# Exactly what kind of finish is Tru Oil?



## Hendo446 (Nov 25, 2009)

I am re-finising a gunstock and am almost done (finally!). I am using Tru Oil for the top coat. Tru Oil is made by the Birchwood Casey company. I have looked everywhere I can think of on the internet and on this website and can't find much iniformation about it. All I have been able to find is whats printed on the bottle:

"Its unique blend of linseed and natural oils dries fast and will not cloud, yellow or crack with age and resists water damage."

It also says to dilute it with mineral spirits.

My question is this: Would I need to scuff sand between coats like I would with poly to get each coat to adhear to the last one, or does each coat meld with the last one chemically? (I cant think of the correct term right now. "Meld" is the best I can come up with.)

Im assuming that since it is linseed and "other natural oils" that I can just apply several coats and buff with steel wool between coats. 

Any thoughts? Or, does anyone know where I can find more info on this product?


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## Dave (PacNW) (Apr 19, 2009)

*It is Polymerized Linseed Oil!!*

Raw linseed oil takes forever to dry. Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) has metallic dryers added to make it dry faster Polymerizing is a process which involves heating the oil in an oxygen free environment to the smoking point. This makes the oil dry (take in oxy to cure) much faster and dry harder. It also makes the oil very thick. Tru Oil has already been thinned about 4 times from the factory . Tru-Oil will dry when you are still rubbing it in, hence the need to thin it a little more to slow it down. One word of caution BLO is a fire hazard-----Tru-Oil is a fire hazard times three!! I dispose of my Oil soaked rags by burning them.

Keep on waking saw dust!
Dave (PacNW)

P.S. just rub it down with a gray nylon pad between coats!


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## Hendo446 (Nov 25, 2009)

Well shoot, that is exactly what I needed to know plus some! Thanks man! From what I have seen so far from the first coat I put on you are exactly right about how fast and hard it dries. And that’s pretty cool about the polymerizing process. Never knew that. 

And also thanks for the heads up about how flammable it is. Although that does make me kind of curious about how good of an idea it is to use it on a rifle. After all, they are called firearms for a reason! But on the other hand, I would assume there should be no problem since the manufacturer markets it specifically for gunstocks. 

I should be done with the rifle within a few days unless I run into another setback (AKA: screw something else up) and will try to get some pictures up.

Thanks again for the info!

Chris


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

BLO is not a fire hazard WHEN it is dry but WHILE it is drying. A cloth with a lot of wet BLO in it will create a very significant amount of heat as it dries and absorbs oxygen and will burst into flame all by itself ("spontaneous combustion") with the greatest of ease. If you put it in a confined space, such as a large can, but with access to oxygen it is guaranteed to combust. If you leave it spread out flat on the floor it might not because the heat has room to dissipate.

In any case, once dry there's no hazzard.


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