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devrep View Drop Down
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    Posted: January 31 2021 at 8:14am
I'm aware of how Lee Enfield furniture was treated during production and in the field. I also know that the US Military used RLO and eventually switched to raw tung oil.     what RLO are you guys using? don't want to get any that is full of additives.  what about using pure flax seed oil which I think is basically RLO?   will it turn rancid and stink?

I have an new used rifle coming and it looks thirsty in the photos. Tongue
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Doco Overboard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 31 2021 at 9:06am
Ive used flax seed oil from a local health food store for some time on different rifles.
I never seen anything become rancid or stinking from it......yet? Hope not.  Ermm
One thing I have noticed is that sometimes depending on how much dirt and oil is already in the wood, you will get a glossy finish that needs to be waxed and buffed off to tone it down some.
Mostly on wood that's had petroleum based grease ground into it like can be found on some drill rifles.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 31 2021 at 9:35am
Flax seed oil, PURE Linseed oil, or "Stand Oil" from an art supply house.
Avoid the Home improvement store stuff though its Linseed in name only.
My 1914 BSA SMLE was saturated in linseed oil & it had discolored over the years to a darkish coffee color it was absolutely not rancid.
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote devrep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 31 2021 at 12:48pm
the reason I mentioned rancid is that I was reading about people buying pure flax seed oil to ingest as a heath food and they were saying it has to be kept refrigerated or it will go rancid.  they also said it comes with an expiration date.  I was reading about it as on a couple of gun websites guys were saying they used it on stocks to get the purest form of RLO.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 31 2021 at 1:53pm
That would be "Pure Linseed oil" which has no chemical additives, or "Stand Oil" which also has no additives but has been somewhat "cooked", although not "boiled".
Flax seed oil is 99.9% the same thing, but because its "Food Grade" is more $$$$$!

To put it into perspective Brownells sells these. I used the one on the left. I've had it several years now & have used it for 2 complete rifles & a small outdoor table I'm working on. I still have about 1/3rd of it left & its developed a beautiful "dark honey" color.
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/stock-work-finishing/wood-finishes/boiled-linseed-oil-prod25794.aspx

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/stock-work-finishing/wood-finishes/linseed-stock-rubbing-oil-prod9818.aspx


Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote devrep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 31 2021 at 4:38pm
thanks guys.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shiloh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 01 2021 at 12:50pm
As a master wood worker most of my life, I`ve used all these oils, yes they darken in the containers and what ever you apply them to.
Once you open the container and O2 gets at it, it begins to darken, oxidize, never had any go rancid, had a rag fire once though, discard oily rags into a fire proof tin with water, a lot of these oils like to spontaneously combust if not disposed of properly.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote devrep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 01 2021 at 1:57pm
I was aware of the combustible rags issue.  thanks.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 01 2021 at 7:52pm
there is a real concern with combustible rag disposal - be careful , that said back when the US cleaned the cosmo off their rifles with heated gasoline there was even a bigger concern - lots of care involved there , 

edited to add that was never an officially acknowledged practice but still it was applied , 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 02 2021 at 11:47am
the Art shop quality linseed oil is clearer in colour than the standard raw or boiled linseed oil. It's worth paying the bit extra if you want to maintain a lighter colour on beech or birch. it will still get a bit darker, but not as much as the standard quality.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote devrep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 02 2021 at 4:34pm
this rifle has the classic reddish furniture.  RLO adds to that when it ages from what I have read.  I ordered a bottle of pure flax seed oil to try out.  the rifle arrived at the FFL today.  of course I can't have it until Saturday per florida gun laws.  here is one of the photos from the seller.    1955 model with original USGI furniture. pretty sure this is birch.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 02 2021 at 8:25pm
whats wrong with that color ? i only ask as i would be proud to own one of those M1garands with that original coloring albeit aged , back when i was collecting US arms i might well have picked one like that to add to my collection , 

there is a bunch of us here that love the original finish of these old rifles , we love the fact that they have aged better than we have , we like original , we do not sport them we collect them , we like them as they came to us , im not following this line of thinking ...but then im old and curmudgeonly i often dont follow the "new" line of thinking , sorry for the rant but still confused by the thinking , 

in hind sight i probably misread the post - my thinking stands , i stopped collecting USn prior to buying a later M1garand , i only had a WWII 43 winchester , i was looking for a korean version , but found a different path before i bought - i was thinking this post was a continuation of the finish topic , congrats on your buy , i like it a lot , 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote devrep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 02 2021 at 9:50pm
nothing is wrong with the color.  I love it.  what I was saying is cold pressed raw linseed oil enhances the reddish color and the flax seed oil even more so as it has more fatty acids.  these post war M1's are usually either reddish (my preference) or a dark blackish brown from the oil.  I want to keep this wood original and just keep it oiled.   the reddish color was one of the main reasons I chose it.  also has a 1 ME reading and a 2 TE reading.  still has cosmoline in some areas.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote devrep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 06 2021 at 6:12am
my bottle of cold pressed flax seed oil arrived and I get to pick my new 65 year old rifle up from the FFL today, very excited. its like Christmas!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 06 2021 at 9:05am
Many light coats well rubbed in, just keep on going as the finish builds it gets "patchy" keep going you're almost there if it does. Don't think something went wrong & re strip.
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote devrep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 06 2021 at 9:31am
damn.  I think this rifle is brand new and unfired.  zero wear to metal parts, cosmoline in various places and using a bore light I think there is still vestiges of cosmoline in the barrel.  the guy told me it was unfired but I was not a believer.
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