BLO curing

[Glennbear]

Silly question of the day. :icon_scra I'll spare the gory details but due to conditions beyond my control a Christmas project was delayed and now it is crunch time.:confused_ I had intended to use a BLO finish sealed with brushing lacquer and it is my understanding that the BLO needs to be fully cured before lacquer application. Can I speed polymerization with a judicious application of heat (heat gun) ? This is a small weather station so we are not talking about a huge mass of wood to heat up. Thanks :wsmile:

 

[DaveO]

When I turn pens I apply BLO first then turn the lathe up to high speed and with a small cloth burnish the BLO into the pen (creating a lot of heat) then I move right to my CA finish. I don't know if that answers your question about a Lacquer finish as BLO is often used in conjunction with a CA finish :dontknow:

You will probably get the same coloring effect using a blond shellac as you would with the BLO and have a much faster dry time.


Dave

 

[Howard Acheson]

Curing of BLO (polymerization really) is a function of oxygen mixing with the linseed oil. Heating is generally not very effective in speeding up the process.

 

[ScottM]

From my limited experince laying the work in direct sunlight for a couple hours seems to speed up the drying process.