Linseed Oil

[Gary Breckenridge]

:cool: I am making another cherry box. I want the box to darken and get that mellow old finish that cherry gets with boiled linseed oil. Will I get the same darkening with "Tried and True?" This is a Danish oil finish which is a polymerized linseed oil.:o

[Dan Larson]

Gary, the short answer to your question is-- yes the cherry will darken if finished with T&T Danish Oil. The T&T Danish Oil and the T&T Original Wood Finish are my favorite finishes, by the way. Great stuff!!!

Dan

[Richard Wolf]

I seem to remember an article in FWW about oil finished and if I recall correctly, Tried and True came out the worst of all finished tested. I could be wrong, maybe someone else could jump in.

Richard

[Dan Larson]

I seem to remember an article in FWW about oil finished and if I recall correctly, Tried and True came out the worst of all finished tested. I could be wrong, maybe someone else could jump in.

Richard
Hey Richard, the FWW test was of T&T Varnish Oil, not to be confused with their Danish Oil and Original finishes. I have no firsthand experience with the Varnish Oil finish, but have not heard anything positive about it. On the other hand, the T&T Danish Oil and Original Wood (same as the Danish Oil but with added beeswax) finishes are really nice to work with. I've not done a head to head test, but I'd guess that the Danish Oil finish cures at a similar rate to boiled linseed oil. One reason why I prefer T&T Danish Oil to BLO is that it does not contain any volatile solvents. This is a good thing for me since I don't have a well ventilated place to finish my projects.

[Jim Becker]

Dan is correct...the T&T Varnish Oil got panned...I don't like it either. But their "Danish Oil" or Oil/wax formulas are excellent. Since they are made with polymerized linseed oil, they look will be very similar to BLO from the 'borg. I often use this product for decorative items, but also have it on Dr. SWMBO's cherry desk that I made for her 6+ years ago. Two or three waxings since, it still looks almost like it did when new...but is obviously a lot darker from oxidation.

I generally only use T&T when it will be "the" finish. If I want oil under shellac and/or other finishes, I use the cheap stuff. Same look. But I like the silky result from T&T when you are going to get to touch it. I also tend to heat it in a water bath to about 135 degrees F to allow for better penetration of the first application.

[Tim Sproul]

Tried and True uses the term 'polymerized' where most others use the term 'boiled' when talking about linseed oil wood finish.

I've not read the FWW article but would gather they went about applying it all wrong. Tried and True is 'boiled' without the use of heavy metals...unlike what you might purchase as boiled linseed oil from a big box store. To apply, the Tried and True really needs to be HOT. HOT as in you can barely stand to apply it HOT. Rub it in really well and don't apply gobs of the stuff like you might do for typical boiled linseed oil or especially when applying BLO thinned with mineral spirits or naptha or other solvent. After rubbing it in, go back over the surface with clean rags. Do this more than once. The last rag shouldn't pick up much excess.

The lack of heavy metal driers in Tried and True can be an important consideration for those wanting to finish pieces in a traditional manner, especially when those pieces might get investigated by babes and others still stuck on Freud's 'oral' stage of development.

The Tried and True, when at room temperature is much more viscous than big box BLO. Hence, it needs to be heated so it 'thins' and will penetrate into wood better when hot compared to being room temperature. So don't flood the surface and apply it HOT while rubbing it into the wood. Then go back and wipe off any excess. I suppose one could thin Tried and True with a petroleum based solvent - mineral spirits or naptha - to help it penetrate rather than using heat. But I don't know if MS/Naptha and such are free of heavy metals.

[Jim Becker]

Tim, the article didn't use the Danish Oil formulas...they used the Varnish Oil formula which is the linseed oil combined with, I believe, tree resins. I had the same horrible results with it and was glad I only bought the "little can" of that stuff! The polymerization apparently means they cooked the oil a bit longer under some conditions to make it more apt to dry. (It's quite thick in texture as you indicate because of this cooking process) The same gets done occasionally to Tung Oil for the same reason.

[Tim Sproul]

Tim, the article didn't use the Danish Oil formulas...they used the Varnish Oil formula which is the linseed oil combined with, I believe, tree resins.

Like I said, I didn't read the article.


I like BLO. If the piece needs more protection than wax, I try shellac. If it needs more than that, I pass...though I did try some Behlen's Rock Hard and it really is ROCK HARD....well, after a couple weeks :D. Not a finish to use on surfaces other than flat, horizontal ones though.

Next up is the Target Coatings stuff.....and in a bit of a hijack, I'll let you know how spraying USL with an Asturo turns out. I still have my doubts about the finish starting off as an orange peel right off the gun.