Thunderstick<BR>My answer is pretty close to Sheister's. The lacquered stocks lose terribly in aesthetics, but can be improved dramaticly with rottenstone and mineral oil. As you were not asking about aesthetics, though, I would call them a 4, mostly because they are so tough to repair and look right when done.<P>They are quite weather tight until damaged, then they are useless, and actually wick under the finish.<P>There is no real difference between straight tung oil and straight linseed oil. Either or both are commonly used in various finishes. If the container says "finish" rather than identifying the oil directly, it is a blend of oil and varnish, usually with waxes thrown in, too.<P>I would always reverse the oil and epoxy, from Sheister's suggestion. The epoxy does not look as good as the oil and is harder to repair. As the oil will sit on the epoxy just fine, I always do it that way. Most of the work involved is in getting the epoxy just right. What could be better than a finish which will keep the wood stable, repair easily and look just like an eggshell luster oil finish?<P>Varathane 66 is a fair finish, and would be my first choice if I was taking a short cut. It is significantly more water-proof than plain linseed or tung. Tru-oil is close to as good.<BR>art
