Thread: Boiled Linseed oil

I use the boiled linseed oil mixed 50/50 with thinners/spirits. I only apply one coat usually with a rag or brush and wipe off any excess and leave sit.

I havent tried a varnish over the work but have been told you would need to wait atleast a week before doing so, I dont know why that is or how it turns out.

No other tricks that im aware of.

Boiled Linseed oil (blo) will offer little to no protection to wood,so depending on the nature of the project,you need to decide if it needs the protection of a top coat.
BLO is usually used to add a little (amber) color and to hilite grain and figure of the wood.
You can use an "oil" base varnish directly over the blo,wait about 24 hours.
Thin the blo as Bret mention,flood it on,rub it in and wipe of the excess,leave it to dry.
If you are using a porous wood,you'll probably see little beads of blo keep forming on the surface, for several hours afterward,that's normal but keep wiping them off till they stop forming.
After about 24 hours,apply your varnish.

If you plan to use a "water borne" varnish,you'll need to wait untill the blo is "fully cured",
it's cured when it no longer smells of oil.
Curing can take a month or more or less.
If you can't wait that long,you can seal the blo with a coat of "De-waxed" shallac,wait about 3 days after the application of the blo.
Let the shellac dry for about 24 hours,then apply the water borne varnish.

Chiz.

Old timers trick particularly for tabletops.
Sand scrape or whatever untill you have the best surface you can obtain. lightly boil linseed and when back down to warm add about 25% natural turpentine. Liberally coat your surface and let it soak in. If it all soaks in give it more coats, use your jugement, it depends on the timber.
When the timber has loaded up with oil take a hot brick and wrap it in several layers of old blanket. soak a little of the oil mixture into it and then start the hard work. rub back and forward along the grain, if the timber soaks up then add more oil gradually increasing the turpentine content.
When it wont take any more oil put clean blanket around the hot brick and just lightly sprinkle it with turpentine and rub, rub, rub.
You end up using a dry piece of blanket, and after a lot of hard work you end up with a beautiful satin lustre finish. Any marks that are made on this finish can be removed by simply using the blanket and brick again.

You may have to fiddle around for a while to get the right mixtures etc. and it is a lot of rubbing to do, but the result is worth it. NOTE. NATURAL TURPENTINE NOT TURPS.