doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What's in Slacum oil?

'Traditional' London oil uses Beeswax not Carnauba.I have used both and prefer Carnauba.
That being said, the customer is always right, and my customers harried me for an oil that was traditional but dried fast so my stock polishing oil contains no added wax.My refinishing oil contains wax.
Some of my customers specify Tru-oil and that is what they get.They are possibly my better customers, because I get to re-do their guns regularly.Tru-oil doesn't seem to wear well.


Imagine the scenario:
Monday morning, "Hi, could you alter the cast a little more to cast it to the right, fit a Kick-eeze, and refinish the stock like yours?" "Will it be ready for Thursday, so I can shoot at the club, to get my eye in?"
Loooooooooooooong pause

"No sir"

Looking for suggestions on the best technique for "simmering". I set up an old electric fry pan as a double boiler with my slacum oil in a canning jar. I used a candy thermometer as a stir and temperature indicator for the slacum oil. Only achieved about 200F. I am going to try a reheat but I am little gun-shy (no pun intended) after a thermal event in the basement with a similar mixture and a heat gun.

So, Salopian, do you consider this to be the Harry Lawrence formula, or possibly a slacum from the Purdey yearsprior to that august gentleman?

kifaru

I bought Carnuba Wax from ebay. Solid chunk for $5.

I have been trying the Slacum formula for the past couple of weeks, on a Swedish Mauser, circa 1900, with a really pretty piece of wood. All I have done was clean and remove a few scratch marks where some previous owner had sanded across grain.
I am basically refreshing, not refinishing.

I do not want a shine, just a glow with this piece of wood which has some tiger stripe, and a blond crescent of sapwood, and a long dark mineral streak.

This formula is achieving my goal, I apply a drop or two and rub in well, let it sit a few hours or overnight, then reduce the shine with a coat of floor wax and buff out. This tends to leave a softer wax shine/glow than leaving the Slacum oil to dry on it's own.

I like it

The flake carnauba was on the porch when I got home today. Got all the makins now; get the electric hotplate outside this weekend and mix a batch to replace my BL, turps, beeswax stuff.

jack

Courtesy of CC

Another "Old Timer" at Purdeys Finishing Shop. Bill Geekie, Another WW1 Veteran of the Trenches. He and Bert Price worked alongside each other.

Guys, I've got about 20 liters of liquid carnauba wax that will readily dissolve and can also be applied directly as a finish (extremely hard to get off).

I'll swap some for Venice Turps. Also, if anyone wants some let me know.

JC(AL)

Cooked mine this morning. 100 grains flake carnauba was about a measure full on an Ohaus scale. Made half batch as I had a partial quart of BL. Heated in a soup can in a saucepan of water and had the burner just short of HIGH before I got the tiny bubbles which I guess mean simmer. Timed it for 10 minutes and dialed the heat down a bit a couple of times. I hope I got it hot enuf long enuf or it ain't critical--my confidence level with boiling turps isn't real strong. Certainly more than enuf time to liquify the carnauba. Had the roaster pan standing by to smother it if it flashed.

jack

Decanted the stuff in a clear plastic squeeze bottle. Does look like the carnauba has a tendency to settle so I added a couple of small marbles. Quite viscous when cooled but certainly not a paste like my old BL, turps, beeswax mixture. I applied a heavy coat of it to the forend and stock of my A&S Davies, Brighton (Brum) 12 bore and buffed off in the hope that this would cut into and amalgamate with the several coats of the beeswax paste already on it. Then applied a very small amt. of the slacum and rubbed it in until pretty much "set" and put it aside to "cure." I like the idea that I may be getting closer to a waterproofing with the carnauba. Let you know if I like it and if it waterspots.

jack