wstirling
New Member
If one has a large labelless drum of 'linseed oil' is there a method of discovering whether it is raw or boiled linseed oil?
Boiled or Raw Linseed Oil
- Thread starter wstirling
- Start date
old_salt
Well-Known Member
If you brush some on to raw wood.
Boiled or double boiled will soak in and dry quicker than raw.
I think I have it right. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
"Peterduck" and others will correct me and comment more info on this I am "sure". /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Boiled or double boiled will soak in and dry quicker than raw.
I think I have it right. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
"Peterduck" and others will correct me and comment more info on this I am "sure". /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Peterduck
Well-Known Member
Raw linseed smells more strongly than boiled, as I recall. I'll have to pop down to the workshop a bit later in the day [it's 7.30am as I write] and give some the Nose Test. Unfortunately, raw linseed goes black when it weathers on timber, or rather it turns the timber black. When I bought my old ketch all the spars were black, and I had to plane and scrape the old surface off. When I got them clean they were beautiful fine-grained Oregon; lovely stuff!
Peter.
Peter.
captainhaddock
Well-Known Member
Is it critical to your application?
Both raw and boiled linseed oil will soak into wood, but for a given temperature, raw linseed oil will take longer to dry than boiled linseed oil, so it will tend to soak in further. Boiled linseed oil tends to be thicker and is usually darker in colour compared with raw linseed oil and it dries (quicker) to a hard film with a more glossy surface.
Both raw and boiled linseed oil will soak into wood, but for a given temperature, raw linseed oil will take longer to dry than boiled linseed oil, so it will tend to soak in further. Boiled linseed oil tends to be thicker and is usually darker in colour compared with raw linseed oil and it dries (quicker) to a hard film with a more glossy surface.
Peterduck
Well-Known Member
I don't have the bottle of boiled Linseed oil that I thought I had; this is not unusual. So no nose test.
Among the "things that you don't need to know", linseed oil would very likely have been the oil which was boiled and used to repel attackers of various castles in Days Of Old. Mineral oil had not been discovered, and neither had whale oil. Flax, though, was common, and linseeds are the seeds of the flax plant.
Peter.
Among the "things that you don't need to know", linseed oil would very likely have been the oil which was boiled and used to repel attackers of various castles in Days Of Old. Mineral oil had not been discovered, and neither had whale oil. Flax, though, was common, and linseeds are the seeds of the flax plant.
Peter.
wstirling
New Member
I think it is quite important: I read that if one soaks blocks in boiled linseed for three weeks and then dries them for 3 months they can be varnished. However, if one uses raw linseed the varnish is likely to blister in the future. I am working on a boat for a museum a few days each week; longevity of equiptment and thoroughness are preferred. There happens to be a drum of linseed oil on site. I was hoping that there was a clever trick to distinguish between the two but think I better be on the safe side and buy some that has a label on! Many thanks.
old_salt
Well-Known Member
Hi.
Well don't chuck it out you will get plenty of offers for it on here.
Like how much is in the drum and where is it and I will come and pick it up if you don't want it. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Seriously now you have explained you predicament I can see your point.
As has been said if it is raw it can send the wood much darker and if you have the time a little experiment with a test peace might be of use.
I have only used boiled myself and as I stated if applied sparingly it will dry.
We have used it for years and have had no probs at all in fact I like it and find it better than varnish when it gets poor a little clean up with Fairy on a scotch pad then a wipe over with fresh oil restores a nice finish that won't build up the same way as Varnish and when Varnish brakes up it looks even worse.
Well don't chuck it out you will get plenty of offers for it on here.
Like how much is in the drum and where is it and I will come and pick it up if you don't want it. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Seriously now you have explained you predicament I can see your point.
As has been said if it is raw it can send the wood much darker and if you have the time a little experiment with a test peace might be of use.
I have only used boiled myself and as I stated if applied sparingly it will dry.
We have used it for years and have had no probs at all in fact I like it and find it better than varnish when it gets poor a little clean up with Fairy on a scotch pad then a wipe over with fresh oil restores a nice finish that won't build up the same way as Varnish and when Varnish brakes up it looks even worse.
Coomkeen
Active Member
Yes I agree.
The boiled has much less, if any, water in it.
Obvious really from the 'boiled' but then I'm good at stating the obvious.
And it's the moisture in the ordinary stuff that turns the wood dark.
So if you soak wood in ordinary linseed oil and then varnish, the moisture in the linseed oil will lift off the varnish.
Better, as Old_Salt says, to use boiled, let it dry, and use that as the finish rather than varnish.
A quick wipe over with an 'oily rag' keeps the finish in good shape.
Ron
The boiled has much less, if any, water in it.
Obvious really from the 'boiled' but then I'm good at stating the obvious.
And it's the moisture in the ordinary stuff that turns the wood dark.
So if you soak wood in ordinary linseed oil and then varnish, the moisture in the linseed oil will lift off the varnish.
Better, as Old_Salt says, to use boiled, let it dry, and use that as the finish rather than varnish.
A quick wipe over with an 'oily rag' keeps the finish in good shape.
Ron
FWB
N/A
Sorry to be totally thick on this subject but....
Is Boiled Linseed Oil, Raw Linseed Oil that has been boiled ???
If so why not just boil the oil which you have?
Or is Double Boiled Linseed Oil no good. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Is Boiled Linseed Oil, Raw Linseed Oil that has been boiled ???
If so why not just boil the oil which you have?
Or is Double Boiled Linseed Oil no good. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
cliffordpope
Well-Known Member
I vaguely recall an earlier thread where it was said that "boiled" does not actually mean boiled, but processed in some other way.
FWB
N/A
Yes, thanks. I have just done what I should have done before posting and looked it up. Boiled Linseed Oil
I will go back to sleep.
I will go back to sleep.
Coomkeen
Active Member
Quote from Wikipedia...
Boiled linseed oil is used as a paint binder or as a wood finish on its own. Heating the oil makes it polymerize and oxidize, effectively making it thicker and shortening the drying time. Today most products labeled as "boiled linseed oil" are a combination of raw linseed oil, petroleum-based solvent and metallic dryers. The use of metallic dryers makes boiled linseed oil inedible. There are some products available that contain only heat-treated linseed oil, without exposure to oxygen. Heat treated linseed oil is thicker and dries very slowly. These are usually labeled as "polymerized" or "stand" oils, though some may still be labeled as boiled.
So now we know.
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Boiled linseed oil is used as a paint binder or as a wood finish on its own. Heating the oil makes it polymerize and oxidize, effectively making it thicker and shortening the drying time. Today most products labeled as "boiled linseed oil" are a combination of raw linseed oil, petroleum-based solvent and metallic dryers. The use of metallic dryers makes boiled linseed oil inedible. There are some products available that contain only heat-treated linseed oil, without exposure to oxygen. Heat treated linseed oil is thicker and dries very slowly. These are usually labeled as "polymerized" or "stand" oils, though some may still be labeled as boiled.
So now we know.
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
nmiller
Active Member
What ever you do do not boil it. Think chip pan fire. You probably would not polymerize all of it any way.
In response to another reply, I think that it is fungus that turns the wood black, by feeding on all of that oil.
Try soaking the blocks in Deks Olya no 1 ( I think) and then finish with varnish or no 2.
In response to another reply, I think that it is fungus that turns the wood black, by feeding on all of that oil.
Try soaking the blocks in Deks Olya no 1 ( I think) and then finish with varnish or no 2.
