Thanks for that. I too, as mentioned above, have occasionally made up similar revivers when I've worked on old furniture. I seldom do restoration work nowadays, although back in the early 70s to about the mid 80s that seemed to make up about half the work my employers gave me to do. As you point out, there's often some kind of film polish at the base which keeps the reviver mix off the wood. But sometimes there wasn't, and the original finish was wax or something similar. I did notice the reviver used in that situation tended to darken the wood. I think the main difference between your mix and the ones I've concocted are the boiled linseed oil I've always used instead of the raw linseed oil you use.
Anyway, since those days, and sometime in the last ten years or so, I came across an article that lamented the darkening tendencies of the linseed oil in the common reviver recipes and it reminded me that I'd noticed the tendency. I can't recall who wrote the article or where and when it was published. Since becoming aware of the concern expressed in that article I've noticed the subject discussed a few times, but again I can't recall where and when.
On the other hand, I sometimes deliberately use boiled linseed oil under finishes such as shellac and various sprayed lacquers primarily to achieve the darkening effect. A typical use is over American black walnut and under pre-cat or post-cat lacquer for the express purpose of 'warming up' the walnut because walnut can look a bit cold and uninviting if the only finish is a clear polish straight on the wood, and especially so if the clear polish is a water based finish. Slainte.
