Finishing oil

[RobertCarter]

I am seeking advice from anyone who has used straw oil. I have been given two Venetian Rowlocks (1961), made from Italian walnut, to restore (below); traditionally they were finished with several coats of diluted straw oil. Has anyone any experience with straw oil?
Thank you.

 

[bjm]

Never heard of it till now but did find this supplier in Italy Straw Oil It looks to be their equivalent to our Danish Oil ??

 

[lurker]

Always something new to learn on this forum


I wonder what the Danes call it?

Wouldn't walnut oil be appropriate

 

[bjm]

Any drying oil would do.

 

[AJB Temple]

It's called a Forcola. I have a couple of Italian books on building Gondolas but they are in Italian. This Wiki article agrees with the Italian books Fórcola - Wikipedia.

The Italian translation is, if I have read it correctly, boiled walnut oil, strained and mixed with engine fuel (petrol) 4 to 1 (oil to petrol). It sounds bizarre frankly.

 

[bjm]

Here is a pdf on the use of Olio Pagliorino

 

[bjm]

... mixed with engine fuel (petrol) 4 to 1 (oil to petrol). It sounds bizarre frankly.

I think that's a translation issue??

 

[RobertCarter]

Many thanks, all. I sort of wanted to use the authentic method since they are such spectacular objects. Hence, I will go ahead and buy straw oil which is available. I am a little uns=certain about using petrol. Maybe I'll use turpentine. Many thanks, Rob.

 

[bjm]

Good luck with it - be nice to see the finished articles.

 

[Ollie78]

Those are beautiful things, apparently they cost a fortune and have to be hand made to each rowers size and style. A dying art.

I am always fascinated by the fact that shapes created by neccessity and function are often beautiful by default.

Never heard of straw oil before, please show us a picture once restored.

Ollie

 

[RobertCarter]

Will do. I still learning how this forum works: only joined yesterday!

 

[nickjan]

It's called a Forcola. I have a couple of Italian books on building Gondolas but they are in Italian. This Wiki article agrees with the Italian books Fórcola - Wikipedia.

The Italian translation is, if I have read it correctly, boiled walnut oil, strained and mixed with engine fuel (petrol) 4 to 1 (oil to petrol). It sounds bizarre frankly.

Having never heard of a forcola before, I found the Wiki article something of a revelation regarding the rowing 'tool'. The information on straw oil is welcome but secondary to this 'discovery'.

 

[RobertCarter]

Thank you. Yes, I will try using some walnut oil diluted with turpentine. Do you suggest walnut oil from Sainsbury's or Waitrose?!! Best, Rob.

 

[Brandon Bespoke]

Can't say we've come across straw oil before and we produce wood finishing oils! As others have commented above it seems to be a translated version of danish oil.
The Brandon Bespoke Team
Brandon Bespoke Oils & Waxes
Email: [email protected]

 

[lurker]

Thank you. Yes, I will try using some walnut oil diluted with turpentine. Do you suggest walnut oil from Sainsbury's or Waitrose?!! Best, Rob.

You appear to live in London , can't you nip into fortnam and masons.

 

[RobertCarter]

Having never heard of a forcola before, I found the Wiki article something of a revelation regarding the rowing 'tool'. The information on straw oil is welcome but secondary to this 'discovery'.

Just to let you know that Saverio Pastor of Le Forcola replied to my e-mail to him to say that 'Straw Oil' is mineral oil and it is best diluted with Turpentine (4:1). I have no idea why it is called straw oil. I have never used mineral oil, as opposed to vegetable oils such as Tung oil, Linseed oil etc, on timber before but I gather it is non toxic and commonly used on butchers' blocks, chopping boards etc. Apparently it is also used in a pharmaceutical context as a laxative.

 

[spb]

That makes sense - mineral oil doesn't cure or harden, which means it can be topped up indefinitely as needed. That's what makes it good for butcher's blocks, chopping boards, and the like; no type of protective finish will last for long on those, so the best option is something that you can just apply again and again to the areas that need it. I'd imagine this would be fairly similar in the areas that bear against the oar.

 

[lurker]

Just to let you know that Saverio Pastor of Le Forcola replied to my e-mail to him to say that 'Straw Oil' is mineral oil and it is best diluted with Turpentine (4:1). I have no idea why it is called straw oil. I have never used mineral oil, as opposed to vegetable oils such as Tung oil, Linseed oil etc, on timber before but I gather it is non toxic and commonly used on butchers' blocks, chopping boards etc. Apparently it is also used in a pharmaceutical context as a laxative.

Yes
liquid paraffin BP
I buy it from equine suppliers as its used as a laxative for horses.
Last container that I bought was £7.50 for 500ml making it a very cheap food safe finish.
BP = British pharmacopoeia and thus it’s purity is controlled by law.

 

[RobertCarter]

Thank you one and all. Not sure I'll be rowing with them in NW London but probably better to use the authentic method.

 

[Droogs]

Thank you. Yes, I will try using some walnut oil diluted with turpentine. Do you suggest walnut oil from Sainsbury's or Waitrose?!! Best, Rob.

F&M dear boy F&M surely