Fast-Drying Long-Lasting Water-Resistant Oil-Based Tru-Oil Stock Finish Bottle, 32 Ounce

The name says OIL, but in fact the product is a lacquer, a varnish that dries and hardens when applied. It looks like oil (the colour and thickness are like honey). Cons: The smell is a bit harsh (but fades away completely as the coating dries) If applied in several coatings, will add an amber tone to the wood. Pros: It is easy to apply with a cloth, cures fast (24h), may be sanded (water or linseed-oil sanded) May be buffed (steel wool), and may be built coating over coating to a glass shine. Very sturdy, recommended for tool handles, guitars, gun stocks and art. It is easily repaired in case of chipping or marring. It is also easy to choose from a dull silky finish to ultra shiny. I'd buy a gallon if I could.

I've been a huge shellac fan for many years, and when I did my first knife handle, I used the world's most perfect finish. It didn't take long to remind myself that shellac blushes when it gets moist. This has never been a problem for boxes, furniture, or even tool handles, but knives get used outdoors in rough conditions, and they get held in sweaty or bloody palms. Shellac just wasn't going to work, so after a 20 year love affair with my favorite 17th century bug resin, I had to keep looking. I already knew I hated a variety of other finishing products, but I had almost tried Tru-Oil once, so I decided to give it a try. First of all, I never would have bought the giant 32 oz. bottle if I had appreciated how far this stuff goes. I poked a hole in the foil, and I store the bottle upside down, but when I took these steps I had no idea the foil was going to become my dispenser. It only took a couple of jobs for me to realize it was pointless to pour some out into a container, because the tiny bit on top of the foil is enough oil to do an entire coat on a knife handle. On occasion, I have to put my finger over the hole and tilt the bottle back to get a second reserve of oil, but I'm generally better off using that one and only tiny little puddle, and working it around with one finger until it covers everything. On the negative side, this is an oil finish that takes a relatively long time to dry, so it can pick up dust. It doesn't like being built up in thick layers, and thinner is better. Much thinner. No, thinner than that. With 12 to 24 or sometimes even longer for each coat to firm up, getting a finish built up is a process of returning to the piece over a series of days or even weeks. On the positive side, this is an extremely forgiving finish that blends seamlessly with previous coats. Did you find a patch of rough grain or a little hump that isn't quite contoured to your liking? Just sand through the finish into the bare wood, do what you have to do, and maybe do one coat just on the bare areas before continuing the build up as normal. Unlike shellac, the final film seems to be pretty uniform after such treatment, as opposed to having light areas where the rework took place. With very little actual time spent working and no real competence with the finish, it is possible to get a result that looks similar to a French polish. My completed knife handles have a smooth, glassy, slightly grippy finish that very much puts me in the mind of a well-made stock on a nice American-made rifle. It may be that they actually do use this finish on gunstocks. Imagine that. I am extremely impressed. This finish is pretty much boiled linseed oil (BLO) with some "chemical dryers" to get it to cure faster. BLO was on the list of finishes I tried and hated, but whatever "chemical dryers" are, they are apparently magical. This finish is wonderful, and I am going to try it on a larger wood project soon. I have a chess board I did in my usual shellac, and I'm starting to wonder how it would look under about 10 coats of Tru-Oil. I will be sure to buy the smaller bottle next time, however.

This puts on an awesome finish. I've been using it on my guitar builds. A super shiny and durable finish.

I bought to use on a guitar body. Easy to apply but takes a heck of a lot of coats for a good shine,

I used this to finish a guitar with a mahogany back and a maple top. I applied stain to the back to get it to look red and on the top to bring out the curl of the maple. Applied and nothing else. About 10 to 12 coats with some light sanding in between. It turned out very nice with a good sheen. Very easy to use. You should use gloves. I used blue shop towels to apply. Just make sure your work space is protected because drips happen.

I use this to add the natural look back to re-finished wood. I use it on my rifle stocks. A few years back I refinished an old cedar trunk and coated the outside with Tru-oil. I looked amazing. I don't have pictures but we also used it to coat an old pine table that had matching end tables and benches.

Birchwood Casey's Tru-Oil is my go-to finish for nearly all my woodworking projects. Applies easily with a folded up blue shop towel. Dries relatively fast allowing multiple coats per day, if desired. Fills grain and sands well after curing. Mixes well with BLO and mineral spirits 1/3 + 1/3 = 1/3 for a very economical "Danish Oil". Provides very good protection without looking like "plastic". Can be buffed with a Scotch-Brite pad or 0000 steel wool after fully cured for a beautiful satin sheen finish. No harsh odor. Very subdued, pleasant smell. I suggest using a stop-loss bag to keep the oxygen out to increase its longevity.

Bought this many years ago, it was less than half the price (thank you inflation), I don’t store it in a special environment and it still works just fine after all those years, make a small hole in the foil to use it then seal the bottle properly and it will last, it doesn’t really “expire” and won’t dry in the bottle if sealed properly. so if you bough the larger bottle and you didn’t use a whole lot, it will last years and many other projects.

Great product. This is a pretty big bottle .

My father has used this product for years restoring old gun stocks. He suggested it when I asked for a product to spruce up worn patches on a hardwood floor. Works a treat and a little goes a long way.

木製ストック・木製グリップの仕上げに購入しました。 期待以上の艶が出て本物のような高級感がでました。 乾燥もワトコオイル系の半分以下の時間で乾く気がします。 ただアメリカでは４０００円くらいで売ってるので高いと思います。 飛行機では空輸禁止となってるのでしかたないのか・・・ 値段が半分なら星５個です。

Excellent color and finish. Extremely easy application. Seems to provide a durable finish

Good product