My First London Oil Finish

[Heym SR20]

The point about time is very very valid. It really does not take long to add a coat of oil. But its having patience to let the finish properly oxidise and cure before buffing it off.

You can cheat. Simplest is to take some top grade tung based yacht varnish, thin it with linseed oil and slather that on. Let it dry and harden. Then take it back to the wood. All the pores will be filled.

But you get a better finish by just adding layers of oil.

Once you have a basic finish by all means start using the gun. But just a drop or two rubbed in regularly soon builds it up.

The saying of once a day for a month, once a week for a month, the once a week for a year and then once a year holds true.

 

[Olaf]

Thanks. I thought you might enjoy a peek at the tool wall and wood storage, which is still under construction. I am about to start building a new workbench. I began one last year but ending up deciding it needed to be bigger still, and so my previous project became a very hefty side table of sorts.

I am now 5 days and 5 coats into the finishing, and I think this is likely as far as I should go before doing the Alkanet stage, so hoping it turns up before the weekend.

I love the workbench in your 1st picture … I can understand why you are building a new larger one though . Your current ones size is probably more suited to a really high end wooden contact lens maker - supplying the likes of Bilbow Baggins and Frodo of the Shire… still, it’s a nice little workbench.
Kindest regards, Olaf

 

[Klenchblaize]

I've become either lazy or impatient as I now cheat and use True-Oil once I've got the colour right and grain filled.

K

 

[welshwarrior]

This time of year you’ll not manage more than 1 coat a day to get tack up before rub it up and leave to cure in my experience.

And I find less wax is more.

 

[Navarone]

Ahh but plain BLO is no fun - then I would have no use for these stickers

Good old chat gpt

 

[PostmanPat]

Here is an update photo. I did as stated, removed the surface was and it has now had just two days of the oils only mix. It already looks much more to my liking. Turns out all these people with far more experience were correct. Who knew.

 

[welshwarrior]

Here is an update photo. I did as stated, removed the surface was and it has now had just two days of the oils only mix. It already looks much more to my liking. Turns out all these people with far more experience were correct. Who knew.

We’re all constantly learning been finishing stocks for over 15 years and still see hear a new idea from time to time some work and get bought into my process some don’t

 

[Keith Edmunds]

Thanks. I thought you might enjoy a peek at the tool wall and wood storage, which is still under construction. I am about to start building a new workbench. I began one last year but ending up deciding it needed to be bigger still, and so my previous project became a very hefty side table of sorts.

I am now 5 days and 5 coats into the finishing, and I think this is likely as far as I should go before doing the Alkanet stage, so hoping it turns up before the weekend.

Nice workshop!!

 

[Button]

You don’t really need wax. I know a couple of very good gunsmiths who are specialists in old fine guns, especially Scottish who use nothing more than good high quality (as in from an artshop) boiled linseed oil. Pretty much all I used on the few below. The middle one is an AyA No3 that had a nasty varnish type finish, stripped it off and started again. The others all had pretty tired and grubby finishes which I have cleaned up. All of them used and taken out even on wet days.View attachment 440942

The sidelock looks nice, what kind is it if you dont mind me asking?

 

[Heym SR20]

The sidelock looks nice, what kind is it if you dont mind me asking?

Alex Martin

 

[Button]

Alex Martin

Object of beauty

 

[Heym SR20]

Object of beauty

It is - made in 1920 for the directors of Barcley and Curl Shipbuilders in Glasgow. Original 30” barrels and a later pair (1930’s) of 26” ribless barrels.

 

[PostmanPat]

I am still plugging away at 1 coat a day. I am not sure if it comes out in the pictures but it is starting to get a bit of depth.

 

[WalkedUp]

Looks fantastic

 

[guns 6br]

Looking good

 

[PostmanPat]

We are now in the final stretch. Yesterday I put a thin coat on and gently with the grain rubbed it in with 0000 wool to try and polish the surface, then when it had about 90 mins or so on I hand rubbed it fairly vigorously to generate some heat and take as much of the oil off with my hands as I could, then left it (no removing with a cloth or more oil). I am really happy with the sheen on it now. My plan is to leave it to cure for 4 days. I have ordered some rottenstone, which I obviously have not yet used in this process, but I plan to then do a couple of rounds of light polishing with oil and rottenstone, which hopefully will bring the shine up to about the best I can achieve.

Just a reminder, if anyone is interested, this gun is for sale for the princely sum of £800.

Beretta Silver Pigeon
20B
28 inch barrels
I think it is about 13.5 inch LOP but I will have to re-measure once it is back together
Service end of last yr - not shot since
Going to suit a young gun or lady

 

[Heym SR20]

We are now in the final stretch. Yesterday I put a thin coat on and gently with the grain rubbed it in with 0000 wool to try and polish the surface, then when it had about 90 mins or so on I hand rubbed it fairly vigorously to generate some heat and take as much of the oil off with my hands as I could, then left it (no removing with a cloth or more oil). I am really happy with the sheen on it now. My plan is to leave it to cure for 4 days. I have ordered some rottenstone, which I obviously have not yet used in this process, but I plan to then do a couple of rounds of light polishing with oil and rottenstone, which hopefully will bring the shine up to about the best I can achieve.

Just a reminder, if anyone is interested, this gun is for sale for the princely sum of £800.

Beretta Silver Pigeon
20B
28 inch barrels
I think it is about 13.5 inch LOP but I will have to re-measure once it is back together
Service end of last yr - not shot since
Going to suit a young gun or lady

Good job, with rottenstone leave it a week or two before polishing. Oil finishes need time to cure and that “best London” is just time.

Have you refinished the fore end to match?

 

[HonestJohn]

Good job, with rottenstone leave it a week or two before polishing. Oil finishes need time to cure and that “best London” is just time.

Spot on. And when polishing with rotten stone, you’ll need to work up quite some heat using the pad below your thumb, to the point it hurts and starts burning. HeymSR20 won’t be doing any of that for some time after he fell out of the stairlift

 

[Heym SR20]

Spot on. And when polishing with rotten stone, you’ll need to work up quite some heat using the pad below your thumb, to the point it hurts and starts burning. HeymSR20 won’t be doing any of that for some time after he fell out of the stairlift

It was a crocodile- honest

 

[guns 6br]

View attachment 443869

It was a crocodile- honest