# Oil finish



## joe966 (Sep 13, 2016)

I am turning my first doe grunt call and the documentation on the kit says to use an oil finish of my choosing on it. Just thought I would get some opinions on what might be the best oil finish for this type of project.


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## KenV (Sep 13, 2016)

I like the walnut oil sold for finishing bowls, or the Tru-Oil gunstock finish.

I avoid boiled linseed oil as it continues to darken over time becoming almost black.  

(The walnut oil sold in food stores is not the good studd for finishes)


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## Wildman (Sep 13, 2016)

An oil finish can mean just about any film forming finish (poly, varnish, etc) oil varnish blends, wiping varnish or straight penetrating finish (Tung or walnut).   Would think poly or varnish might provide the best protection.


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## dogcatcher (Sep 13, 2016)

I have been using teak oil on my game calls for year, decades.  I buy Watco, it easy to find at the big box stores.  First coat, I dilute with mineral spirits about 50/50 to get a good penetration of the finish.  Subsequent coats at 48 hour intervals.   This is the best guide on the Internet.  https://www.firearmsforum.com/firearms/article/3037


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## edstreet (Sep 13, 2016)

Tru-oil contains linseed oil.


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## KenV (Sep 13, 2016)

edstreet said:


> Tru-oil contains linseed oil.



Indeed it is made from linseed oil, but uses a different process of partial polymerization.  It was known as stand oil in years of yore.   Because it is partially polymerized by heat in the absence of oxygen, it completes the process of curing differently than the reaction with chemical dryers in BLO.  

Tru-Oil is on a lot of firearms, and is an accepted finish for many shooters who are likely to purchase a call.


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## EBorraga (Sep 13, 2016)

I've been using true oil. I really like how it finishes. And so far it's been waterproof.


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## dogcatcher (Sep 14, 2016)

edstreet said:


> Tru-oil contains linseed oil.




Tru-Oil is overpriced, and not that good for a game call.  I have been making predator and duck calls since 1964.  From experience hunters take better care of their weapons than they do their game calls.  If they treated their weapons like they do game calls, some would have to replace their weapon every few years.   

I have tried every finish known to man, and some concoctions that I created myself.  The easiest and the best I have found are the oil based varnishes.  Next would be spar varnish using a dipping method, but it can be a pain to get consistently until you have some experience at it.  

A fair warning, after awhile your teak oil will go bad on you, throw it away, you can try to save it, but it is not worth the expense.  Oxygen "spoils" the mix, you can play with the various methods to keep the oxygen out of the can, but like I said, in my case my time and the expense was not worth it.  I bought the pint cans of Watco teak oil, usually threw bout half away.  Back when I was retailing I would make 48 to 72 at a time and finish the calls with 3 to 4 coats.  Dip, then hand wipe the next coats.


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## farmer (Oct 2, 2016)

*Linseed oil VS Tung oil*

Tung oil has better water resistance than does linseed oil, according to The Finishing Store.com. For this reason, tung oil is often used on outdoor furniture. Both linseed oil and tung oil dry to thin, satin finishes.

Boiled linseed oil contains drying agents, whereas tung oil does not, so linseed oil dries faster. Tung oil requires sanding between each coat, whereas linseed oil only requires sanding after the first coat. Boiled linseed oil can go rancid, whereas tung oil cannot, according to Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement. An advantage of boiled linseed oil is that is cheaper than tung oil. Tung oil does not yellow over time.


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## corgicoupe (Oct 4, 2016)

dogcatcher said:


> edstreet said:
> 
> 
> > Tru-oil contains linseed oil.
> ...



I believe spar varnish is oil  based.


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## donstephan (Oct 4, 2016)

Over the years there have been numerous posts across the Internet suggesting that at least some tung oil finishes do not contain any pure tung oil.  Don't know if that is relevant in this discussion.


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