I just bought a Browning Gold for duck hunting my question is I would like to protect the checkering I usually use a 50 x50 mixture of linseed oil and minarel spirits. Do you think this will be OK without softening the checkering?
Thank you for your help
Pete
Well, yes and no. Thinning any finish to put in the checkering is a good idea since the checkering holds the finish well anyhow. My experience though with linseed oil is not the greatest. It does not seem to get as hard as many other finishes. I would consider tung oil or Tru-Oil over linseed oil. It is also a minor change, but I like turpentine over mineral spirts as well, but both will work.
Dave: I like the smell of turpentine better and maybe it's better for us when we get it on our hands (which we of course invariably do) but have yet to discern any difference in the finished product. What is your take on that? thanks
I use a lot of boiled linseed, turps, beeswax mixture because it's almost instantly renewable (even over bare wood) but too thick to get in the checkering as you then have to clean it out. I like the smell of turps; wife does not.
jack
Pete, Linseed oil allows more moisture to pass thru than any other protection. Try thinned truoil.
To Ken's thinnned Tru-oil I'd suggest thinned Pro-Custom Oil applied with a tooth brush, allowed to stand 20-30 minutes then blotted off and allowed to dry. I usually use two coats and call it "good". Dr. BILL
Pro-Custom Oil is very moisture resistant plus will harden the checkering somewhat. Perfect for sealing checkering.
OB
Pro-Custom Oil is my choice, I do cut 50/50 with turpentine.
Jim
Gil, it just seems to dry nicer with turpentine. I have both here in my "refinish" box, but I just prefer the turpentine for that reason. If I didn't have it though I would use the mineral spirits.
Rabbit's got it close to what I use - - which is a 1/3rd mixture of linseed, melted beeswax and turp. Make this up on a little Coleman rigged as a double burner. The stuff is out of early match shooting - at least, that's one story I've heard. When the mixture cools, I store it in a tight-lidded, open-mouthed jar and apply dabs as needed.
I treat all the wood and rub it in. I'll take a an old tooth brush to the checkering and that solves that part of the problem. If you like the scent of turp, well, you're addicted from this time forward.
Gentleman
Again I would like to thank you for your help I will try the Pro-Custom Oil formula. It seems to be the most popular.
Pete
an equal parts mixture of turpenine (or mineral spirits, boiled linseed oil, and spar varnish has worked for years for me.
Brent
I'd be very much surprised if the checkering on the Gold doesn't have some kind of finish in it already. If you feel better about adding something, I'm with the 50/50 Tru-oil and mineral spirits(paint thinner) crowd. I cut mine 50/50 for all finishing jobs. Be sure to use it sparingly and spread it evenly with a tooth brush. JL
Ken Hurst, I seem to recall you also had a super glue solution to solidifing checkering. Maybe you would comment again about that method.
I use almost exactly what Bob Vilmur uses which is the old "barracks soldiering" formula. Linseed may be permeable; it may rot the wood for all I know but I'm still using it. The only thing I changed in the last babyfood jar-full I made is to go a bit heavier on the turps to keep it a bit softer longer. I also add some red-brown shoe polish. Slight cleaning and polishing action but I stay off the checkering to avoid shiny points and off the tangs and latch escutcheons. I add a dab of Simichrome to the waxy rag for a bit of cleaning and polishing action and usually add a thin coat and let it set and cure for 24 and then buff it off. I recently got a Flues 4E which looked quite nice at a distance but closeup someone had used either an orbital sander or polishing buff to cut down the finish on the major faces of stock and left contamination scratches or whorls. I got these out by liberal rubbing with rottenstone and the thinned oil-wax mix on a cork-backed felt rubber. I was thru the finish in one major area and I had it back up to a nice sheen and matching color with two application and curing cycles which took about 48 hrs.
jack
I use almost exactly what Bob Vilmur uses which is the old "barracks soldiering" formula. Linseed may be permeable; it may rot the wood for all I know but I'm still using it. The only thing I changed in the last babyfood jar-full I made is to go a bit heavier on the turps to keep it a bit softer longer. I also add some red-brown shoe polish. Slight cleaning and polishing action but I stay off the checkering to avoid shiny points and off the tangs and latch escutcheons. I add a dab of Simichrome to the waxy rag for a bit of cleaning and polishing action and usually add a thin coat and let it set and cure for 24 and then buff it off. I recently got a Flues 4E which looked quite nice at a distance but closeup someone had used either an orbital sander or polishing buff to cut down the finish on the major faces of stock and left contamination scratches or whorls. I got these out by liberal rubbing with rottenstone and the thinned oil-wax mix on a cork-backed felt rubber. I was thru the finish in one major area and I had it back up to a nice sheen and matching color with two application and curing cycles which took about 48 hrs.
jack