure to the elements, I'm convinced that Tru Oil provides a much better barrier than straight BLO does.

DGW

 

[Bob Wright]

Minwax makes a polyurethane varnish that I have used. I use the satin finish, and mix boiled linseed oil and turpentine, making up 1/2 pint of 50/50 mix, then mix that with 1/2 pint of Minwax.

The satin finish varnish has higher solid content than the gloss, and buffs up to a very high sheen if desired.

Bob Wright

 

[Ruger1441]

:?: BLO ? Sorry I am stumped as to what this is

 

[GunnyGene]

:?: BLO ? Sorry I am stumped as to what this is

Boiled Linseed Oil. It's what you usually find on the shelf as opposed to raw linseed oil, which takes forever to dry.

To be more specific, "boiled linseed oil" (which comes from flax seed, btw) refers to a combination of raw linseed oil, stand oil (which is raw linseed heated to approx. 300C in an oxygen free environment), and metallic dryers (catalysts to accelerate drying). In Medieval times, linseed oil was boiled with lead oxide (litharge) to give a product called boiled linseed oil. The lead oxide forms lead "soaps" (lead oxide is alkaline) which promotes hardening (polymerisation) of linseed oil by reaction with atmospheric oxygen. Heating shortens its drying time.

Nearly all other vegetable base oils (tung, walnut, etc.) undergo a similar treatment to speed up the natural drying time.

 

[Ruger1441]

Thanks for the information

 

[mikewriter]

This is purple heart finished with linseed oil, quite a few coats of linseed oil. Since it has been over a month ago that I put the last coat on, it is well dried, and I had been thinking of another coat - or more - because I, too, would like a bit more "shine". Thinking maybe I'll try the Johnson's wax instead.

Mike

 

[BROKENBEAR]

What Caryc said:
Tru Oil beats all other oils hands down as it has both hardeners and accelerators (drying)

Your wood is contaminated with oil (natural or induced) or foreign chemical ..not much doubt

Here is what will work to get you fixed up ...wash your hands to get the oil off ..get them dry ...take your wood in your hand start rubbing it down bare handed ..rub until it is no longer tacky or sticky then let it finish out drying over night

Next morning go to a shop that knows something about wood working and buy a pack of synthetic pads[3M brand in medium or fine] these are scruffing pads ..NOT sanding pads ...0000 wool is yesterdays way ...the 0000 leaves residue (oil to keep it from rusting) ...yes ..a few places you can buy oil-less wool but it is $$$ and hard to come by

After scruffing apply a coat of Tru Oil and do so so thinly that you are not applying much more than enough to wet it ..then follow with coats only slightly heavier than the first lightly scruffing between coats.

Bear

 

[Colonialgirl]

I followed someones advice when I put a finish on the new walnut stock I put on my Stevens Favorite Model 1915;
They suggested "MINWAX", "WIPE-ON POLY"; I used multiple coats following the Dry time instructions and ended up with a beautiful, durable finish. Oh Yeah, it was the "CLEAR SATIN" variety.