Thread: Obscure Technique???

wots BLO?

Boiled linseed oil???

Originally Posted by echnidna

wots BLO?

I thought it was wat you got down the local red light district. :eek:

Nah, it's wot you sniff up with a $100 note...

Originally Posted by rrich

I was watching the Woodworking Channel and the project was a wall hung cabinet with a glass door and shelves. IMHO the cabinet would be a good display cabinet for hand planes. Rather nicely done, all in all.

Then the finishing, and mates I just don't understand.

First a coat of amber shellac. This was followed by a coat of BLO.

I'm lost! Where did the BLO go? How would it get into the wood sealed by shellac?

Have any of you used this finishing technique? Am I missing something?

I haven't used this specific technique but something similar.

The shellac is to fill the grain and effectively be used as a sealer (or sanding sealer). The BLO is then put on and (usually) buffed to a nice satin like lustre. Without some form of sealer, the oil will soak into the timber, usually at different "depths" due to the opennes or tightness of the grain. SUch a result gives a blotchy and sometimes a sticky finish that never seems to "set".

A BLO finish (I use Teak oil) applied correctly and buffed correctly leaves a none sticky and smooth to the touch oil finish. This is the look of real quality furniture. This finish can then always be maintained by another application of an buffing of BLO (or similar).

Peter,
They really didn't "sand" the project after the Shellac. To me it was sort of like putting BLO over polyurethane.