how to repair damage from linseed oil

[KATHY bERCAW]

I need to know how to undo a mess I created. I put linseed oil on my outdoor wooden furniture and it dried to a sticky consistency. The humidity has been terrible here in Kansas. Help please.

[Jim Becker]

Did you use raw linseed oil or BLO? (Boiled Linseed Oil) Did you wipe off the excess after application? Oils need to penetrate the surface. That said, the only thing that linseed oil will give you on your outdoor furniture is a temporary enhancement of color. There is zero "protection", per se. A penetrating oil finish such as Sikkens or Pentofin that is designed for exterior use is a better choice.

Try using a liberal amount of mineral spirits on a rag to wipe away the oil that is not drying. If that fails, you'll want to consider a stronger stripper and start over.

[Joe Chritz]

I use Boiled linseed oil on outside stuff fairly regular. Mostly tool handles and stuff like that.

It won't offer protection unless it is redone regularly and then not much. I generally do any wooden handled tools in the spring every year. I really don't like redoing finishes that take a lot of time so I chose it over many outdoor finishes. Minimal protection but extremely easy to keep up.

You need to wipe off all the excess or you will get a film. Sometime if the film is thin enough it will dry but normally you get what you have now. Snarf, for lack of a better word.

A good scrubbing with mineral spirits should take it off.

Joe

[Howard Acheson]

Get yourself a green scotchbrite pad and use it with mineral spirits. Rub aggressively and the wipe off the gunk with a paper towel. Once you have it clean, let it fully dry and then apply a better finish.