doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What to put on Merkel wood after rain

Thank you all. From my experience, the original finish was oil, not varnish. The faded areas look like how a thin oil finish can look after water. But it’s great to know options and what the original finish was. Thanks again

Varnish is a broad term. Most Merkels I've seen from the past 30-40 years have a minimal wood finish on them that could easily be called an "oil" finish. Some of the small-bore graded guns have a much nicer stock finish.
JR

CJF,
Years ago I contacted Gunther the gunsmith at GSI Merkel regarding what to use as a touch up on the Merkel gunstocks. He said to use a 50/50 mix of TruOil and turpentine, and it worked very well.
Hope this helps,
Karl

The only problem with TruOil, and I’ve used plenty of it over the years, is that it gets tacky quickly with a very short “working time”, and thinning with turpentine or mineral spirits doesn’t change that. I haven’t used it in a long time, but when I did I added a little blo to slow it down. Worked pretty good, but since I discovered Timberluxe, it’s all I use these days.
JR

I have used raw [not boiled] linseed oil with great success. Apply liberally, let it soak in, then wipe off the excess.

I have to challenge you on that, Daryl. Raw linseed oil never "cures" and hardens to give a true "finish" that looks good. it will give some waterproofing. It's fine for a rope, but not a gunstock. Not sure what you mean by "great success"...
JR

John, the "flat" spotting on previously oiled stock finishes just sort of disappears in the process. Mike Petrov used it to help finishes on some of his rifles. The great success is that with a brief application, the visual damage just disappears. I just used a bit of it on a John Manton stock that had water like damage in front of the buttplate. Now, you don't see the damage. Raw linseed oil does dry, but takes more time than oils with dryer additives, but I have lots of time on my hands and the absence of dryers gives more time for the oil to soak in. I don't think the raw linseed oil would work as well on epoxy or other plastic finished stocks, but I have none of those.

Daryl, I have used raw linseed oil to clean stocks and checkering on older stocks with original oil finishes. I believe that method came to me via this board and Mr Petrov. Worked well on a 1910 Mauser sporter stock that also had blooms of white spotting (mold?) on its buttstock.

Yep. Water stains also when caught in a rain. I keep touting Timberluxe, especially the No. 2 formula that’s a little thinner, but once you use it, you’ll throw rocks at boiled or raw linseed oil. It’s not cheap, but it it is good. Cheerio.
JR