Boiled linseed

[Aragorn]

i've just finished re-handling an old sak of mine (also a garden trowel), I have treated them by dipping them in boiled linseed for about 4 hours, as i am sure i had read somewhere to do this, i have wiped off all the excess, and they look good, the problem is i am still gettting an oily residue off the wood, do i need to seal them or simple leave them longer to dry, if the latter how long would you expect them to take to dry fully ?

 

[Tantalus]

It takes a little time but it will eventually harden and toughen up.

Best advice is apply a little and often and let it dry in a good airy place.

It doesnt technically dry, it oxidises in the air forming first a gel and then hardening further, unlike paint where the thinners just evaporates leaving the paint stuck in place.

Hope that helps

Tant

 

[weaver]

I heat the oil so it penetrates deeper then heat the wood afterward so it hardens quickly.

Rubbing the wood will also make the oil go into the pores and harden faster as it heats the oil by friction.

 

[Aragorn]

thats great, i'll leave them a couple of days and see how they go. thanks for the quick responce.

 

[bent-stick]

If they stay oily or sticky give them a wipe with some real turps. It will help the oil penetrate and get of any excess.

I always put the first coat of oil on 50:50 with turps to help it get right into the wood.

 

[Zammo]

Sorry to hijack this thread but I have just applied a few coats of raw linseed oil to a knife I've recently made and have left each coat to dry for about a day. However when I've put my knife in its sheath (which is a tight fit) and pulled it out again it looks like it has scuffed off the linseed oil. The oil seems totally dry when I touch it.

 

[weaver]

It is dry on the surface, it will take weeks to totally cure. Heat and friction speed the reaction. Try buffing lightly with extra fine steel wool and heat with a hair dryer for a few minutes.

An oil finish is never rock hard like polyurethane. It will scratch easily but the finish is deep in the wood so it will not scratch off. A light buffing will restore the shine.