# Boiled Linseed Oil without the Heavy Metal Dryers



## Biliphuster (29 Sep 2014)

I want an oil finish for some tools I am making and am fond of the easily repairable and slowly darkening properties of BLO, but less keen on whatever it is they put in there to promote polymerisation. 

Does anyone know a source for traditional, boiled BLO? I think "Tried and True" offer a linseed based finish without the dryers but am unable to find it in the UK. 

As a last resort I am considering a mix of raw linseed and tung oil with turps to get the finish I want at the cost of drying time. Is this a reasonable solution?

Any input gratefully recieved.


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## marcros (29 Sep 2014)

I think that Liberon is about the only one (commonly available) that doesn't contain the driers.There may be some other smaller scale producers too. http://www.liberon.co.uk/oils/boiled-li ... cmfA%3D%3D 

welcome to the forum too by the way.


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## Biliphuster (29 Sep 2014)

Thanks for the welcome. 

I had come across Liberon, but I am unsure of whether or not they add dryers as some producers both boil and add drying catalysts (double boiled they call it, though they are not always labelled as such). The data sheets they provide are not enlightening with regards to ingredients.

I will send them an email and post the answer here. It would certainly be nice to have an easily available source of proper BLO.


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## bugbear (29 Sep 2014)

Biliphuster":2bx0wq6f said:


> I think "Tried and True" offer a linseed based finish without the dryers but am unable to find it in the UK.



Do you have a (presumably USA) link to that?

BugBear


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## Biliphuster (29 Sep 2014)

It is confusingly called Danish oil, but I believe has only linseed in it.

ht tp://ww w.triedandtru ewoodfinish.c om/danish.h tml

Edit: sorry for the butchered link, not allowed to post links yet.


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## MIGNAL (29 Sep 2014)

There aren't many modern Oil based wood finishes that don't contain a drier. Even Tru oil has a drier. Oil finishes are very slow drying and dust is the enemy. I suppose the option (assuming the Liberon is out) is the raw linseed or something like stand Oil. Expose to UV and it will speed up the drying. The only other finishes that don't contain driers are some specialist Violin/Art varnishes but they contain resin as well as Oil. The Lefranc Copal varnish is good.
The tried and True stuff is only available in the States.


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## bugbear (30 Sep 2014)

Biliphuster":1mzx32s8 said:


> I want an oil finish for some tools I am making and am fond of the easily repairable and slowly darkening properties of BLO, but less keen on whatever it is they put in there to promote polymerisation.
> 
> Does anyone know a source for traditional, boiled BLO? I think "Tried and True" offer a linseed based finish without the dryers but am unable to find it in the UK.
> 
> ...



What's your objection to dryers - they've been used for centuries, and work fine.

Edit; helpful _info_ here, but the prices of the _products_ is ... disconcerting.

http://www.naturalpigments.com/art-supp ... -stand-oil

BugBear


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## Biliphuster (30 Sep 2014)

bugbear":1pdvn94f said:


> What's your objection to dryers - they've been used for centuries, and work fine.
> 
> Edit; helpful _info_ here, but the prices of the _products_ is ... disconcerting.
> 
> ...



I simply want to use a product where I know what goes into it so I can at least make an educated choice. Of course everyone has their own preferences and I have a minor hang up about these things.

Yes Linseed oil used in the art world is somewhat pricier, though I see when bought in bulk and thinned with turps it becomes a little more reasonable. 

There also appears to be some confusion about what constitutes BLO, some say it must contain stand oil (i.e. vacuum cooked oil that has formed cyclohexane based compounds which promote polymerisation) whilst others use "blown oil" where the oxidation process has been kick started by the addition of hot air. 

If Liberon turns out to be unsuitable I could always have a go at mixing my own.


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## bugbear (30 Sep 2014)

Biliphuster":3m697cc2 said:


> I simply want to use a product where I know what goes into it so I can at least make an educated choice.



You must HATE Coca Cola!

BugBear


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## Phil Pascoe (30 Sep 2014)

And I bet meal times are fun...


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## DavidBolger (1 Oct 2014)

99% of all linseed oil based finishes contain driers. Linssed oil is no longer boiled, or has air passed through it to aid polymerisation. Polymerised Linseed Oil without driers is around £70-120 per litre depending on clarity required. To make your self is fairly easy but will take around 7 weeks if you want it to dry like commercial linseed oil.


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## Biliphuster (1 Oct 2014)

David

Thanks for the information, sounds interesting.

How would one go about making polymerised oil? The time does not really put me off as long as I wont be required to mind it for that stretch! I am not overly bothered about clarity.


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## MIGNAL (2 Oct 2014)

Try heating the stuff but be very careful. When I was making Oil varnishes I would heat the resin and the Oil separately and then combine the two. Extended heating usually resulted in a faster drying varnish. The quickest drying varnish I made was the one in which the Oil caught fire! Nasty but at least I did it outdoors. 
Try Walnut Oil from the supermarket. Hopefully one without an anti oxidant. You need to try the Oil on glass and expose it to UV (inside of a window is fine). If the film starts becoming tacky after 4 or 5 days you know it's good to use. Unfortunately some Walnut and Linseed Oils contain the anti oxidants and/or have been contaminated by other non drying oils at the pressing plant. Last time I bought a bottle of Walnut Oil from Asda (a few years ago) it worked fine. The Linseed from the well known health food shop was also good. Obviously these are guaranteed free from driers. Both turned into very good, fast drying varnishes. 
The folk who really know about this stuff are the Violin makers. They tend to make their own varnishes and Linseed/Walnut Oil plays a large part in the mix. It can get extremely involved, including washing the Oil first:

http://realcolorwheel.com/washlinseed.htm

Kremer Pigmente are a good source for high quality Linseed. In fact they may have an Oil finish without siccative. It all gets a little involved and expensive though. If you really want to read up on this suff their's plenty to go at in the archives of the Violin forum at Maestronet. You might emerge a little bit wiser some 8 months later. 
If I were you I'd try the supermarket walnut and carefully heat it for an hour or so but without going too close to it's flash point. Have a few fire precaution measures. This can be dangerous stuff but not quite as dangerous as heating resins. I gave up making the stuff because of the acrid fumes from the resin. The Oil was OK in that regard.


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## Biliphuster (3 Oct 2014)

Perfect! That is exactly what I was looking for. 

Stand oil, raw linseed and turps should be just the ticket. I will be sure to update once I have tried it out

Thanks again for the suggestions.

Also, Liberon didn't get back to me, take that how you will.


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