Olive Oil for Gun Stocks

[omegared24]

Good friend of the family is 85, smokes like a chimney, and can run circles around me. He swears it is the teaspoon of olive oil he takes every morning.

He also puts a little olive oil in his hair every day. As long as I have known him he has looked the same...almost 40 years.

I am Greek so my olive oil loyalty runs deep but I don't know if I would use it on my guns though.

 

[Maverick0313]

Ting oil has been great for me and no fire hazard.

Mix some Tung oil with 100% mineral spirits; used it on my new Garand stock - awesome.

 

[Pinecone]

No, no, no... Don't use food products on your guns.

You do know that linseed oil is consumable?

Linseed oil is an edible oil marketed as a nutritional supplement. In parts of Europe, it is traditionally eaten with potatoes and quark (cheese). It is regarded as a delicacy due to its hearty taste, which enhances the flavour of quark, which is otherwise bland.

Boiled linseed oil is treated to not be consumable, but the base oil is from flax seed.

But the real point is, linseed oil polymerizes. So it slowly thickens into a solid, so it does come out at an oil due to heat.

 

[Mdeng]

In my opinion nothing works better than Tom 1/3 mix wax http://www.thegunstockdoctor.com/

 

[sykesville]

I think the OP was playing a practical joke. Not funny if anyone actually did put olive oil on their stocks, especially if they sanded them first. I would use olive oil on food, hair, rashes, dry hands... but not on stocks.

 

[rbird7282]

No, no, no... Don't use food products on your guns.

This is as poorly thought out as putting peanut butter on leather.

Just don't do it.

^THIS. Food based oils will become rancid over time.

Use Linseed oil.

 

[Jimbob2.0]

I think the OP was playing a practical joke. Not funny if anyone actually did put olive oil on their stocks, especially if they sanded them first. I would use olive oil on food, hair, rashes, dry hands... but not on stocks.

Actually the opposite. You guys think I am nuts but I have worked with CLP, Eezox, Hoppes, Motoroil and I see a role for Olive oil in this equation.

I wish I took some before pictures of my test stock but it looks really nice afterwards! Tremendous degreasing, leaving the cartouches an original woodtone intact.


Well see how it looks after some handling but my inkling is that

1. Olive oil actually works well as a less invasive alternative to modern solvents, its natural solvent properties clean really well.

2. It does have a food like odor which I suspect if overused could become rancid as some have suggested. That said, I know a couple woodworking friends whon use olive oil extensively with no sign of rancidity.

3. Not a preservative, a little olive oil is great for preserving cutting boards nad knives that touch food. But serious wood that sees use and weather outside the kitchen probably needs touched up with BLO (or better yet teak or an oil that lacks BLO's agressive solvent and exothermic properties).

 

[shaddydan]

What about raw linseed oil? No driers in that.

 

[Jimbob2.0]

What about raw linseed oil? No driers in that.

Id actually like to find some, Ive only worked with BLO and semi-impressed.

Good finish if it takes, but can come out blotchy.

 

[shaddydan]

I've only used it a few times but it seemed to work well. It does dry......eventually. I've moved a few times in the past few years. If I can find the quart I have, you are welcome to try it.

 

[Pinecone]

What about raw linseed oil? No driers in that.

It is still a drying (polymerizing) oil.

It just takes a lot longer.

 

[mvee]

What about raw linseed oil? No driers in that.

You can also buy raw linseed oil as cold pressed Flax seed oil at Whole foods. It is food grade and I use it to season cast iron skillets.

 

[Streetgang]

Linseed oil is only slighty more protective than raw wax which is the least protective of any wood finish. Olive oil may clean your finish but it has very little protective qualities at all.
If you guys want an inexpensive and easy to apply finish make your own. Mix equal parts of varnish, boiled linseed oil (BLO), and turpentine (not mineral spirits).

in 1992 I made a cherry coffee table and applied this finish. To this day it still looks new and is a very tough finish.
It's an old standby for me and would do wonders on an old or new stock for refinishing.
Alot of the newfangled "snake oil" finishes you can buy for a ton of money are nothing more than a variation on this finish.

 

[blindnoodle]

In 3 years everyone at the MDS shoot will know who followed the advice in this thread. The rancid decaying smell will point ya out!

 

[Streetgang]

In 3 years everyone at the MDS shoot will know who followed the advice in this thread. The rancid decaying smell will point ya out!

Yep, olive oil will smell real nice by then.