# Raw Linseed Oil



## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

I bought an old can of raw linseed oil at a garage sale for 50 cents because the can was old enough to be cool. It's still full and is still liquid….how long with that stuff keep? Also, I've used BLO in the past, but never raw LO….what can you do with the raw stuff?


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## Bonka (Apr 13, 2012)

I have heard it takes forever to dry. BLO has dryers jn it to accelerated drying. I do not know how long it keeps or what one would do with it.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

1 - I don't think it does go bad. My dad uses the same gallon of BLO to freshen up his bench that he bought before I was born, so it is at least 34 years old. I've heard it darkens up a bit, but long exposure to UV (sunlight) lightens it up again.

2 - Back in my sports days, I used to use it to condition/soften my baseball gloves. I am lefty so I got stuck at first base. First basemens mitts are almost as thick as a catchers mitt and were quite stiff when new. As far as finishes go, here is the difference as I understand it:

Raw linseed oil takes forever to dry. I believe it has the same properties as BLO, but because it takes so long to dry, it stays tacky, attracts dust/nibs. Also if you apply too much, it's not going to dry.

BLO - "Boiled" Linseed oil is not simply linseed oil that has been boiled. Boiling it will change the composition and allow it to dry a little quicker, but that is not the case. If you buy "Boiled Linseed Oil", you are buying raw linseed oil with solvents in it. The solvents flash off quickly and drastically speed drying time.


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## tenontim (Feb 24, 2008)

If you have some hammers, etc. that have loose handles, soak the business end in raw linseed oil for a day or so and it'll swell the wood and tighten up the heads. Other than that, it doesn't have much use in the furniture business.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

Raw linseed oil is used more in the painting industry - both fine art and housepainting - as a thinner/conditioner. If you have to paint your house and can find oil-based primer, throw a few pints into the gallon of primer and it will slow the drying time and soak into the clapboard more. You can also brush it on raw to condition dry wood. You can find it in the art aisle of the craft store and artists use it the same way - it slows drying time so an area can be worked and reworked.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies. I'll most likely just set the can on a shelf as a novelty decoration….I'll do it quick before my wife gets home! ;-)


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

Throw up a picture of that can! I collect old cans/bottles


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Here it is. He had another larger can of the same era for $1.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

If you ever have a project you want to paint with Rustoleum, go ahead and use some of it - it will slow the drying and you'll have better flow out.


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

That's an awesome can! I like those bottles too. We look for stuff like that at flea markets. That's why my wife had me build "the piece of crap on purpose" project I posted


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## BenI (Jun 8, 2012)

BLO nowadays has a drying agent added to it to chemically aid/quicken the drying process so it takes hours instead of days. I don't think raw linseed oil has this so it could take a very long time to dry, as people have mentioned.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

That's probably better than what we can buy today. It's too bad it can't talk. I believe it would be a gr8 story.


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## Moai (Feb 9, 2009)

Thos Moser uses LO as a finish for all his chairs, I was reading in his book they heat it so it penetrates more easily into the wood….It takes a few weeks to dry, but in my opinion it is way better than Tung oil. For small objects like pens and jewerly, things can be left overnight soaking into it.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

This is the oil that will spontaneously ignite if the oil-soaked rags are left in a ball, spread them out to dry if you're using it.


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

You do not say what brand or whether it is finishing, art world, or health food organic linseed oil.

Raw linseed oil useless as a wood finish drying can take ten days or more and does not cure for thirty days. Yes will provide a matt finish film on wood. You do not get a build of finish like using varnish or polyurethane no matter how many coats you put on.

Raw linseed oil for finishing & art world is not edible and like all nut, fish, seed & vegetable oils can turn rancid.

Stand oil is polymerized linseed oil, which been heated to over 500 degrees F, 300 degrees C. in absence of oxygen. Stand oil does dry faster and provides tad more sheen. Usually sold to artist, mixing his or her own paints. Check ingredients of wood finish calling labeled stand oil. Think will find not much linseed oil in the product.

BLO may or may not contain much linseed oil. Check amount of mineral spirits and metallic dryers on label or material safety data sheet (MSDS). I no longer use this product from Lowes, label & MSDS say 100% linseed oil. Some manufacturers more honest than others. Go to sections 7 & 8.

http://www.whatsinproducts.com/msds.php?brandId=9100


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Thanks to everyone for the info.

Bill, it's "Raeco " brand raw linseed oil. I've decided not to use it for anything but decoration. Once I spend the time and money to get to the finishing stage of a project, the last thing I want to do is botch the finish.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

I have heard that raw linseed oil is not a good finish to use.


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