# Raw linseed oil and boiled linseed oil



## Beanscoot (Feb 14, 2009)

Looking through my paint cupboard I found I have a gallon of the former and a quart of the latter, but I don't recall what each one is used for.  One of them I have used to put on shovel handles as a preservative but now I don't remember which.

So I am curious what uses these have, or if I should just dispose of them before the plastic containers crack from age and dump the contents.


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## EatenByLimestone (Feb 15, 2009)

Boiled Linseed oil is a great finish for handles and furniture.   

Matt


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## Beanscoot (Feb 15, 2009)

Wikipedia says that boiled linseed oil dries faster.  I guess I'll dispose of the raw stuff and save the boiled for tool handles.
I had a thought of using the raw oil as chainsaw bar oil, but if it ever starts to congeal that will be a pain.


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## North of 60 (Feb 15, 2009)

Beanscoot said:
			
		

> Looking through my paint cupboard I found I have a gallon of the former and a quart of the latter, but I don't recall what each one is used for. One of them I have used to put on shovel handles as a preservative but now I don't remember which.
> 
> So I am curious what uses these have, or if I should just dispose of them before the plastic containers crack from age and dump the contents.



Well Beanscoot you can do as my forefather pipefitters did and shave up some lead and mix it with that linseed oil and make some Vintage pipe dope/thread sealant. By the way, how many pulp mills still exist over there? I had retrofitted Elk falls and GoldRiver. I know GRs gone now as Ill travel there and fish Nootka and Tofino to meet up with my old lower mainland buddies. Port Alice was my favorite. Removed all of the old Pneumatic controls from there. Wished I was there during the boom days. I would of lived there for sure. Sorry to ramble, just alot of good memories and good people there. :coolsmile: 
N of 60


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## spot (Feb 15, 2009)

*"Raw"* linseed oil is just that... linseed oil mercilessly squeezed from flax seed and packaged with no additional additives or preservatives. Raw linseed oil dries very slowly, taking weeks to fully cure. You should limit its use to the insides of wood gutters, chopping blocks, sawhorses, and other items exposed to the elements where drying time is not a consideration.

Slow drying is a mixed blessing. For oil-based paints, slow drying is a benefit, since this allows the paint to "level" itself, giving a smoother finish with fewer brush marks. The best looking paint jobs are invariably oil paint jobs, without question. However, when used as a wood preservative for items that are handled or walked on, such as tool handles, furniture, or wood decks, long drying times are undesirable. 

Enter boiled linseed oil...

*"Boiled"* linseed oil is not actually, um, ...boiled. 

WTF???  ...Read on...

The actual boiling of some oils changes their drying characteristics. With linseed oil, though, it is the addition of certain solvents that causes linseed oil to dry more quickly, acting _as if _it were boiled. This makes it a better product for preserving tool handles, decks, and furniture.

I suppose they should have named it "sort-of-boiled linseed oil", or "kinda-like-boiled-but-not-really-boiled linseed oil". You know... to make it less confusing.


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## rowerwet (Feb 15, 2009)

linseed oil is poured into the inside of steel tubing used in aviation engine mounts, and the frames of dope and fabric airplanes, then the hole is plugged with a soft steel "nail" and it is the best way to keep rust from forming inside.


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## Beanscoot (Feb 16, 2009)

Hmmm... I don't foresee working on aircraft anytime soon, but I might be tempted to try North of Sixty's tip for making dope for my pipes with linseed oil and lead.  I imagine this would work well on exhaust manifold pipe threads like the EGR plumbing, Oxygen sensors (oops, just killed it by lead contamination), etc.

Pulp mills here on the island:   Harmac (Nanaimo) is apparently running again after being shut down for months last year.

I think the Campbell River mill is dead.

Crofton and Port Alberni are still running I believe.


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## johnn (Feb 17, 2009)

What you have is," old school wood finishing" system. More refined "linseed" becomes ,"Danish Oil". These are the groung base for ,hand rubbed finishes, along with shellac systems. Antiques and some modern fine furniture`s would utilize these techniques, as they are accepted as being more aesthetically correct methods. Nothing worse than ruining and depreciating a fine antique with "poly" These techniques require a stairstep sanding technique, sometimes requiring a "burnishing" of the grain and wood grain fillers. The buffing between coats increases the luster and also serves to harden the finish. I remember years ago seeing my grandmother on her knees with "johnson" wax polishing the "oak" hardwood flooring, which surely were finished with an oil rather than "poly".Traffic area wear patterns can more readily be refinished with the old system unlike having to strip the poly coated floor in order to restore evenly.


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## Czech (Feb 17, 2009)

Isn't it linseed that can spontaniuosly combust? I.E you don't want to toss soaked rags into the trash on a hot day? Or is that some other oil?


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## johnn (Feb 17, 2009)

No your right it is "linseed" that builds heat while drying.You dont want to bunch these soaked rags together, until dried. There could of course be other`s out there also that may be a danger, when possibly rags of different solvents may be introduced together. Rags are a DANGER.


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## Czech (Feb 17, 2009)

Yes, that's what I thought. Been down that road oiling the wooden gunnels on the Mad River, seem to recall my rag pile smoldering. I though the stuff was pretty toxic too?


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## johnn (Feb 18, 2009)

GotzTheHotz said:
			
		

> Yes, that's what I thought. Been down that road oiling the wooden gunnels on the Mad River, seem to recall my rag pile smoldering. I though the stuff was pretty toxic too?



  Not sure about the "toxic" content, the oil is literally squeezed from the plant; seed, hence the term pure. Of course there are many toxic plants! Earlier thread has  a good site telling much of the uses and history, however I was more interested in the "old school" finishing techniques;and where that site would lead in that area. wood grain filler seems to be hard to find and is many times mixed on the spot from materials on hand; also the mixing of shellac for those hand rubbed processes; seen some nice doors done that way.

 I~m not sure if memory serves me right,,,once read where at a dear camp a shelter had been built with siding cut from creosole preserved wood ,,the smell inside especially when heated was hard to manage and I believe it might have been neutralized with linseed oil???


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## rowerwet (Feb 23, 2009)

An old time way of preserving wood (still used on oars and some paddles) was to soak it in linseed oil, some boat builders did the same to wood used in thier boats and it made the wood translucent. (like frosted glass)


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## SuburbanFarmer (Mar 2, 2009)

Thanks for the 'primer' on Raw vs Boiled. Lots of knowledgeable folks here! Linseed oil is the original 'oil' in oil based paint. It will never go bad. I have a gallon from my parent's pantry that I still use periodically for tool handles, my wooden ladder, etc. I'll set a bunch of stuff outside, spray it on, then brush in the finish.


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## Cutter (Mar 2, 2009)

I am a building contractor in Kansas. And while I can appreciate all of the new finishes and preservitives that come down the pike, I still put my trust in Linseed oil. As we are building, I keep a gallon jug of 1/2 linseed oil and 1/2 turpentine mixed up. When ever we have a board that comes anywhere near touching the ground (door jambs trim. thresholds ect.) we fit the board and then stick the end of it in the bucket and let it wick up into the end grain. After drying, any kind of paint or finish will stick even better to it than most primers. I have never had to go back and address any rotting problems after using this method.
  I also have a little foot stool that I made in 1966 that I used the same type of finish on. I believe it had three hand rubbed coats on it. It will still repel water. I have also used the same process on a new red oak floor in my lapidary studio. I didn't want to put down a poly or acrilic because I knew that it would be damaged by all of my dust and dropping rocks on the floor. This way I can repair any damage without having to address the entire floor. Just scrape it down and oil it up. It also brought out the beautiful reds in the wood.
  On the floor, I started out using 75%turpentine and 25% linseed oil. This thinned out the finish so I got good penatration into the wood. Second coat 50/50 and the last was 25/75. It was then hand rubbed into a pretty, low luster. And water just beads up as pretty as can be. I do wipe up any excess amounts of water spliis so it can't work its way down the cracks.
Brad


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