A couple of years ago, I was asked to do an article on Winchester wood finishes for the Winchester Collector magazine.
Just as Ford and General Motors don’t make their own paint, Winchester didn’t make its own satins & finishes, but instead purchased them from the XXX Company, a relationship that continued until the late 70s/early 80s.
Somewhere during my research, I was given a copy of Winchester’s wood finishing process circa 1903. I’m not talking pencil scribbling in a notebook, but step by step process laid out on original Winchester stationary: “two coats of XXX Company red brown #2 stain, allow to dry for a day, burnish, apply 1 coat of XXX Company #1 clear sealer”…etc. Unfortunately The XXX Company has been bought/sold several times so the original company no longer exists and the exact formulations are lost to time or the dumpster.
Around the same timeframe, I was approached by someone peddling Timberlux finishes, they told me they had the original formulation that Winchester used, which really got my attention. Then they followed up with some story about getting the recipe from a 90 year old former Winchester employee who used to make the finish at the Winchester factory. Ummm Ok… Great Story…. That’s about it.
As to Timberlux ingredients, the Material Data Safety Sheet (MSDS) is a legal document required by OSHA. Timberlux listed Naphtha (thinner), linseed/sunflower oils and metallic driers in their MSDS. Weather Mr. Board adds sunflower oil to the product or not is irrelevant, whoever makes it for him puts sunflower oil in it.
Now, my intent is not to disparage Timberlux or their products. I have never used their products so have no firsthand knowledge as to applicability. I use what works for me, and the finish that I need to achieve. Just stating what the list of ingredients is for Timberlux which is in the public domain
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