What oil for grip?

[cloudswimmer]

Hey guys, well I got my new size small LP10 grip today and its a much better fit.However the finish is no where near as nice as on the medium grip that came with the gun.The one that came with it is a beautuful deep dark piece of walnut (I assume) with a very nice and even finish on it.The new grip is a much lighter piece of wood with an uneven finish, some areas look like there is no finish at all.I have no experience with wood finishing.What would be the best way to treat this grip?I've seen danish oil and tung oil mentioned, do you just pour this stuff on a rag then wipe on, let soak, then wipe off?Does anyone know what Steyr grips are finished with?I believe these are Nil not Morini grips Steyr are now using.Thanks..........................Chris

[ken4all]

this is what Rink uses http://www.schaftol.de/English/english.html

[cloudswimmer]

this is what Rink uses http://www.schaftol.de/English/english.html

Yeah I saw this mentioned in another post.What I'm wondering is, there is already some kind of finish obviously on the grip now, is it ok to go over it with another type of oil like Schaftol?Oh and I can't seem to find Schaftol in the US, anyone have a link?Thanks.........................Chris

[toznerd]

If you can't find the Schaftol, generic Danish Oil is an excellent choice. You can vary the finish, depending on the number and thickness of applications. It is a very durable finish that penetrates the wood. I use it on my grips and it easily replicates the factory finish on most grips. Danish Oil can be found in most hardware, woodworking supply stores, and either orange or blue big box stores.

deep tens,

toznerd

[Seamaster]

I recently bought a LP10.

Grip is just like yours. Very light walnut. It has an indented groove on the flat surface. I am not sure it is a Nil grip, since it still has CM engraved on the grip.

I coated the grip with Tung Oil "Finish". This "finish" has varnish in it. Some internet discussion said this "finish" has no tung oil in it, just an imitation "tung oil" finish. I don't think so. It is a mixture of tung oil and polyurethane varnish in my opinion.

If you use this, apply a thin coat, keep rubbing it, don't let it sit there and dry up. Otherwise, once dry up, varnish would become sticky. Just keep rubbing it after you apply a thin coating, it will finish beautifully. Beautiful walnut grain will come out from this light walnut grip.

[6string]

Another good option is Boiled Linseed Oil. It's very inexpensive and is commonly used on "flat" stock finishes. It is the finish of choice for military rifle stocks. It will give a good depth and luster with little surface build up or gloss. Best application is with a rag and lots of elbow grease. It is deep penetrating and offers offers good protection.

Tung oil is also good. There are two varieties: plain and polymerized. The latter has additives such as polyurethane. This will give a good combination of penetration and sheen. The plain tung oil gives deep penetration but surface areas that are handled a lot can get dark and dirty looking. Either can be applied with a rag. A brush will give a heavier build up with polymerized tung oil.

Danish oil, especially the commonly encountered Watco brand is another good choice. It is a very flat finish but very deep penetrating. Avoid the stained varieties unless you want a really dark finish that may obscure the grain. Apply with a rag. Very forgiving, with no real problem of sticky build up.

It is a good idea to use some steel wool or 3M pads to prevent sticky unwanted build up with linseed or tung oil.

[cloudswimmer]

I talked with the gunsmith at Pilkington's yesterday, and he said they use Tru Oil from Birchwood Casey.Anyone tried that?

Chris

[David Levene]

I talked with the gunsmith at Pilkington's yesterday, and he said they use Tru Oil from Birchwood Casey.Anyone tried that?

If Pilks use Tru Oil then that's what I'd use.

[ciscovt]

WATCO is a great finish to use, BUT please read the safety instructions on the container carefully. Unless it has changed, it is generally recommended that the rags you use to apply the finish then be submerged in a bucket of water and then hung out very separately to dry before disposing of them. The application rags are prone to spontaneous combustion. I had a client lose the house they had just gutted and renovated to fire caused by the rags that were left in a pile on the exterior porch at the end of the day. Used following the proper precautions it is a great product!

[Gwhite]

I've used Watco for decades on a variety of woodworking projects, including some grips. It is a polymerizing finish that soaks in & then hardens. It is available in a dark color that would help to darken up light walnut. The catch is that it won't necessarily work over an existing finish. I've used it successfully on some grips, and had total failure on others. If the grip is oiled already, it probably won't work well. I have a Steyr LP50 with a light walnut grip that doesn't appear to have much of a finish on it. I'd try a test patch on the inside & see what happens before I tried it on the outside. Of course, they may not have put any finish on the inside, or the inside may have gotten gun oil on it, so I'd examine it carefully to see if the test area is representative.

They've changed the formula of Watco a couple times over the years. The warning about the rags is no joke, but I've generally found it sufficient to spread the rags out flat & hang them up so there is good airflow. The problem is that the polymerization process generates heat, which speeds up the polymerization process. If the rags are wadded up, you get a runaway thermal reaction.

[Tolkach]

I used Tung Oil on my P44 grip. It's kind of thick going on and takes a few minutes to soak in, but once you rub off the excess it has a beautiful finish that is not sticky or oily.

If you decide to use Tung Oil, use pure Tung Oil and not a "finish." I bought the oil from http://www.woodcraft.com and there is a local store nearby.