Posted by David Williamson on January 1, 2015, 1:05 pm, in reply to "Re: Stock Refinishing"
Raw linseed oil takes a long time to dry, not boiled. Most tung oil has boiled linseed oil in it, only pure tung oil has no extra ingredients.
I've used boiled linseed oil for coating barrels after rust bluing. I gently heat the barrels warm to touch and put some BLO on a rag and wipe the barrels down with it. It lasts a long time and will be dry to the touch the next day.
The only finish that will help to be water proof is a polyurethane finish, which I don't care for.
If you do not want to use the alcohol and shellac treatment for your "bald" spots, then you will have to sand the stock down and start over again, finishing with 220 grit sandpaper. This means you will probably have to stain it again and try to match the for-end wood. Using the stain of your choice, sand with 400 grit wet/dry paper will slurry it in and give you a super smooth finish. You can then use Tru Oil or make you own blend by using 2 parts boiled linseed oil, 1 part tung oil or marine spar varnish, 1 part mineral spirits. If you want more of a water resistant finish, eliminate the tung oil/spar varnish and use polyurethane. Just a small amount on a lint free cotton cloth and rub it in. After 10-12 coats you should have a nice finish.
My opinion is that the alcohol and shellac is the easiest and will blend in with the existing finish by going over the entire stock. From start to finish with the shellac, I can do a stock in 1 hour, and this is applying many coats.