Genuine Oil by Birchwood Casey - Life of an Opened Bottle?

[sign216]

What's the shelf life of an opened bottle of Genuine Oil by Birchwood Casey? I believe this product is a 50/50 mix of tung oil and solvent.

My first bottle definitely changed after 3 months of use, and I've noticed the second bottle isn't the same after 45 days. Situation - foil seal is opened only w a pinhole, but the cap doesn't screw down tight, it's loose. It's seems like the bottle is congealing inside. Has to be shaken vigorously to free up the contents so oil will flow. I don't think the new bottle was like that.

I called B. Casey's help line, and even got through to someone. Unfortunately the person wasn't knowledgeable about the product at all. They were polite, but couldn't provide specific information.

 

[Scooter22]

Not sure. Rub a little on a scrap piece of wood to see if it dries ok. I also just put a pin hole in the foil and put what I,m going to use in a bottle cap. But when you store it place it upside down/cap down so the air is at the bottom of the bottle. Any drying is away from the opening. Lasts a lot longer.

 

[BBBBill]

the cap doesn't screw down tight

So seal it. Use a piece of Ziplock bag or similar between the bottle and the cap.

when you store it place it upside down

That helps, too.

 

[sign216]

Scooter and BBBill, I'm going to follow your advice, and seal it with plastic wrap under the loose cap. That'll force the cap to make a good seal. I am surprised that air (oxygen) would make it under the cap, and then through the pin hole, in sufficient quantities to degrade the oil in just 6 weeks, but that must be what's happening. About the only thing that the woman at the B. Casey help line said, was that that an open bottle has a definite shelf life. No more info than that.

I am also going to store it in the refrigerator, to further preserve it. Are there any possible side effects from that?

Joe

 

[Scooter22]

Just store it where it doesn,t get too warm. I put it in a corner of a cabinet upside down. Any drying, skimming or congealing is at the bottom of the bottle. When you open it just clean oil. No chunks or crust. I,ve used a bottle of TruOil for several years. Still dried fine but tossed it as a precaution.

 

[Reloadron]

I have used unopened small plastic bottles of Birchwood Casey Tru Oil that are pushing 30 years old. I have used open bottles which were opened a year or more ago. All I ever did with an open bottle is gently squeeze the bottle before screwing the cap on tight. When a cap is hard to open I just run hot water over it and if a skin develops on top of what's in the bottle I just poke my finger down through it. My best guess is Tru Oil is boiled linseed oil with an added drying agent.

Ron

 

[sign216]

True Oil and Genuine Oil are completely different products. B. Casey offered G. Oil just a few years ago to give people a finish that was easier, and closer to BLO without all the work.
Genuine Oil is roughly a 50/50 mix of tung and solvent. Sadly, my experience is not the best.

I cannot imagine using Genuine Oil that's over 3 mos old. Won't last nearly that long. If it weren't such a pain to strip a stock, I might start over with something else.

 

[dfariswheel]

Here's an old model makers trick to preserve contents of a can or bottle.....
Light a butane lighter and blow the flame out.
Hold the lighter over the bottle or can opening and allow the heavier then air butane to flow into the container.
The lighter air will be forced up and out.
Carefully cap it so the butane isn't disturbed.
The absence of oxygen will allow the contents to stay fresh and usable.
Some hobby shops sell a product that works the same way, but cheap lighters are ...cheap.

Before using the butane, coat the mouth of the bottle or can with Vaseline to prevent the cap from getting glued in place by the drying contents.

 

[sign216]

Here's an old model makers trick to preserve contents of a can or bottle.....
Light a butane lighter and blow the flame out.
Hold the lighter over the bottle or can opening and allow the heavier then air butane to flow into the container.
The lighter air will be forced up and out.
Carefully cap it so the butane isn't disturbed.
The absence of oxygen will allow the contents to stay fresh and usable.
Some hobby shops sell a product that works the same way, but cheap lighters are ...cheap.

Before using the butane, coat the mouth of the bottle or can with Vaseline to prevent the cap from getting glued in place by the drying contents.

Dfariswheel,
That's an interesting trick all right. Right now I'm just making a pin-hole in the foil cover, but I could open it much more, and then try out the butane method of replacing the air. I looked up the "weight" of butane vs air, finding that butane is heavier. Butane gas weighs 2.5 kg/m³ while air weighs 1.2 kg/m³.