Boiled Linseed Oil

clemsonreeder

clemsonreeder

Joined
Sep 25, 2007
Messages
176
Do you guys cut the linseed oil with paint thinner or denatured alcohol when applying it to your handles like it recommends on the can or do you just put it on full strength
 
I've done both. When I've thinned it i used either mineral spitits or turpentine. It cures just a bit faster when thinned and generally takes 2 or 3 coats to get the same results. Other than that i don't notice a difference.

ron
 
I use double boiled linseed oil from the hardware store and cut it 50/50 with turpentine . I use this for all of the finish and find it drys faster as well as not building up and getting gummy. Hand rub each coat and do this as many coats as you need to fill all of the pours and get a smooth finish. The longer it sets at the end the harder the finish gets.
 
The thinned BLO is supposed to penetrate the wood deeper; I don't know if it really does or not, but the handles feel better, to me at least, with the thinned oil.
- Mitch
P.S. Safety Tip...I've heard of horror stories ref. spontaneous combustion with the oily rags.
 
BLO is a very poor wood finish. It offers little, to no water protection, nor any other, without additives. An oil based spar varnish would be much better, and faster to dry. Contrary to what you may have heard about BLO used for stock finishes in early America, it was not commonly used. It was used as a base to make varnish however, and that is about the only practical use for it in finishing wood. If you want a good oil finish, try Jim Chambers stock finish. It is a combination of linseed, tung oil, and dryers. It is very thin, soaks in deep, and leaves a durable protective finish. An application of Permalyn sealer first, increases the protection many fold.
 
LRB said:
BLO is a very poor wood finish. It offers little, to no water protection, nor any other, without additives. An oil based spar varnish would be much better, and faster to dry. Contrary to what you may have heard about BLO used for stock finishes in early America, it was not commonly used. It was used as a base to make varnish however, and that is about the only practical use for it in finishing wood. If you want a good oil finish, try Jim Chambers stock finish. It is a combination of linseed, tung oil, and dryers. It is very thin, soaks in deep, and leaves a durable protective finish. An application of Permalyn sealer first, increases the protection many fold.
Click to expand...

Wow! Great info. :thumbup: I didn't know that about BLO.
- Mitch
 
And I've always been under the impression that you were supposed to wax linseed oil finishes! IF you aren't anal enough to wax it every now and again, and again, and again, I'd second the use of spar varnish, or plastic, I mean spar polyurethane.:(

I've been thinking of experimenting with epoxy vacuum stabilizing -or at least- sealing wood grips with slow curing super-glues.
 
Retread said:
And I've always been under the impression that you were supposed to wax linseed oil finishes! IF you aren't anal enough to wax it every now and again, and again, and again, I'd second the use of spar varnish, or plastic, I mean spar polyurethane.:(

I've been thinking of experimenting with epoxy vacuum stabilizing -or at least- sealing wood grips with slow curing super-glues.
Click to expand...

I've been thinkin' about the same thing ref. the super glue. How do you thin that stuff, anyway? Thanks.
- Mitch
 
We had a fire here on campus this week. No loses really, as it was in the middle of a "clean" shop class. (no dust, concrete walls, floors, metal equipemen, etc...nothing to really burn) But it's got all the "fire people" befuddled...the best thing they can come up: Linseed oil on a rag, spontaneous combustion.

So I suppose it's worth a little extra effort to remember. I mean heck, who'd think a bunch of wet hay would put itself into an inferno...but nobody doubts that!!!!
 
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