Info on BLO, Boiled Linseed Oil, Homemade vs Store Bought and Ways it is Made
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- Опубликовано: 17 сен 2024
- BLO Is one of my favorite wood finishes, but there is a lot of mystery surrounding Boiled Linseed Oil. This is as good a place as any to answer a lot of those.
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A deeper study on the history of Linseed oil: dare.uva.nl/cgi...
Additive free but contains other natural oils: www.dictum.com...
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I can attest to the fact that BLO is flammable. I have watched a rag that I used to apply it smolder and then burst into flames. I had moved the rag outside as a little science experiment with one of my sons when he was younger and he thought I was magic. It's always good to have your children think that you have special powers, it keeps them toeing the line ;).
LOL. I had so many people claiming that it wasn't real that a while ago I made a video on the topic and I still had people claiming that I faked the video.
My Mom used to make her own BLO back in the mid-1950's. She cut the raw flax seed oil with white lightning purchased from a local bootlegger. It was straight from his still and about 95% grain neutral spirits. I was a youngster but used that "shine" in the alcohol lamp from my chemistry set. The BLO polymerized overnight. She got the raw flax seed oil from an "old timer" furniture maker in town. That man was truly a master woodworker. He made all of his own finishes. Some even from harvesting pine stumps and distilling the oil. Pretty cool old guy too. I learned a great deal from him.
I love finding all of those old handmade finishes. they are so much fun to use and often bring a color that you just can not match!
Hands down one of the best videos on "flax oil" for any novice or expert DIYer out there to get a good start with on this subject...Excellent and the first video in this series I have reviewed!!! I look forward to watching more...Great Job!!!!
Thanks for the video James. Rags can definitely go up in flames if don't properly dispose of them. We (some bike mechanic, but the old timer for sure) use boiled linseed oil to build bicycle wheels and we always talked about this being a problem.
+Felix Espana it is never something you want to see.
Lots of good information here. You did however confuse flash point with the auto-ignition temperature. The flash point is the temperature that the vapors will combust when exposed to open flame. For linseed oil, that is about 200°F. The auto-ignition temp is the temperature that it will combust without open flame. For linseed oil, that is about 650°F, roughly 50° over the temp where polymerization occurs. That said, any cooking should be done on an electric hot plate.
Very well explained!
thanks Fabian. I just found your channel. Sweet stuff.
i want to be the first to congratulate you on your almost 10,000 subs!
LOL thanks. should be tomorrow some time!
Great video James i did see that older video and Made a comment back then. I’m glad you followed up with this video as it has been on my mind ever since i worked in a Architectual Millworking shop that. Had a entire filled Dumpster. Burst into flames from. Finishing rags as the Dumpster was pulled and taken down the road by the Dumpster company To dispose of all the contents Y guess was always that It got stirred up as the driver was loading it onto his truck as he left our facility and went down the street the flames were pretty large. Untill the fire department responded the driver unloaded. His extinguisher but that wasnt enough ? Needles to say rags were disposed of differently. After that incident. And that facility is no longer operating from bad management
That does not sound like fun! LOL good stories though. I do have another video showing it catch on fire.
i didn't know few things before this video, thanks James!
thanks man!
I can't wait for you to release the video on making it!
thanks. it should be out Saturday, but we will see.
nice video James very informative I never realized in all my years that's what linseed oil did as far as the molecular structure of the drying.
+Opa's Workshop ya it is fascinating stuff to study.
It is simple science, if you have the right mix of elements anything will burn, we used to have a coal burning furnace where I worked and we kept a large coal heap outside with pipes going down into the centre of the heap. The reason for this was that if the coal got wet IE rain, the heat built up and the coal heap would catch fire without any human interaction.
interesting. sounds like a fun time there!
I enjoyed my work very much but remembered the coal because we had to take temperature reading every day and if they rose to high the heap had to be moved and cooled off to prevent spontaneous combustion
Awesome informative video. Really enjoy your videos James. Thank you so much!
Thanks John. That means a lot!
Good info there, James. I love the look of BLO but had to stop using it in my shop due to it's propensity to attract various molds.
Interesting. that is a new one for me. sounds like no fun!
Real good info on the BLO James.
thanks for sharing.
Chuck
my pleasure! thanks for watching!
Lots of info James! Thanks for the video!
thanks. and it was fun having you on the chat again tonight.
Pretty informative... Nice! I never thought about blo in that deep, quantum level :)
LOL I love studying the chemical level of finishes. Thanks!
I did, after watching your previous video like my boards in the hot July sun then put the boiled in seed on there like them some more... Turned out awesome like a plastic finish that the UV rays don't even seem to bother the color of my Eastern red cedar. Thanks dude
Great info, James.
Thanks! can you tell I like the stuff!
Wood By Wright I noticed that!
Good bunch of info there. I liked it.
thanks Jim!
Awesome information James as always very interesting and I'm with you these types of finishes will create heat and catch fire I've seen this happen in a shop different situations but same results. And when something is labeled as such just believe and take the simple precautions.
Thanks Thom. it always surprises me how people do not take that seriously. it just takes it one time and then you will.
I watched a video a few days ago were a guy made a small batch of BLO in his kitchen. His process was dead simple, but I'd feel safer outside with a hotplate.
wow! in an open pot? that is a great start to a bad day. LOL
Wood By Wright It wasn't even a pot. He used a beaker. It seemed as if he had several batches before, but still...
wow. sounds interesting. do you have a link?
he was riding that temperature line. WOW! I was waiting for it to flame up. I had not heard of the father test though that is great! thanks for sharing!
First small batch in the garden on a hot plate was a leaning experience on boiling over and flash point. The hotplate was only damaged cosmetically and I am de-carboning the pan. Looked at the finer and found around 455F or 235C get ready to remove the oil, it will boil over if you are not there for removal from the heat and it will flash when the hotplate.
My ex-inlaws had some BLO-soaked rags go up. They'd put them into a steel can outside specifically in case that happened, and it has on a couple occasions.
What I do is take a BLO-soaked rag/paper towel, run it under water to soak it (don't wring it out), then put it into a sandwich bag _and seal it up_ to keep the water in. The BLO still dries, but much slower and the water prevents it from overheating and catching fire. By the time the water has evaporated it'll be in a landfill somewhere and the BLO should've dried or congealed enough to not present a fire hazard.
+catdumpling that is one of the best practices. It is never something you want.
.
Well played.. I use linseed for around 90% of my projects. Nice to have the extra info. I once bought natural linseed oil and it was a mistake for me lol
LOL. "why won't this cure?" I love playing with things and setting things on fire.
Wood By Wright Lol i think after a day i actually yelled at it
cheers man, your vids on linseed oil helped get me started!
Thanks Marcus. That means a lot.
But it really did, and I use it to finish simple pieces that i sand down to a 1000 grit, and people go ooOOH! When they touch it. Also doing bleaching with uv light, goes really well, and funny enough smells nice afterwards!
I love that smell!
Great stuff James and a thorough explanation. Guess we will just have to wait til summer for combusting rags oh well 😉
that will be a fun video.
Stand oil (thermo-vacuum linseed oil) is linseed oil set in a vacuum and heated to approximately 500°+ for an extended period of time (days). It's thick, more clear and dries unlike any other linseed product - it doesn't yellow with age. It’s not to be confused with any other linseed products like raw or boiled linseed oil. It's been used by artists for years and is available online or at good art supply stores, I’m an art conservator and I've been using it for years. Also, anyone that tells you that linseed oil is not subject to spontaneous combustion should be institutionalized.
Cool, cool, and more cool info Sir, thanks !
well Thank you thank you and more thank you.
Wood By Wright
Lol. true it's a cool info mate :)
I had a fire with oil soaked rags 35+ years ago. Finished a table with boiled linseed oil, put rags in the trash, and left. A couple hours later we got a call that we had a fire in our apartment. Luckily, our upstairs neighbors smelled smoke, broke down the door and put out the fire. We had $5,000 worth of damage (in 1978 that was big bucks) which we paid for for the three years we were in that town. Finally negotiated with the landlord's insurance company as we were leaving town, so the debt would not follow us to the new job. Now, I burn or submerge in water, any rags I use with BLO.
WOW! that is not a call you want to get! it always surprises me how people do not take that seriously. it just takes it one time and then you will.
Hi there from Portugal,
Nice info, I already use Linseed oil and wax to finish some of my projects :D and is very nice finish :
Obrigado(Thanks)
thanks man!
:D
Thanks for the info James! .... From this point on, I'll always think "I'm eating wood finish" every time I put flaxseed meal in yogurt or cereal.
LOL I like that!
Great info. Thanks for sharing.
+Michael Natrin thanks. And an time.
verry good Video please more natural self mades
...like linseed oil, shellac finish, skin & bones glue etc. :)
got to love the stuff!
I have been sharing your video to my friends all day man lol
Older video I know, but commenting on the spontaneous combination. A couple of stores in the old downtown area of a city I lived in, caught fire and were effectively destroyed by smoke damage due to a wad of oily rags in a living space above that was being renovated. It does happen so dont let it be your house.
Very true. I actually have a video showing the rags catching on fire. It takes very specific circumstances for it to happen. They have to be wadded up just the right amount and have enough access to oxygen but not so much that the air cools them down. Unfortunately wadded up in the bottom of the trash can is just about the right amount.
Hey James, great video. All things considered., I think I'll stick with the can version.
I always have some on hand. and if I did not have a friend making it for himself I would be there too.
I recently acquired approximately 3 gallons of linseed oil from a gentleman who just retired from my work. He said that he remembers this barrel from his grandfathers farm when he was a kid, he is now in his 70s. The linseed oil is dark amber in color, and it pours like 40 weight motor oil. A few questions, is this stuff still usable, how do I tell if it's already boiled?
Nice. it has probably started to polymerize over the years. that is why it is thick. to test it put a drop or two on a nonporus surface, Glass, plastic, metal, and let it sit on the surface for 2 days if it is still wet after that time it is raw. If it hardens or gets thick and sticky then it will polymerize when in the wood.
Thanks for the tip James. I did as you suggested and after three days (I forgot to check on day two)the linseed oil has hardened and is a little sticky. Looks like it has been boiled. One last question, what would be my best option for thinning this linseed oil for easier application?
great info!
+Braxton Wirthlin thanks Braxton.
Good Info
Thanks man!
Great info there James. Just curious, since BLO does polymerize, can it be used in the French Polishing technique used on furniture or instruments? Thanks, Steve
definitely. it won't be quite as glossey. it is not a film finish it soaks in more the shellac, but you can use it that way.
Your opening question regarding flax seed oil also being called linseed oil and why. Actually why is linseed oil also called flax seed oil. Common flax, latin name, Linum Usitatissimum is used in the making of linen cloth, the seeds pressed into linseed oil. It's believed the common name of flax is derived from the term for the plant fibers, once they are retted, threshed and separated from the straw, prior to spinning.
Hey James. I just found your videos and they are great. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge.
I know this is an old video and hopefully, you may see my comment. I was wondering if the pure boiled linseed oil was safe for a raised vegetable bed. So many youtube videos say don't use boiled.
I purchased the boiled that is listed at 100% pure and boiled and I checked the MSDS and no other chemicals are included in it. I'm tempted to just return it and get the raw linseed but drying time is the main issue since I'd like to use these planters sometime soon. Thank you for any advice or thoughts you may have.
I would have no problem at all using it in a vegetable bed. The problem is it's not that useful. Boiled linseed oil and paste wax will wash out in a few months. Historically it would get reapplied every 6 months to a year and most woods get replaced in 4 to 10 years.
@@WoodByWright thank you so much for the quick reply. Oh, I didn't realize it wouldn't matter that much. That's good to know. I guess I'll just leave it as is. Thank you again.
I need to ask just one think !!! how long the wood will keep this terrible smell !!! i really like the surface that make but the smell are .... can i put something in so i change this smell ??? thanks for sharing all those good informations !!
I really like the smell of it. but once it cures the smell is gone. a day or two depending on the brand you got.
ha ha ha ha ! thanks man because i put some of this on some mobile stand that i make and the smell maybe today will be perfect !!!!
nice one james, what kind of sheen can you get from your linseed oil mix?
+KingPost TimberWorks depends on how you Polish it and the type of wood. You will always see the texture of the wood but you can get it glossey.
I use beeswax cut with orange oil (limonene) on the hard rock maple neck and fingerboard of my guitar. I use it on the nitrocellulose body finish too. Hopefully it will keep it supple.
A very nice Sheen like a plastic finish resistant to UV it seems obvious
Which one is best for making paste wax for finish, and protecting tools? thx!
He's an updated video with a bit more information. I used the hard wax for lubrication and rust protection and a softer wax for finishing. ruclips.net/video/4k9mJtvqP94/видео.html
@@WoodByWright Thanks James, Really appreciate the engagement on your channel. I meant can you use the BOL with drying agents to make paste wax. Thanks again!
Yes. I usually use mineral spirits for my soft-based wax.
Ooh your sooo close to 10,000 subs 😁
yup. probably tomorrow some time!
Great video, I enjoyed it a lot. OK now, you told me once to go ahead and try hand planes. I now have a #5 Stanley and two #4 in poor shape. I cleaned them in vinegar water and now have sharpened one. How do I adjust the blade in a #4 to use it? Do you have a video showing how to set the blades?
God Bless my friend.
I am not quite sure what you mean by set the blade. I have a video on setting it up for smoothing. ruclips.net/video/vG-DULSw6Zk/видео.html and if you want it for a deeper cut you can just back the chip breaker off to 1/16" - 1/8" from the tip of the blade, and have the mouth opened a bit more than the thickness of the cut you want to make.
Come to Australia, Summer has just begun and we have 'Lots' of warm sunshine :D . After using liquids of this nature, I throw the rags into the middle of my concrete carport to dry / evaporate off. I know what this stuff can do (Ex Firefighter)
Sounds like fun. I am looking forward to a trip down there some time.
Hi James,You seem to have forgotten where you live?. 50 degrees in the UK, you must be joking. I don't think we got that hot even in the middle of summer, although I don't remember having a summer this year, I must have blinked and missed it.
LOL F. nor C. that would be about 10C. I actually just recorded the BLO catching on fire 2 days ago. that video should be out next week.
Can you store it in an outside she'd ?
It will take light freezing but sub zero temps can cause problems.
Could CA glue be used to seal and fill knots in pine then a store bought BLO finish be applied over the top? Would the BLO react with the CA?
Or should I seal the knots with a few coats of shellac or melt undissovled shellac with a soldering iron into them then apply the BLO finish?
you could use CA. that would work fine. I generally use epoxy tented to match the wood tone.
Should I do my two coats of BLO first wait until complete dry then fill seal the knots with ca instead. So the knots have some BLO on/in them toning them with the rest of the wood better?
"The polymerizing agent is only a mild irritant"? It used to be lead oxide, has that changed?
Boiled linseed oil is thebasic zvehicle in artist oil paiinting.
If you find a 50 year old bottle it is wonderful smooth quick drying stuff . NEVER throw old linseed oil out.
So true! the guy I get it from makes his own BLO for the purpose of making his own natural paints.
a little off topic, and you may have already answered this, but what did you use as a finish on your workbench?
thanks. my work bench was Waterbased Poly.
looking forward to seeing the experiment videos, i think you ought to start a new channel fire by wright lol, i also think you should buy a ton of flax seeds and let cremona press them with his apple press...many thanks scott
LOL that sounds like a fun colab video!
Any recommendations on BLO for someone who lives in California
Lol home made BLO you bet. It is about the only finish you can live there. I have a couple videos on making your own BLO and Paste wax.
I use mostly walnut oil. I buy that in the supermarket. Cant get safer than that. Did you ever try that? I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
There is a historic mill here in the Netherlands where the raw lindseed oil is pressed. I dont use it as i prefer boiled over raw. But as a base for paints it works well. The flad millwright is called Olieslager in Dutch, because the oil is pressed by beating a wedge into the press. These millwrights all used to be deaf.
WOW that is some great history there. sounds like a fantastic video. I am going to have to come visit you one of these days and see that place! I have not used Walnut oil. does it polimerize?
The place is in the Openluchtmuseum in Arnhem, about 20km from where i live. That would make a series of videos with all the other tools and demos going on.
Walnut oil hardens too, but it penetrates a bit better. Its a bit like tung oil but cheaper and a bit more fluid. I like it. Also smells nice. I use it a lot on turning projects. Try it, and report back!
Sweet! I am going to try and find it! sounds like fun to play with.
Willem Kossen ñ
How many coats of BLO would you need to put on a large project like a workbench or cabinet? How hard of a finish does it really create?
BLO does not create a protective finish. that is why I apply paste wax after. and that is not a hard finish it just makes it do you can wipe the dust off of it and water generally beads off as the wax stoppes it. but that wax should be re applied time to time. as to how many coats? I put it on tIll the wood stops soaking it up then wipe off the exes. some times that is only one and some times 5+
thanks. I was assuming that since the oil polymerised after soaking into the wood, that it would make the wood itself a bit more durable. Either way, I want to start using more natural finishes in my shop and get away from off the shelf products.
that is a great place to start. then you can make your own shellac and start mixing into the oil other things like a natural varnish. it is a deep rabbit hole.
It's called LINseed oil because it comes from LINum Usitatissimum (flax).
Thanks for the info.
Also LINen cloth is made from fibers from flax stocks.
even more fun info!
the german term for Flax is also Leinen. So the term Linen stands for the fabric and the seeds and the plant itself. of cause german people took these words to america and so it latin roots are stil found alive in everyday life.
Did you end up making the video about the UV-boiled linseed oil?
Yes. I would put up a link but I am out on the road today. If you search for bleached linseed oil it should pop up.
So if i were to use pure linseed oil to finish a project, it would take months to dry? I dont really have to safe means in or outside where i live to boil it. At the same time we really don't want the chemical dryers.
Yes raw linseed oil can take a week to a couple months to dry. That is why they add dryers and or "boil it"
Hi again James, was wondering if you knew about Gambling Refined Linseed Oil(Art Medium). My brother has a bottle he doesn't used and was wondering if I can use that and or mixed in with beeswax, just not sure if safe to handle without gloves. Thank you
I have never heard that term before. I will have to look it up.
@@WoodByWright yeah I get different results like having alkali and some state they don't but just wasn't sure either😖
Tried and True Original Wood Finish - no driers or solvents, zero VOC , safe for people , plants and pets. Now you can get safely polymerized linseed oil from: Tools for Working Wood.
Yep. I'm glad they now have that available. I've used it a few times.
Question: Does cold pressed unrefined linseed oil(for human consumption) have the same effect as raw/boiled?
+Ryuukai that is what raw linseed oil is. Or should be. That is what I start with to make my Boiled or bleached linseed oil.
Wow need to be careful with this stuff. 82 left at this time. I see you hitting it this weekend. BLO does have a great finish to it.
thanks man I am hoping to hit it tomorrow night. we will see.
you must be up watching for the 10 k your so close man
+Pascal Surprenant hopfuly today some time.
almost there buddy 17 more lol I feel it man
That is because Linseed oil is made from Lin seeds and not Flax seeds. They are very similar but not exactly the same. The plants that are grown for oil have larger and oilier seeds than the flax plants grown for fiber that will be used for Linen. The flax is a taller plant and smaller seeds. That being said they are two strains of the same plant.
+Mike's Micro Shop interesting. More for me to look into. Thanks.
Mike's Micro Shop everything I have read says it’s made from flax
You can eat flax seed, but BLO always has a ton of nasty health warnings. Is that due to the added dryers and not the actual oil itself?
If you buy it from the store it does. But if you make it for yourself there's nothing in there but Lindsay oil. Natural BLO It is very different from what you can get at the store. I have several videos on making it if you want to see that as well.
five more man tonight is the night
Doesn’t linseed oil go rancid?
that depends on your definition of rancid. all oils will go rancid. even synthetic motor oil. If you are asking would I use it on a cutting board, then sure. (the natural stuff not store bought) but I also have no issue with using natural olive oil. as what most people consider "rancid" is still fine to consume if left to polymerize.
Excellent. Thank you. There are some people that imply that linseed oil goes rancid and really smelly, extremely quickly. I also watched you linseed and bee’s wax video. Can I assume that it is safe to make? How is it different than just straight boiled linseed oil? Finally, how does it compare to Bri-Wax?
Heating linseed oil in a double boiler is safe as it will not get over the temperature of boiling water. that is hot enough to melt your waxes and get them to mix well. store bought BLO is raw linseed oil with a chemical hardener that will let it polymerize in 24 hours or so. raw Linseed oil can take weeks or more to polymerize and harden. true Boiled linseed oil is just raw linseed oil that has been heated to the point just shy of spontaneous combustion (extremely dangerous) and that will polymerize in a day or so. I have never used Bri-Wax and I do not know what is in it.
I have worked 3 different house fires caused by BLO soaked rags. And 1 dumpster fire.
yup. I have another video where I show it catching on fire. it take the right circumstances, but unfortunately the correct circumstances are a waded up rag in a can.
Many commercial stains contain it too.
Tell thr guy thst we don't know that we won't sue him.
I seen a video someone put up where he gets the oil form the flaxseed with what looks like a special grinder. I would send you the like if I knew how, you maybe able to find it your self so you will know what the grinder looks like. (It maybe called something other then a grinder) later 👋🏻🕶
yup I have seen that one. it is a seed juicer. The friend I buy my BLO from has one. that is how he gets his linseed oil.
Don't try it with rags inside a building just to see. It reeks like crazy and the smell takes time to leave. It's nasty and dangerous.
I personally love the smell but I am odd. I have a video showing them catching on fire.
@@WoodByWright It's like a cross between burning wire and burned black pepper.
Store bought raw linseed oil has no fatty acids...
Not Shure where you get yours but mine does.
@@WoodByWright
Sunnyside _Raw_ linseed oil is purified.
If it still had an appreciable amount of fatty acids it would spoil really quick without refrigeration.
If you acquire some unrefined cold pressed linseed oil try it on some walnut and compare it the the others.
The longer it sits the redder and richer it should get as it oxidizes.
I was trying to find a video of someone doing a comparison...no luck so far.
@@Foche_T._Schitt that is why you have to shake the bottle you get at the store.
@@WoodByWright
Well then I would inquire as to what percentage of a-Linolenic acid remains from the manufacturer.