Do they really boil linseed oil? (And other oily answers)

natural oil finishes are very popular with many hobbyist woodworkers because they're easy to apply they're nearly impossible to mess up and they leave a low luster Sheen that looks great they are terribly durable but there's a lot to like about that wasn't till the snake oil salesman in the finishing industry began filling everyone's head with a bunch of nonsense confusing the issue with a whole range of products that they label oil finishes in this video we'll try to cut through some of that nonsense so you know what type of oil to use on your next project the most common oil finish used by woodworkers may be boiled linseed oil if you're wondering what a linseed is it's just another name for flaxseed which is very nutritious although I wouldn't drink boiled linseed oil a few hundred years ago someone discovered that you could put the oil on wood and would make it look pretty while offering a measure of protection against moisture and dirt the problem is it took two to three or more days per coat to dry and sometimes it never seemed to fully cure so the wood always followed a little sticky so someone boiled it and it's led and I think probably a dash of salt and pepper and the result was faster polymerization today it's not really boiled they just add metallic dryers which is why shouldn't drink it but it's still called boiled linseed oil and it dries much faster than the raw stuff that's a good thing because while a great-lookin Biello finish can be achieved in just two or three coats it takes many thin coats to effectively protect wood long term you also have to maintain it by adding more from time to time or the luster will dull Biello will also yellow over time some folks like that other people don't it can even become rancid and turn black under certain conditions which makes it a poor finish for cutting boards and bowls tung oil is another common natural oil finish that's been around for quite a while confucius wrote about tung oil which the chinese simply called wood oil marco polo said the chinese used it to waterproof their boats but we all know Marco Polo was a liar so needless to say it was around long before some guy named forms B started selling it despite the name tung oil it doesn't come from a tree stung it comes from its nuts and while it is in some ways similar to boiled linseed oil there are some important differences for one thing pure tung oil is just that pure it isn't treated to speed up drying time so it dries more slowly than Biello though not as slow as raw linseed oil while Biello will yellow and even turn rancid with aged towel remains more stable over time tung oil is a bit more difficult to apply though not only does it take longer to dry between coats but it often takes more coats of tung oil to achieve a nice finish it is a bit more water resistant than Biello but it still won't protect as well as a varnish unfortunately many products labeled tung oil are actually concoctions that contain only a bit of pure oil if the can mentioned something about petroleum distillates or mineral spirits or hydrocarbons it's not pure tung oil in many cases it's simply a polyurethane based wiping varnish which is true of our next oil finish Danish Oil sounds nice and exotic but it's not from Denmark and it's not exactly oil it's a mix of tongue or boiled linseed oil polyurethane and mineral spirits some brands throw some other stuff in there too so they can make crazy claims about what it'll do but you can make your own for a lot less than the manufacturers charge just by mixing those three ingredients together sometimes they try to squeeze a few more dollars out of you by calling it teak oil or something even more exotic but read the label it's pretty much the same thing now it's not a bad finish it penetrates like a natural oil but it offers a little more protection because of that polyurethane in it but you could achieve the same results with a coat or two of a much less expensive Biello and then top coat with some thinned out polyurethane finally we have mineral oil which is different from the other natural oil finishes because it'll give you diarrhea if you eat it actually the other ones make - but mineral oil is sold in drugstores as a cure for constipation in fact that's where I buy it because it's way cheaper at the drugstore and I eat a lot of cheese mineral oil does not cure or harden like other oils it just soaks in and makes the wood look pretty while helping to repel some moisture it's a good finish for cutting boards and bowls because it doesn't go rancid it won't yellow over time and it won't last long I suppose that last point was more of a con than a pro but it is easy to reapply and did I mention you could eat it those are the most common oils used for wood finishing be sure to check out our video about wood varnishes which I'll link to below then you have all the information you need to choose the right finish for your next project see you next time power carving is a blast you should try it sometime grab some scrap wood and some carbide burrs from saber-toothed power carving tools and just give it a go you may be surprised what you're capable of like this folk our Eagle I made from two by sixes check out what Sabretooth has to offer at the link below this video wait don't go yet if you're new here please subscribe and remember to ring the bell I would really appreciate that give us a thumbs up or better yet leave us a comment I always read them and be sure to check out the latest issue of stumpy nubs woodworking journal it's always packed with tips tricks and tutorials designed to make you a better woodworker

Channel: Stumpy Nubs

Views: 84,802

Rating: 4.9645276 out of 5

Keywords: woodworking, stumpy nubs, tips, workbench, table saw, scroll saw, drill press, quick tip, band saw, bandsaw, lumber, hack, hand plane, sharpening, tormek, worksharp, diamond stone, water stone, wood turning, bowls, lathe

Id: 5GRWmYH9vXg

Length: 5min 33sec (333 seconds)

Published: Tue Aug 27 2019