Screwed linseed finish
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23 April 2013 at 6:08 am #11258
I just refinished my first saw handle and it turned out terrible. After sanding off the tired old finish, I applied a thick layer of linseed oil. Then after a few hours, I applied more and let it dry over night. The finish is sticky and blotchy. I thought perhaps some wax would help, but only made things worse. My questions are:
1. Can I remove the wax somehow to further work on the oil underneath?
2. What did I do wrong with the oil?
Kevin,
A linseed finish takes a considerable amount of time to dry and new wood will need several coats in order to produce a satisfactory finish. Boiled linseed oil takes “only” one day to dry and, as such, is a more popular option. Pure linseed oil takes about three days to dry, but provides better protection. Apply the oil with a cloth and rub well into the wood. Leave at least 24 hours between applications. Once you are satisfied with the finish, buff with a soft cloth.I would leave it for a few days and see if it dry’ s. If it was me I think I would strip it all off, and start again using danish oil.
23 April 2013 at 2:39 pm #11271I agree with Ken on this. If an oil finish is what you want I would go with Danish Oil. BLO is fine for things like a workbench but dries very slowly and seems to always have a slight tacky feel. Thats great for a workbench but not so much for most everything else. Raw linseed oil is a different story. I have read some articles that say that it never really dries completely. A polymerized oil product usually is completely dry within a few days and can be built up to a desired luster. Danish Oil is a mixture of polymerized linseed oil and varnish, so it penetrates well and hardens.
Kevin, some info that might help buddy. 😉
http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_8198523_remove-boiled-linseed.html
http://www.finewoodworking.com/toolguide/articles/selecting-a-finish.aspx
http:/www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/oil-finishes-their-history-and-use
[quote quote=11258]I applied a thick layer of linseed oil. … The finish is sticky and blotchy. …What did I do wrong with the oil?[/quote]
Boiled linseed oil needs to be applied in 3 steps:
- Apply a THIN coat – let stand to 2 minutes
- Wipe off the excess – leaving only the oil that has soaked into the wood
- Let it dry – repeat as needed
Any oil left on the surface (not soaked in) will never dry completely. It will be “sticky and blotchy”
Robin HC
Kevin,
Greg is right about this and, in terms of durability, BLO, Raw Linseed, or Tried and True will not provide much and must be applied in thin films with long dry times expected.
The recommendation for Danish Oil is a good one. You’ll get the “oiled” look with the protection of the alkyd varnish.
An alternative to the Danish Oil in the US is Penetrol, generally available as a paint additive in hardware stores. It’s very similar to the DO but with slightly higher solids giving a faster build. Use it straight.
To answer your questions more directly:
You can try to sand off the coating, but that’s likely to be a mess and wont get at the oil that’s soaked in.
A good soak in Mineral Spirits will remove the wax and begin to extract the oil. This may take a couple of treatments. For this I use a suitable size Tupperware container, Nitrile or rubber gloves, and simply cover the item with the Mineral Spirits and let it sit overnight. Pour off the mineral Spirits and repeat, remove and allow to dry for a day or so until odor free and then sand. Observe safe handling, ventilation etc..
For my own saw handles I spray on 3-4 coats of dyed Shellac with a Preval spray unit (easier than brushing) followed by rubbing it out after drying with 0000 steel wool and paste wax.
Hope this helps, please post a photo, we’d all love to see it.
Best,
Craig
Re: Formby’s Refinisher
Cautions:
DANGER! POISON. EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE – VAPORS MAY CAUSE FLASH FIRES! VAPOR HARMFUL. IRRITATES EYES, SKIN AND RESPIRATORY TRACT. CAN BE ABSORBED THROUGH THE SKIN. MAY CAUSE EYE DAMAGE. MAY BE FATAL OR CAUSE BLINDNESS IF SWALLOWED.
CONTENTS ARE EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE. Keep away from heat, sparks, and open flame. Vapors will accumulate readily and may ignite explosively. During use and until all vapors are gone: Keep area ventilated – Do not smoke – Extinguish all flames, pilot lights and heaters – Turn off stoves, electric tools and appliances, and any other sources of ignition.
VAPOR HARMFUL. Use only with adequate ventilation. To avoid overexposure, open windows and doors or use other means to ensure fresh air entry during application and drying. If you experience eye watering, headaches, or dizziness, increase fresh air, or wear respiratory protection (NIOSH approved) or leave the area.
CANNOT BE MADE NON-POISONOUS. Avoid contact with eyes and skin. Wash hands after using. Keep container closed when not in use. Do not transfer contents to other containers for storage.
FIRST AID: In case of eye contact, flush thoroughly with large amounts of water for 15 minutes and get medical attention. For skin contact, wash thoroughly with soap and water. In case of respiratory difficulty, provide fresh air and call physician. If swallowed, do not induce vomiting. Get medical attention immediately.
Reports have associated repeated and prolonged occupational overexposure to solvents with permanent brain and nervous system damage. Intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating and inhaling the contents can be harmful or fatal.
WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
DO NOT TAKE INTERNALLY. KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
Above is from their site.
The solvents from the MSDS are: Acetone, Toluene and Methanol.
Hope this helps.
Craig
[quote quote=11286]Reports have associated repeated and prolonged occupational overexposure to solvents with permanent brain and nervous system damage. Intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating and inhaling the contents can be harmful or fatal. WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. DO NOT TAKE INTERNALLY. KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN. Above is from their site. The solvents from the MSDS are: Acetone, Toluene and Methanol.[/quote]
Hmm… I used to handle all three of those solvents (with gloves & respirator) on a weekly basis back when I was a shipping clerk for a research plastics company 25+ years ago. Very effective solvents, but using (solvent resistant) gloves and a chemical grade respirator would be mandatory.
Some things are better to avoid using altogether.
24 April 2013 at 2:10 am #11294I don’t know much about BLO, but tung oil does dry, and when it does, it dries hard. I’ve had good luck with Hope’s Tung Oil, which is 100% tung oil, no solvents or driers added. I used it on a serving tray made of white pine, which is about as soft as balsa. From what I’ve picked up lurking in various forums, linseed oil behaves about the same. Before treatment, my fingernail dragged across the surface would leave a deep scratch. After 3 coats of tung oil, I have to really press to make any dents, and they seem to repair themselves pretty quickly (I’m guessing the oil underneath the surface seeps into the scratches).
I applied it as others suggested above: one thin coat, wipe off excess, wait 24 hours, repeat. I noticed that the finish hardens considerably after you’re done applying coats. Let it sit for a week or two, and it’s a tough finish. Not polyurethane tough, but still tough enough, and easier to refinish, and less toxic.
@spillplane: the wax should come off with a little denatured alcohol (or possibly mineral spirits). I’m guessing you can then thin the oil by dragging a rag dampened with mineral spirits across the finishing surface. I don’t have any experience doing this, but I know that people thin oil finishes with mineral spirits, so it stands to reason that you can remove excess dried linseed oil this way. Again, I’m just guessing here, but it’s worth a shot, and it’s backed up by Craig’s post above. If you can manage to get the excess removed, then you can go back to applying light coats of oil. Apply a few thin coats and let it dry for a week, and I think you’ll be very pleased.BLO is a pretty standard finish for saw refinishing from many of the serious saw guys’ blogs I’ve seen. I don’t see why you couldn’t just remove the stuff on the surface then let the stuff that has soaked in dry and then re-do it carefully as per Robin’s excellent suggestions. I agree some mineral spirits should get most of it off since it hasn’t really cured. Not enough oxygen has gotten to it to cure.
And yep, Craig, those nasty properties from the remover’s MSDS are mostly from the toluene. Nasty stuff but a very good solvent. Plus methanol is pretty poisonous.
Also the problem with the term Danish oil is you see some people refer to it as a varnish/BLO mix while to others it means an old school BLO without the hydrocarbon solvents and metallic catalysts that most things sold as BLO have in them now. The Tried and True brand is traditional BLO with no additives and they call it Danish oil if I recall.
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