Tru-oil availability?

[polkat]

What stores, besides gun shops, carry Tru-oil? In my part of the woods we have a lot of gunshops, but it seems though they have many Birchwood Casey products, Tru-oil is rarely one of them. I have heard that it is sometimes available at places like Walmart, but can't seem to find it. Anywhere else? Thanks!

[Andres Sender]

Woodcraft.

[chrisandcello]

E-bay.........

[Kevin Miller]

I have seen it at Wal-Mart. If they have it, it'll probably be in the sporting goods department with the gun supplies.

[Bingen]

Pardon my ignorance...but what is Tru-oil used for?

-Peter

[Andres Sender]

Some people use it for varnish.

Kind of like the way the cadets in "The Major and the Minor" use the "zombies" from Ms. Shackleford's School for women at dances.

[robedney]

I suspect that it's a polymerized tongue oil with dryers added. Thin coats are built up to a varnish like finish. The advantage is that it dries quickly. I've used it, but I'm not fond of it. Real tongue oil dries more slowly, but goes on thinner and builds a better finish, IMHO. It's a matter of adding a few days to finishing. Jasco has a relatively pure formulation of polymerized tongue oil -- good stuff

As for Tru Oil, the easiest way to get it is on-line if you can't find a local source. Others have already made suggestions above.

By the by, I'm not sure I'd use it on a fiddle, either Tru Oil or tungue oil, but it may be worth a try.

Robert

[jonathan vacanti]

Robert, Do you apply the tung oil with your tongue. (sorry, I couldn't resist)

Tru-oil is linseed oil with dryers. Linseed oil is a major component in many violin varnishes.

[fiddleD125]

Truoil was developed for and has been used for many years to refinish gun stocks. I used it a long time ago to refinish my first single shot 410 shotgun stock. It was available then at any local hardware store that sold guns. I sure do miss the old local hardware stores. It goes on thick and dries very glossy as I recall. I WOULD NOT recommend it for anything other then gunstocks- certainally NOT for musical instruments. Its only use was for gun stocks.

[jonathan vacanti]

Tru-oil is linseed oil with dryers. Linseed oil is a major component in many violin varnishes.

[Oded Kishony]

Unless Tru-oil has changed I was told by them that it was 'all natural' and made from soy although it's possible that the oil portion is linseed. I used it for a while and I think it makes a passable varnish for violins. I've certainly seen worse.

Oded

[Jude Reinhardt]

I sure wish Birchwood-Casey had called it Tru-Varnish instead of Tru-Oil cause that's what it is, a linseed oil based varnish. I've used it since the early 60's, mostly on gun stocks. It can be thinned with naptha (lighter fluid) allowing very thin coats to be applied. I've used it on a couple of mountain dulcimers and wouldn't hesitate to use it on a fiddle although my finish of choice these days is Formby's Low Gloss Tung Oil Varnish.

Jude

[polkat]

Thanks guys for the tru-oil advice. So someone tell me about Formby's Tung Oil finish. I know next to nothing about tung oil. I read that it's for rubbing on, but how well does it brush? And does it have any bad effects on grounds?

[Johnmasters]

Unless Tru-oil has changed I was told by them that it was 'all natural' and made from soy although it's possible that the oil portion is linseed. I used it for a while and I think it makes a passable varnish for violins. I've certainly seen worse.

Oded

Sounds like a linseed-soy alkyd, very common but getting hard to find. Makes good emulsions, the alkyds I mean. "Natural" is a matter of definition. In one sense, everything is natural. Hard to know why one thing is better than another, and natural things don't seem a priori to have an advantage except to construct a plausible ancient recipe.

[Johnmasters]

Thanks guys for the tru-oil advice. So someone tell me about Formby's Tung Oil finish. I know next to nothing about tung oil. I read that it's for rubbing on, but how well does it brush? And does it have any bad effects on grounds?

They all seem to be long-oil finishes with no driers. At least they have a long working time before becoming tack-free. I like to make samples on glass. If they seem to have the same hardness, flexibility, thumbnail resistance, etc, then I say they are equeivalent. I like Danish Oil too.

[Rob Fowler]

So, has anyone ever tried using Tru-oil or Danish oil as a final coat over an oil varnished violin? If so, what did the finished coat look like and how long was it after application before the fiddle could be strung up?

[chrisandcello]

I've used Danish oil....wiped on...easy to use..curing depends very much on temperatures, but a day or two is all thats required before stringing up. Stains can be mixed with it. Dries very quickly when wiped on in the hot sun. Only need to wait an hour or so between wiped coats...but this does depend on temps.....in the hot sun 20 minutes.

Danish oil is not 100% clear...might be worth filtering if you are very particular, as there does seem to be a little sediment suspended, not enough to make a difference for most though

[~ Ben Conover]

Danish oil is based on Tung oil and other oils, resins, and driers.

I have used Danish oil as a sealer, over gelatine.

It dries hard after 8 hours, and will provide a good base to varnish over.

Thinned down, it's good for finishing necks, but it does smell a bit.

[Johnmasters]

So, has anyone ever tried using Tru-oil or Danish oil as a final coat over an oil varnished violin? If so, what did the finished coat look like and how long was it after application before the fiddle could be strung up?

It seems a little soft to polish. However, if one had a hard short oil varnish, most oil varnishes can be mixed to adjust. This seems a general thing to me, the industry advises allowing a couple of days sitting in order for it to amalgamate in whatever way it does so.

[robedney]

Robert, Do you apply the tung oil with your tongue. (sorry, I couldn't resist)

No, don't much like the taste of it. I use the dog -- he'll lick anything.

Tru-oil is linseed oil with dryers. Linseed oil is a major component in many violin varnishes.

I know about linseed oil as a base for violin varnishes, but I assumed tung oil (as the main component in Tru Oil) because my experience has been that polymerized tung oil dries faster than boiled linseed oil. Thanks for correcting me.

Robert

[tarawa1943]

I believe that Birchwood Casey has a website that you can purchase Tru-oil directly from. Years ago I purchased a gallon from them. I still have and use the same gallon, though I have to break the skin that forms on the top. I may transfer the remaining Tru-oil to a smaller container to prevent this.

Here are pictures of my last tru-oil fiddle. Sorry for the poor quality (cell phone) pictures.

[polkat]

Looks good George! What kind of ground and coloring method did you use?

[tarawa1943]

Looks good George! What kind of ground and coloring method did you use?

I used both red/brown and amber TransTint for color and used the method (Bob Kogut's) that I PM'd you with. The pictures make the violin , especially the top look dull, but in reality the violin was brilliant.

[polkat]

Thanks George! So far no PM, but I look forward to reading it.