# Boiled Linseed Oil on Wooden Bow??



## Irish Sitka (Jul 2, 2009)

I have an old wooden bow maybe from the 1960's.
It is a junior bow.
I have sanded the remaining varnish off the bow and was considering treating the it with Boiled Linseed Oil?
Is it a benefit to the wood or is it unnecessary?


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## Thin Man (Feb 18, 2012)

Hello. 

Yes, seal and protect the wood. 

Birchwood Casey's Tru-Oil is a linseed-based finish that is made expressly for the purpose you mention (several million gunstocks will attest to this). I don't know if its available where you are "across the pond", however.

You get a great seal on the wood, and after the desired layers are finished you can temper the sheen from satin to glossy with a variety of methods. 

A small, $6 bottle is all you need for several bows. It's an easy and elegant finish to work with, and you can find lots of commentary on its usage on bows if you do a search on the topic.

The Birchwood Casey website has some good tips on using Tru-Oil. Holler back if you want more specifics ... it's one of my faves.

I hope this helps.


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## Irish Sitka (Jul 2, 2009)

Thin Man
Thank you for the advice, I am in Ireland and have not heard of the product you mention but the Boiled Linseed should do the same.
How many coats of the oil should I apply? I will soak through eventually I reckon?


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## Sanford (Jan 26, 2009)

Irish, Birchwood Casey's is lineseed based, but has special hardeners and discoloration inhibitors in the proprietary formula. It also works best with a few coats of Casey's filler/sealer before the finish bottle is applied.

Boiled linseed is a different animal to deal with. Drying time can take days, weeks, months, or never - depending on climate, application, and humidity. It also takes many coats over many sessions to completely fill the wood and then start to build a finish. It can/will also turn dark and discolor, which is an attribute some wood finishers are after. There's an old saying about putting a coat a day for a week, a coat week for month, and then a coat a month for year.... or some ratio like that. It's a slower process than what's available out there, so I do know I was not a fan of it when tried.


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## Thin Man (Feb 18, 2012)

Irish, 

I did a quick search to see if Tru-Oil was available in Ireland - if indeed your name indicates your country, of course. I quickly found one European source that ships Tru-Oil to Ireland, so I assume it is a legal finish in that country. 

So perhaps it is available via the hardware, wood refinishing, gun shop, etc. stores if you decide to seek it out. 

Just for the mix.


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## Thin Man (Feb 18, 2012)

Hey, I just had a thought. 

If you're not wanting to use urethanes and the like, you can give consideration to Tung oil. 

It's a natural oil (a close second in smell to the glorious beeswax!), applies simply by coating, waiting a half hour, wiping off, drying for a day, repeat at least four or more times with a touch of 0000 steel wool between each coat until you think the bow looks just right. The wood will still feel "woody", yet will have a warm, natural, muted-looking sheen, and be fairly well protected. It appears somewhat like would you would expect to see on a fine, elegant, hand-rubbed piece of natural wood furniture.

Tung oil is used on natural wood guitar necks as one of the industry standards. I've finished many projects with tung oil, including wood arrow shafts.

This may be worth a study if you're looking for a solvent-free, natural oil if you don't want to use, or can't get, the Tru-Oil. Look for pure 100% tung oil - not one of the mixtures.


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## Irish Sitka (Jul 2, 2009)

Thank you Thin Man and Sanford, did a search for gunstock oil and it is sold in Ireland.
I will be buying a kit straight away.


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## Thin Man (Feb 18, 2012)

Cool beans. 

Hit the Birchwood Casey website and read the FAQ section under the Tru-Oil kit and also the Stock-Sheen product. The advice there is spot-on, especially as to the way to dispense and store the Tru-Oil as well as the waiting time before rubbing with the Stock Sheen. 

I try to get the wood as smooth as silk before using the oil, so I'll stage the sanding grits all the way down to a very fine 600 grit. Once the oil layers begin, I only use 0000 steel wool between coats to gently smooth out any irregularities and dust. (Some folks finesse the first couple of oil coats with sandpaper, but I've never had success with this. The steel wool is less aggressive and fool-proof in my clumsy hands.)

I hope it works nicely for your bow.


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## Irish Sitka (Jul 2, 2009)

Thin Man
You have inspired me, I am also toying with the idea of making my own long bow and I see you are familiar with this skill as well.
I have a few lengths of Ash Wood that I cut down myself and am going to work with.
I will PM you if you don't mind and give you my email and send some pics of the ash wood.
A friend said to cut it in four pieces and work from there, splitting down the middle of course.
Thanks again for your help and advice.


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## Thin Man (Feb 18, 2012)

Irish, 

No, I'm an idiot! Send your PM to Sanford above, for he is an accomplished bow builder of many designs. I am but a humble, low-life, sloppy refinisher when the urge strikes.

There is also the "Tom Turgeon Q & A Bow Building" sub-forum here with a master bowyer and other bowyers offering great pointers. 

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=376

These resources will get you rolling properly right off the bat. 

Have fun.


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## Tom Turgeon (Feb 7, 2014)

Irish Sitka,
You just received a lot of good information in a relatively short period of time. 
Regarding your ash bow wood: 
Designate its north-facing wedge section for your final bow build. Practice with the other 3 staves first and save the north-facing stave for last- if this is your first bow building go-round. Free advice.


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## fangbows (Jun 29, 2013)

i thought boiled linseed oil reduced draw weight on longbows?


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## HTJ1964 (Oct 19, 2020)

fangbows said:


> i thought boiled linseed oil reduced draw weight on longbows?


You bump a 7 year old thread for that?


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## Pyme (May 6, 2015)

HTJ1964 said:


> You bump a 7 year old thread for that?


I've seen them revived for a lot less! 😄


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