Thin Boiled Linseed Oil?

[terry1166]

I need some advice from some of you more experienced finishers. I am finishing a small project made of some nice straight grained cherry stock and am considering applying a coat of boiled linseed oil, then several coats of super blond shellac. I've never used boiled linseed oil before. i have a test piece that I am using to check out my finish schedule. Tonight I opened the boiled linseed oil and applied a coat on the test piece. i was surprised at how thick it was and how quickly it dried on the surface. Should the boiled linseed oil used in this type of finishing schedule be thinned? If so, what ratio should I use to thin it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Terry

 

[mkepke]

I assume you are using the boiled linseed oil (BLO) to add color and depth, but no protection for the wood ?

If so, thin it with mineral spirits to whatever consistency you want.

-Mark

 

[Joe Scharle]

Fresh BLO will start to tackup in 10 minutes @ 70+deg. The idea with BLO is to get it on and wipe it off for even coverage and to prevent 'jelling' or gumming up on the wood.
So, if the BLO is too thick to behave, by all mean, thin it out. But fresh BLO needs no thinning.
I too like BLO as a colorant, as it's pretty foolproof, and foolproof for me, is a good thing!

 

[ScottM]

I often thin my BLO 50/50 with mineral spirits. Same grain popping effect and drys faster. I would wait a couple days between applying the BLO and your top coats.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

I often thin my BLO 50/50 with mineral spirits. Same grain popping effect and drys faster. I would wait a couple days between applying the BLO and your top coats.

Ditto what Scott said. Anywhere from 1:1 or 2:1 (BLO to Thinner) ratios work fine. I usually apply mine w/ a soft cloth in a circular motion to get it into the pores, then go w/ the grain once you've got the surface covered. Wait about 10 minutes, then wipe it off w/ a clean rag. As Scott said, MAKE SURE you wait until the BLO is completely dry. Shellac over wet BLO is not a pretty site.

Another easy finish you might like is a three way mix of BLO/Varnish/Thinner, w/ equal parts of each. Apply it the same way as straight BLO, and then wipe it off. Gives the same results as the BLO alone, but adds the protection of varnish. You can still finish it off later w/ shellac if you want to.

As w/ all finishes, try it on a scrap piece of the same species first.

Bill

 

[terry1166]

Thanks for the replies. The boiled linseed oil I have was just purchased at the BORG. The brand name is Crown. I am simply using it to pop the grain on the cherry and it seemed so thick that I didn't think I was getting good penetration. When I wiped the project down with mineral spirits to check for sanding scratches, errant glue, etc., the mineral spirits popped the grain more than the boiled linseed oil did on the test piece. I plan on thoroughly wiping down any excess oil and letting the oil dry for at least 3 days prior to putting on the first coat of shellac. I've also seen discussion of the oil, mineral spirits, varnish finish mix in other places and may try that on a future project,

Again, thanks for everyone's suggestions and comments. I'm new to finishing and need all the help I can get. The next thing I'll probably need help on is that I may have made a slight concession to the dark side by recently buying a Jet mini-lathe. I've never turned anything before so I've been looking at every instructional video I can find on the internet. I bought the lathe mostly to turn spindles and feet/legs for furniture projects, but I'm sure that eventually I'll want to try my hand at small bowls, etc. I have 4 small feet (3 flats, 1 half bead, 1 cove and one full bead) to turn for the project I'm working on and I'm trying to learn enough to turn them myself. We'll see how it goes, so stand by!

Terry