Linseed oil shelf life?

[Robert Opalko]

I have an old can of boiled linseed oil, perhaps 3 years old? Does this stuff go bad, or is it ok to use for my current project? My typical finish is 1/3 turpentine, 1/3 linseed oil, 1/3 varnish mixed well. Can use in a non-"clean room" environ, and wet sanding makes slurry to fill pores of red-oak type porous woods.
Cheers

[Todd Burch]

Is this a poll or a question, or a poll and a question? Seems they are not related.

You and I will go bad before the BLO goes bad.

Sandpaper grit depends. "Depends" is not a choice.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have an old can of boiled linseed oil, perhaps 3 years old? Does this stuff go bad, or is it ok to use for my current project?

You will know it's gone bad when it hardens into a little ball in the bottom of the can.

[John Keeton]

I just finished up a can of BLO that I bought in 1972!! As you can see, I have not been a "heavy user" in the past!!:D My guess is the shelf life is somewhat in excess of 37 years?????

[Scott Holmes]

Hey John,

I too have an old can of BLO; I don't use it, because it has LEAD as the metal drier!
They quit using in ~ 1978.

[John Keeton]

Scott, maybe it is the nerve damage from the lead poisoning that keeps me from doing really good joints in my woodworking!:D Has to be some reason beyond lack of skill!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I just finished up a can of BLO that I bought in 1972!! As you can see, I have not been a "heavy user" in the past!!:D My guess is the shelf life is somewhat in excess of 37 years?????

You got me beat John! I just finished a can that I bought in 1986.

[John Keeton]

You got me beat John! I just finished a can that I bought in 1986.Apparently you have escaped the lead poisoning problem! I bought my first can when I started building longrifles. That was the finish I used - 5-7 coats of hand rubbed, and rubbed, and rubbed BLO! Then wax.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Apparently you have escaped the lead poisoning problem! I bought my first can when I started building longrifles. That was the finish I used - 5-7 coats of hand rubbed, and rubbed, and rubbed BLO! Then wax.


You forgot to mention "RUBBED"....:rolleyes:

[Stephen Musial]

What size cans do you guys buy? I'm on my second gallon in 9 years and I'm just a hobbiest.

[John Keeton]

Stephen, keep in mind that until recently, I was a wipe on poly guy!! Still like the stuff, notwithstanding all the negative press:D

BLO has only caught my attention since joining and surfing the creek. I have nearly used my second quart in the last 2-3 months.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

My first quart I bought in 1986 to help freshen an oil painting.

[phil harold]

I go thru a gallon or so every year I sand and oil all wood handles: hoes, rakes, shovels, wheel barrel... some times use as a wood finish but mostly as a wood protector.

Old painter trick was to mix blo 50-50 with turps then coat all exterior trim wait 2 weeks and then prime and paint with oil base, the paint never peeled

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Hey John,

I too have an old can of BLO; I don't use it, because it has LEAD as the metal drier!
They quit using in ~ 1978.

Well maybe you shouldn't use it for cutting boards, chopsticks, and salad bowls but the lead in the dryer is insignificant Go ahead and use it.

[Roger Newby]

I just finished off a can that I bought while in high school. I graduated in 1965! The price tag on the can (one quart) was 79 cents:eek: plus, I used it to freshen up a batch of beeswax, BLO, turpentine mix from the same time frame. My neighbor back then raised bees and GAVE me a pound of beeswax for the mix. Wish he was still around!

[John Keeton]

I just finished off a can that I bought while in high school. I graduated in 1965!And the award goes to.....ROGER!! 44 years!

[jay case]

I have a can of BLO for 36 years now. Used it a couple times over that span. and just used it to apply some natural color to a wood project. Seemed just fine.

[ron david]

friend of mines father has just recently passed and Geoff had given me this can of raw linseed oil and have dated it back to around the 1st war time. can is still sealed and it still feels pretty liquid inside. if it is good it will be better than any that you can get today. Most of the linseed oil produced today comes from a lower grade flax out of countries that have an ending with "stan". it doesn't have the smell or colouring that come from prime NA flax. here is a picture of the can and where it was purchased from. Burrell's English raw linseed oil
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/922/2ATZ0x.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/923/yQpTuv.jpg

Victoria, B.C.
ron

[Paul K. Johnson]

And that can was probably less than seventy-nine cents when originally sold. :)