BLO problem

[Chris Kennedy]

I am having a major problem with boiled linseed oil. I have put BLO on just a quick finish on several projects -- mostly just little things where I wanted a quick, no frills finish. Well, I did two just recently -- one was a small pine table and the other was pine trim I put around my shop window. I have used BLO on pine plenty of times with no trouble.

Well, it won't cure. BLO has never been the fastest (usually taking a couple of days), but it has been over a month (actually, closer to two). It is still tacky. I thought maybe the humidity was causing the problem, but after several weeks inside, there has been no improvement.

So, I have two questions. One is - why did this happen?

For the second, I assume that the finish will never cure at this rate, and I will need to get it off and finish with something else. Any quick ways to get it off other than gumming up several sheets of sandpaper?

Cheers,

Chris

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Won't lacquer thinner work?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

You might try mineral spirits on a rag. Wipe the project down. Then using a clean rag or paper towel, wipe it off.

BLO in my very humble finishing opinion, is NOT a finish and it isn't quick. It requires a long time to dry/cure.

For something quick, I prefer dewaxed shellac. I buy Zinssers' Bullseye Sealcoat. It goes on quickly and dries quickly too. It is easy to touch up.

I use a BLO on projects to "pop" the grain. I apply it sparingly, wait 5-10 minutes and wipe off the excess. Then I apply a coat of dewaxed shellac over the top as a sealer.

Then if I so desire, I can use poly or lacquer as the final protectant over that dewaxed shellac.

[Scott Holmes]

Ken is right BLO is not really a finish, at least not a good one. Pure oil finishes; BLO, tung oil, or mineral oil, are not very good as a finish. Mineral oil on a cutting board is an excellent choice but it must be maintained and re-oiled often. BLO and Tung oil are drying oils; mineral oil will never dry.

I suspect you left a film coating of BLO on the pine; that is not how oil or oill/varnish finishes are to be used. Apply a liberal coat (this is the only time I'm liberal) let it soak in for 15 to 20 minutes then wipe it DRY. 24 hours is enough for BLO to cure. If it's very humid (note: I'm in Houston), I sometimes give it an extra day.

[Chris Padilla]

BLO is a "stain" at best....

[Tri Hoang]

Wipe it down with mineral spirit. In the future, you may want to thin the BLO, apply it, and wipe it off after 15 minutes or so. I'd also follow it up with a coat of 1lb-cut shellac...The shellac is pretty quick to apply & dry.


You might try mineral spirits on a rag. Wipe the project down. Then using a clean rag or paper towel, wipe it off.

BLO in my very humble finishing opinion, is NOT a finish and it isn't quick. It requires a long time to dry/cure.

For something quick, I prefer dewaxed shellac. I buy Zinssers' Bullseye Sealcoat. It goes on quickly and dries quickly too. It is easy to touch up.

I use a BLO on projects to "pop" the grain. I apply it sparingly, wait 5-10 minutes and wipe off the excess. Then I apply a coat of dewaxed shellac over the top as a sealer.

Then if I so desire, I can use poly or lacquer as the final protectant over that dewaxed shellac.

[Rich Neighbarger]

pine sap can retard curing of BLO. Given time, it will eventually harden... or wipe it down with mineral spirits and be done with it.