Wood related question

[MattF]

Just wondered if raw linseed oil mixed with a dash of beeswax will be okay for coating an outside bench? It's not liable to suffer mould or suchlike?

 

[fizzy]

I have used a mix of rapeseed oil and carnuba wax and it worked fine - lasted years as well.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Just wondered if raw linseed oil mixed with a dash of beeswax will be okay for coating an outside bench? It's not liable to suffer mould or suchlike?

I think raw linseed oil doesn't dry so any oil that is not absorbed will stay sticky.
I would have thought that boiled linseed would be better for your situation as it dries.

 

[Dieselman 63]

I think raw linseed oil doesn't dry so any oil that is not absorbed will stay sticky.
I would have thought that boiled linseed would be better for your situation as it dries.

Raw does not dry, you are correct, boiled is better for wood

 

[pedrobedro]

Rub it over with white spirit then apply your first coat of boiled linseed before it dries. Leave it for an hour or so then apply another coat. Let that dry then rub it over with a dry cloth to polish.

 

[DennisCA]

Just wondered if raw linseed oil mixed with a dash of beeswax will be okay for coating an outside bench? It's not liable to suffer mould or suchlike?

Depends on the wood, it would develop black spots if I left it outside year around here, depends on the wood species too, some are more resistant. I don't know that wax is of any use on an outdoors bench.

 

[DennisCA]

Raw does not dry, you are correct, boiled is better for wood

Raw does oxidase eventually, it also soaks in deeper and impregnates the wood as the molecules are smaller and the wood should feel dry within a reasonable timeframe if treated with it (at this time of year it has to be done indoors), this gives protection in depth against water incursion. Boiled linseed oil makes more of a film on the surface. Both can be used in conjunction.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Mix equal parts of linseed and white spirit and place in 4 containers.

Place the 4 legs into the containers and let soak up as long as you can. That way you get oil into the end grain of the legs and that will stop water soak in an d rotting the legs.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Raw does oxidase eventually, it also soaks in deeper and impregnates the wood as the molecules are smaller and the wood should feel dry within a reasonable timeframe if treated with it (at this time of year it has to be done indoors), this gives protection in depth against water incursion. Boiled linseed oil makes more of a film on the surface. Both can be used in conjunction.

When I started out restoring farm and garden tools, I was using raw linseed oil, which you're right, does impregnate the timber really well and the handles have a lovely lustre now from continuous application, about twice a year now they are oiled. I'd do the metal with the raw too though, and it never dried and attracted dust when I worked with them, creating a sludge that was a complete pain to remove, which is why now that they are rescued, I prefer the boiled.

 

[Rocketman]

Just get some decking oil. Noticed that screwfix have quite often got it in clearance shelf at the minute as summer has gone.

 

[frank horton]

Also,
Sikiens make an excellent product just for that job......and when it looks tired, after a clean is recoatable.....
Use this on my oak window frames and they take minus 10deg.C - +40 and in full sun.....
Frank

 

[mike os]

Decking oil, or Danish oil.... much better bet these says

 

[MattF]

Depends on the wood, it would develop black spots if I left it outside year around here, depends on the wood species too, some are more resistant. I don't know that wax is of any use on an outdoors bench.

That's the part I was wondering about, with the black mould etc., (is it mould or mold?). It's a softwood commemorative bench, so obviously, I want to make the best choice for longevity, along with applying something which is easy to recoat. With regards the wax, it just helps with regard to giving the surface a less oily texture, especially whilst it's still in the process of curing.

 

[fixerupper]

I use a a 50 -50 mix of raw linseed and turpentine for wood furniture, Including chairs that live outside in very hot sun trough the summer months....

 

[DennisCA]

I don't know about the spelling but it's some kinda mo(u)ld or growth, the summer months don't cause it, it's the autumn and winter months when everything is wet. Some woods are better at resisting than others, fast growth construction lumber is the most suspectible, slow growth pine heartwood is on the other hand very resistant, used in traditional window framing, as resistant as oak.

I have built outdoor furniture from scrap and leftovers, it's softwood pine and fir and to try and help it resist I have used pine tar, 1/3rd pine tar, oil and turpentine. It's a traditional recipe called Roslagsmahogny in swedish. It must be applied when temperatures remain over 18C to dry properly.

 

[Keith 66]

Pine tar otherwise known as Stockholm tar is wonderful stuff, it is good for all sorts of things & i used to use it as boat soup, a thin mix of pine tar, turpentine & linseed oil this was used on traditional wooden boats to soak the planking & hull to preserve them. It takes forever to dry & will rub off on your clothes for years even when dry. Fine if you dont mind smelling like an ancient shellback!

 

[DennisCA]

The historical name of stockholm tar is kinda funny, since it wasn't produced there, 3/4 of tar production occurred in the eastern region of then Sweden*, Ostrobothnia primarily. However all tar exported had to go through Stockholm for export tax purposes so it became known as Stockholm tar. Anyway we applied it this summer on our swing and it was dry enough, our deck as well which dried really fast, but it was really dry wood.

* = Eastern sweden was lost in 1809 to Russia, the concept of the country today known as Finland was created in the wave of nationalism that swept the world then, encouraged by the russian Tsar as it helped distance the people of then the duchy of finland from Sweden and thus less likely to want to return to the old borders. Of course, the newly minted idea of a finnish nation state resulted in a people that didn't want to belong to russia either.

 

[DennisCA]

Oh and this summer I attended the recreation of a traditional pine tar valley, which is how pine tar of the highest quality was traditionally made. It took 5 years, starting with young forest that was debarked yearly, this increases sap production in the wood, which is what'll become the tar. Here's the valley smouldering, it burned for a week before being tapped

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Talking of tar it's the Ottery Tar Barrels next Saturday:

A bunch of nutty blokes run through the village of Ottery St Mary with burning barrels of tar on their backs, the kids do it as well!
http://www.tarbarrels.co.uk/photo-archive/

 

[MattF]

Danish oil

UK spelling is mould

Yank spelling is mold

Thought that was the case, but it's one of those rare words where I can never remember if mould covers all the meanings.