Tru Oil tip

Alden Cole

Well-Known Member
Tru Oil gums up pretty quickly, even before I could use a 4oz. bottle. The next time I needed more, I bought the bigger bottle, (I think like 8oz.), because buying it in bulk is cheaper. I poured it into smaller bottles and vacuum sealed it. This way I don't waste any, and I don't have to worry about it going bad. So far I have opened one of the bottles I repackaged and it was good as new. Something to think about if you need to buy some more tru oil.
 
The two problems I have are the oil kicking before I use half of it, and the cap gluing itself on which seems to happen no matter how well i keep the foil seal clean. (I’m a hole-poker).

Once upon a time I decanted the bottle into several tiny little bottles. It did make the oil last longer before it turned into Aunt Jemima syrup.

I wish it came in tiny metal toothpaste tubes like some expensive oils and greases do.
 
The two problems I have are the oil kicking before I use half of it, and the cap gluing itself on which seems to happen no matter how well i keep the foil seal clean. (I’m a hole-poker).

Once upon a time I decanted the bottle into several tiny little bottles. It did make the oil last longer before it turned into Aunt Jemima syrup.

I wish it came in tiny metal toothpaste tubes like some expensive oils and greases do.
Oh good! You have that problem too! Went to open my bottle the other day and the foil Twisted off with the lid spilling an almost new bottle all over the floor. Most days I wonder why in the world I bother to get out of bed.
 
Tru-oil is a great finish but I got tired of it drying out so fast. The container it comes in never does quite seal up well after it is opened.
I switched to Danish oil which is mostly tung oil like Tru-Oil. I would not hesitate to use Tru-Oil otherwise.
 
Tru-oil is a great finish but I got tired of it drying out so fast. The container it comes in never does quite seal up well after it is opened.
I switched to Danish oil which is mostly tung oil like Tru-Oil. I would not hesitate to use Tru-Oil otherwise.
Does the Danish oil dry better than the tru-oil?
 
Does the Danish oil dry better than the tru-oil?
It dries waaaay faster.
Years ago, I did a drying test between Tru-oil, Danish Oil (Deft brand) and boiled linseed oil.

The test was primative and who knows what it proves. Form your own opinions.
Tru-Oil has a cult like following and I don't even try to argue with those that like it. It's good stuff and I'm not slamming it. I just don't like how it dries out in the bottle *every time* before I even begin to use it up.

For my "test": I used small 2oz sample plastic cups and poured a 1/4" in each and set them on the shelf to dry.

The Danish oil dried the fastest to a fairly clear, small, hard, smooth looking puck. It had a very light amber look to it.

The tru-oil dried in about twice the time and dried to a little darker amber color then the Deft Tung oil. I doubt it would affect wood tone much but it the amber color was clearly there. It also dried to a puck shape but was wrinkled and warped. I don't think this would affect the wood but that is what happened.

The boiled linseed took more than a year to dry. It dried and cracked similar to a mud flat and was a dark yellow color. The remaining puck was wrinkled, cracked and came out of the cup in pieces. I can tell you that black powder rifle makers LOVE boiled linseed oil. It is the traditional finish and those guys are all about tradition. It leaves a very durable and tough finish. It has been around for a very long time and is proven. Gunsmiths use wood in stocks that are normally fairly dark in tone so the amber color isn't an issue. Most of those guys have some formula they use to thin it and help it dry. I don't want chemistry. I just want to slap it on and have it dry in a couple days. I threw away any boiled linseed oil I had left after that test.
 
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That would be my only complaint with Tru-oil is the lack of shelf life. Either gets a crust or like pancake syrup.

The saran wrap is a good idea.
 
It dries waaaay faster.
Years ago, I did a drying test between Tru-oil, Danish Oil (Deft brand) and boiled linseed oil.

The test was primative and who knows what it proves. Form your own opinions.
Tru-Oil has a cult like following and I don't even try to argue with those that like it. It's good stuff and I'm not slamming it. I just don't like how it dries out in the bottle *every time* before I even begin to use it up.

For my "test": I used small 2oz sample plastic cups and poured a 1/4" in each and set them on the shelf to dry.

The Danish oil dried the fastest to a fairly clear, small, hard, smooth looking puck. It had a very light amber look to it.

The tru-oil dried in about twice the time and dried to a little darker amber color then the Deft Tung oil. I doubt it would affect wood tone much but it the amber color was clearly there. It also dried to a puck shape but was wrinkled and warped. I don't think this would affect the wood but that is what happened.

The boiled linseed took more than a year to dry. It dried and cracked similar to a mud flat and was a dark yellow color. The remaining puck was wrinkled, cracked and came out of the cup in pieces. I can tell you that black powder rifle makers LOVE boiled linseed oil. It is the traditional finish and those guys are all about tradition. It leaves a very durable and tough finish. It has been around for a very long time and is proven. Gunsmiths use wood in stocks that are normally fairly dark in tone so the amber color isn't an issue. Most of those guys have some formula they use to thin it and help it dry. I don't want chemistry. I just want to slap it on and have it dry in a couple days. I threw away any boiled linseed oil I had left after that test.
Thanks for this information. Up till now I have used Tru Oil exclusively on my knife handles and have used Danish oil on furniture pieces. I will also try it on knife handles/scales
 
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