I found Marine A5 Sniper's comments on another forum, perhaps this is where we get the misconception linseed oil was in heated vats?
Jim Tarleton 09:29 PM 05-26-2010
The very early rifles were dyed with logwood stain, giving the stock the reddish hue. Logwood is readily available but it is tricky to make the stain, as well as applying it. Logwood stain is water based, and the RLO finish was oil based. I have not found any discussion or documentation of how the logwood stain was applied, except for one old single line statement that the stocks were dipped in boiling logwood, which makes sense actually, ie the logwood must be boiled to make the stain. The stocks would have had to dry and be feathered before the final RLO application.
Making logwood stain is complicated and arduous. I have spent many hours making many batches trying to get the "perfect" combination. I don't know that I have succeeded yet. Bear in mind that logwood stain is colorfast (the wife's kitchen may suffer).
Many use alternate stains to achieve the same effect.
Phillip McGregor (OFC)
"I am neither a fire arms nor a ballistics expert, but I was a combat infantry officer in the Great War, and I absolutely know that the bullet from an infantry rifle has to be able to shoot through things." General Douglas MacArthur
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