# WHAT IS BLO?



## bodymanbob (Jan 4, 2010)

CALL ME DUMB. but what is BLO?


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## bodymanbob (Jan 4, 2010)

THANK YOU …DAAAAA LOL


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

IMO I would stay far away from BLO there are much much better finishes out there.


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## DeCarlo (Nov 6, 2010)

BLO is a great first coat for shellac!


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Jim, as a man of your immense experience, I take everything you say very seriously. But I really can't understand what you have against BLO. To me, it's the most foolproof finish there is. I wipe it one liberally, wipe off the excess, and let it cure for 48 hours. A little buffing with a soft cloth, maybe some paste wax if one is so inclined, and you've got a beautiful finish. And you can always add a top coat, like polyurethane, if you want added protection.

Care to share your objections?


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## BilltheDiver (Jul 2, 2010)

I'm with the others. BLO is a great way to bring out the grain and natural colors of the wood, then you put a finish on top. DGMAN of Steve Good's scrollsawworkshop.blogspot espouses cutting the blo with mineral spirits to aid in its penetration and I agree it works well.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

I use a lot of BLO and really like it and I too am curious as to why several very experienced members here don't like it at all.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

It cures slow, isn't so tough. It does pop grain well if you
like the oiled look. Tung cures faster and builds a film 
faster in my experience.


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## vipond33 (Jul 25, 2011)

I would stay far, far away from BLO too. Soft, rancid, turns very dark with age, stinks, slow curing, difficult to remove, no abrasion resistance, no UV protection, needs renewing, dull appearance, mildew, the list goes on and on. Why use it when there are far better alternatives for not much more money? And what price a finish that lasts and works? I gladly pay $30 a quart for the polymerized version. A little of it goes a very long way because it is applied in quite thin coats.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

well bob
by now you have probably guessed
that baked or grilled
BLO is not good


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## Fuzzy (Jun 25, 2007)

AMEN to that !!! Question for the PRO-BLO guys … what does it do FOR you that can't be accomplished in a more predictable, safer manner ???

I've stripped antiques that were at least 80 years old that obviously had BLO as a base coat … after the old varnish/shellac/whatever was fully stripped, I left the piece on the bench. Eventually, the sun hit that area and warmed the piece … the BLO actually came to the surface and dribbled down the sides of the piece. Now, I'm not opposed to a finish that dries/cures slowly, but, if it isn't truly cured in 80+ years, I won't touch it. There's nothing you can do with that junk that can't be done with a little common sense and more sane, modern finishing materials & techniques. As far as "popping the grain" goes … one person's POP is another's BLOTCH. You never know when BLO is going to cause a horrible blotch, and once it does, it's about impossible to remove.

I only use the stuff for it's real intended purpose … liberal coats on handles of shovels, axes, wheelbarrow handles, etc. I NEVER allow it in my woodshop.

Oh … it also can spontaneously combust if you are the least bit negligent with disposal of rags or paper towels with the stuff on it … AND … being an organic product, MOLD thrives on it.

YUCK !!! !!! !!!


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## bodymanbob (Jan 4, 2010)

WELL THX'S E1…... I THINK I STARTED SOMETHING WITH MY DUMB QUESTION. Maybe not so dumb after all..LOL thank you all again…


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

Rancid? I resemble that remark Gene. 

I've never used it, but I don't think I will now. Thanks for asking the question Bob.


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## REK (Aug 30, 2009)

I never liked BLO because of the smell, used it 2 or 3 times, learned something new today!!!!


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

As for why I like BLO, see my forum topic on the subject.

As to the objections that have been raised here about it, those are all common symptoms of either:

A) Using raw linseed oil as opposed to BLO which, in its modern form, has chemical additives to make it cure faster, or
B) Not removing excess oil thoroughly enough when applying

I'm not advocating BLO alone for large furniture projects, simply because it's not that durable. (In fact, doing a little Google searching, durability is the only objection to BLO I've been able to find in various woodworking magazine articles on finishes.) But for the kinds of small, decorative projects I usually do, I've found nothing that does a better job of enhancing the beauty of certain woods, especially darker species like walnut or bloodwood. For the record, I have used only Klean-Strip brand, so I can't speak for others.

For you guys who have had these bad experiences with BLO, all I can say is I guess individual mileage varies


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Back when I was in ROTC we had to apply linseed oil to the stocks of our M1 Garands weekly. Clean and polish. Haven't used it since. Done plan to use it soon. Don't want to use it again. Nuff said


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## balidoug (Aug 13, 2011)

Wow. I checked this out just to find out what BLO was and got an education in finishing. Jim, What was that post you made about advice a few weeks ago? I love LJ's for just this kind of serendipitous information. Of course, now I have to re-think my whole finishing strategy.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

My M-1 was made by International Harvester. Man, that was a SWEET weapon for its day. We used BLO even back in the dark ages of 1961.
Wipe on, rub off.
I wish I had that dinosaur today.
Bill


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## Chipy (Apr 20, 2011)

B-Lo is were the Bills play!


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

Bodymanbob
there is no dumb question 
the only dumb question is the one that ain´t spoken

Dennis


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Thanks for sticking up for us BLO guys Charlie. I agree with all your comments. If I ever remember to take the camera, I'll post pics of our office floor that was finished with Blo (2 coats in a weekend) and open for business on Monday! We have been very happy with it for the last 3 1/2 years.


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## DeCarlo (Nov 6, 2010)

Yes, thanks Charlie… BLO makes for a great base coat… When used correctly, its good stuff, I placed 5 coats of shellac over the BLO in the project below…


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## cjwillie (Sep 6, 2011)

My biggest problem with BLO is spontaneous combustion. I am almost paranoid about a fire in my shop. I have heard too many stories about rags soaked with BLO catching fire if not disposed of properly. I heat my shop with wood and put all rags that have come in contact with ANYTHING flammable in the woodburner in case of a fire it won't go any further. BLO can be a nice finish but to me the risks outweigh the benefits. There are enough things that burn in my shop, just trying to lessen the odds!


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