How to get Tru Oil to dry?

That is exactly why I now use 100% Tung Oil. It dries thoroughly overnight and gives very nice results. You can also vary the gloss of the finish by using 0000 steel wool if a more satin finish is desired. If your wood needs a touch up, no need to remove the old finish, just a quick going over with the steel wool and add another coat or two. Just make sure it's 100% Tung Oil, not mixed with varnish or other chemicals. By the way, a can of Tung Oil (since it is pure) will never go bad - nothing to separate or break down.
Love the stuff! Just did my CMP M1 Carbine stock and a vintage set of S&W stocks with the stuff.

chief38

snowman said:

I appreciate all the replies and helpful hints. I have a question and a mini-rant:

Question: How do you mix in the Japan Drier with the Tru-Oil? Shake the bottle?

Mini-rant: From the instructions on the bottle: "Allow to dry thoroughly -at least 2 hours." Whom do they think they're kidding?

Andy

Click to expand...

Add the drier, close up tight and shake it real good. You must remember to shake the he11 out of it prior to everytime you use it as the drier wants to seperate. They are not kidding...when the Tru-oil is right it will dry in less than 2 hours with a little heat, like sitting near a woodstove. I have finished the hand rub coats and sprayed the final in one day on many stocks. The final spray has to dry overnight. That includes rubbing down with #0000 steel wool between the hand rubbed coats. Wipe down with a degreaser before the spray coat. It also helps to get a perfect finish with the spray if you run hot water over the can to warm it up good before you actually do the spray. Japan drier and a little heat is the key though when you are doing the hand rub coats. You can set it outside in the sun during the summer and get the same effect as the woodstove in the winter. I wouldn't worry too much about trying to rush it along, always better if you take whatever time{within reason} you need. Good luck.

If you are in a sunny area just leave them outside in the sun when you go to work. Come home and hit it with the steel wool and apply the next coat then put them back outside the next morning before you leave.
Here is a set of k frame targets that were done in the described method. About 8-10 coats of tru oil.

My experience with Truoi is that it gives a very nice surface finish but is not hard. Three sets of grips that I finished decades ago still get impressions if stored in a case with foam pressing against the surface. Most of the impressions can be smoothed out with rubbing compond I now use Minwax spray poly with drys much harder and still looks good. What a disapontment to have a nice project get impressions and surface blemish from just sitting in a gin case.

After reading some of the posts I now know why there are so many !@#$ grips out there. I've seen NOS grips sell for less that the shinny improperly refinished ones. Tru - Oil works great it just takes long to get results, but the best things in life take a long time to mature(?). It's just like anything else these days where someone will buy something then customize it to their liking (in other words ruin it) and then selling it off to fund another custom masterpiece that they will eventually sell. Don't get me wrong I've seen some really nice work done by a few members here, this doesn't apply to them.

I don't many people here do anything to grips that are in good shape. Most grip refitting is done to grips that have already been ruined/used by someone else. The pair I show above was half way stripped by the time I got them. I have other presentation grips where someone wanted to turn them into finger grove grips. Most of the people that messed with the grips did some a couple of decades ago when rubbers were in. We renown the stuff that is found in the junk boxes at gun shops with plenty of wear.

I had 2 .22 rifles, stipped them both. put Tru-oil on one and Formbys Tung oil on the other. I like the way tung oil penetrated, dried quickly, no sticky. Both were water proof when at the range in the rain and snow. I prefer the tung oil. Hope this helps.

I've used Tru-Oil, and prefer other stuff

My favorite is Arrow Wood Finish, sold by Shooter Solutions. I bought a 4 oz. bottle at a gun show and have now used it on one walnut rifle stock, 3 sets of walnut handgun stocks, and 2 sets of cocobolo handgun stocks. You rub it in with fine (400-800) sandpaper to fill the pores and then hand rub a few coats. You can get anything from a glossy poly look to a nice satin "oil" finish look depending on what grit you use for the final coats. It seems to be pretty durable and I was able to put a new coat on once a day. It's also really easy to touch up if you scuff or scratch the finish. I also like that it doesn't have the "chemically" smell of Tru-Oil. Oh, after all that, I've still got more than half of my little 4 oz. bottle left, so it goes a long way. Hope this helps.

Patrick



These are cocobolo N frame stocks of my own design, finished to 800 grit with the Arrow.

I don't mean to thread-jack but after much playing around I've started using MINWAX Wipe-On Poly. Gives a nice finish that can go from minimal (rubbed oil) to high gloss. My problem is it can be a bit too "slippery" for some of my shooting disciplines. What has a good finish but "grabs your hand" for competitions where you want a heavy recoiling gun to absolutely not move in your hand?

I like Tru-Oil , but have usually thinned it a bit before using it on harder woods that have been previously finished. It seems to soak in deeper and dry better. If ya have a gas oven , put the grips in overnite with just the warmth of the pilot light.

Try a product called Velvet Oil, made in Wisconsin.Available in many woodworking supply stores.I use it professionally, on high end custom furniture and really like the results. Any questions-contact me by [email protected]

Well, thanks again to all who have responded. I've not done much wood finishing in my life, and so am largely dependent on experienced people.

I chose Tru Oil after reading a couple of other threads here in which virtually every participant sang its praises. Wouldn't you know it; I buy some and start to use the stuff and run into several veterans of stock finishing who don't recommend it. Oh well; when we have tens of thousands of members, that's the way it will be, I guess.

I could get some Tung Oil, but I very seriously doubt that I'll be doing much more finishing. Anything I would buy would likely just sit on the shelf the rest of my days with little of it used. If it's available in just a few ounces, as the Tru Oil is, I might be more interested.

I'm not super picky about how the finish looks; I just know that I prefer a glossier surface, not just because I like the look of it better, but more importantly because I can grip it better. I had a satin-finished Hogue wood grip on a 686 for awhile, but it is just too slippery for me; I was afraid I would drop it someday at the range, which wouldn't be good at all. The S&W checkered grips would solve this problem, but I don't like checkering on a revolver grip. That's why I've been replacing all of them with smooth targets.

Listen to this: one of the posters here said that he called Birchwood Casey and they recommended adding Japan Drier to Tru Oil to help with the drying issue. Out of curiosity I just called them a little bit ago, and the person I talked to said that that wouldn't work, because Tru Oil is a water-based finish!!! In a good-natured voice I said, "Oh, so the name is misleading(Tru-Oil). I also read the label back to the person: "Its unique blend of linseed and natural oils dries fast..." She nevertheless insisted that it is a water-based product. What do you think about that? I was going to get some Japan Drier this evening, but now I'm not so sure. However I can't help but think the lady on the phone was mistaken.

This sure makes being a consumer frustrating; but if that is the worst problem I have today, I will count my blessings.

Thanks again, friends. I'll review all your suggestions again, and I'm sure something will work for me.
Andy

This same thread ran thru the Shotgun message boards 10 yrs ago. I see not much has changed. What I learned then was that tru-oil doesn't keep well, ie once its opened the driers evaporate. The best solution was to use it once and throw it away. problem solved ( in most cases). Others like me who hate to waste things (read cheap here), found ways to fill the bottle back to the top, keeping the air out and driers in. Take most any inert material that will go thru the top of the bottle and add it to the tru-oil to bring the level back up to the top. One guy used marbles, others used nuts, bolts, empty brass shells ... you get the picture. Make sure they are clean. The Japan drier was mentioned but I could never find any, and most places I asked looked at me like I was crazy.

I use the "add stuff to the bottle" method and have no problems with drying in two hrs.


Charlie

I always use Formby's tung oil. You gotta get all the original finish off. It usually dries in 12 hours so I let it set for 24 hours between coats, using fine steel wool between coats as well. If you don't dig the glossy look hit it with the steel wool after the last coat dries for a satiny finish.
peace,
gordon

I have refinished hundreds of rifle/shotgun & handgun stocks through the years, as well as hundreds of pieces of antiques.
I have never known anything to speed the drying time of any varnish-type finish faster than sunshine and a natural breeze.
Even a fan induced breeze indoors can't come close.
Just one more thing Mommy Nature can't be beat at!