Dry time for linseed oil?

[gimmeagig]

Hi,
I just reshaped the neck on MY Ibanez ABG. It's Mahagony and it was kind of like a club so I shaped it to be more like my Jazz Bass. It fells really nice now.
I put on one coat of boiled linseed oil. That dried in just a few hours.The second coat was still sticky after about 14 hrs. So I just wiped the neck down with a rag. I had applied the first coat to the point where the whole back of the neck had absorbed as much as it could, then wiped it down. The following coat was also pretty thin. I didn't wipe it down after applying it though.
I hear that people apply 6 coats of this stuff. and get an almost glossy finish.
What are the drying times on the subsequent coats and do I always need to wipe the neck down after ten minutes?

[Technotitclan]

I've always heard 24 hours at room temp then sand and re apply per coat.

Are you using pure boiled linseed oil or TrueOil? Pure linseed oil (Tung oil) will stay fairly mate. TruOil is a linseed/Poly mix that will get very glossy quickly.

[gimmeagig]

I'm using ACE Boiled Linseed Oil. I don't care too much about how glossy it ends up being but I sure want it to dry.
I'm also wondering, if I'm not happy with the end result, could i just apply true oil over the existing coat(after sanding it a little of course) or do I need to sand down to the untreated wood before I can apply a coat of True oil?

[chuck norriss]

Boiled linseed doesn't gloss in my experience. If you want to cut drying time dilute w turpenoid. Doesn't affect color.

[Growly Lytes]

Originally Posted by chuck norriss

Boiled linseed doesn't gloss in my experience. If you want to cut drying time dilute w turpenoid. Doesn't affect color.

I tried Boiled Linseed Oil & had very nice gloss sheen to it but not after one coat.It took maybe 2-3 coats, when you look at it....its shiny & smooth & also not sticky or oily.

[Low Main]

If it's hardware store brand boiled linseed, it's not really boiled - that's just a generic name for unheated linseed that has had some metallic drier added. The linseed without the drier hardens very slowly - almost too slowly to be considered a drying oil.

In bygone days, linseed was indeed cooked or "heat bodied" to convert it into a proper drying oil. The Tried and True company makes and sells high quality heat bodied linseed products - they are the only ones I know of these days that are doing it.

Best test for a drying oil is a series of smears on a piece of window glass. If you do that you'll find that "boiled linseed" takes a long time to dry and is gummy after it hardens. Some people add Japan drier to the linseed, but I have not found that to be especially helpful.

I typically take boiled linseed and add a bit of alkyd varnish or urethane to it, along with some cobalt drier (available from art suppliers like Dick Blick and Pearl Paint). That produces a finish that dries faster and is not gummy after it hardens. If I need to thin the mixture, I use naphtha, which flashes off fast.

Recoating too soon can cause problems. Undoctored boiled linseed doesn't really dry in just a few hours even though it may seem like it has. Doing glass smears will tell you when the previous coat has hardened enough to the point where you can apply another coat.

[Low Main]

I realized that in my previous post, I may have created some confusion. "Tried and True" brand linseed oil and "Tru-Oil" are different products made by different companies.

Here's the link to Tried and True:

http://www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com/

(I have no affiliation with that company).

Tru-Oil is made by Birchwood Casey.

[chuck norriss]

Tru Oil is nice but don't buy the aerosol can. it clogs up quickly even with cleaning/care. one way to throw away money.

[chuck norriss]

Originally Posted by Growly Lytes

I tried Boiled Linseed Oil & had very nice gloss sheen to it but not after one coat.It took maybe 2-3 coats, when you look at it....its shiny & smooth & also not sticky or oily.

Which wood? On paulownia it hasn't glossed over, even w/ multiple coats. I'll experiment on ash.

[abemo]

Expect a good day or so to get it dry, expect a week or more for it to cure to a point that the smell is gone.

[Maz]

I'm doing a project with Tried & True right now. It has beeswax in it additionally. Anyway, the instructions on the can for this stuff are wipe on as thin as possible, let stand one hours, then wipe off (rub in). After that, wait 24 hours, then buff it with 0000 steel wool and wipe clean before applying the next coat.

I would recommend following that formula for any linseed oil product, to be on the safe side. One thing I've picked up.. when you wipe it off after an hour, make sure you aren't leaving any on the surface. Tip the wood in the light and look it over to make sure you aren't leaving any glistening patches. After the 24 hour dry time, go over the whole thing with steel wool, and don't be afraid to put some elbow grease into it. any patches that feel tacky or waxy, buff until they are smooth and hard to the touch before you apply your next coat. I have 4 coats on a maple project right now and it's lookin pretty sweet.

[giglawyer]

On a side note, linseed oil is combustible. Make sure you store any rags that have linseed oil on them properly. If you ball them up and put them back in the rag box, you could have a fire on your hands.

[chuck norriss]

Originally Posted by Maz

I'm doing a project with Tried & True right now. It has beeswax in it additionally. Anyway, the instructions on the can for this stuff are wipe on as thin as possible, let stand one hours, then wipe off (rub in). After that, wait 24 hours, then buff it with 0000 steel wool and wipe clean before applying the next coat.

I would recommend following that formula for any linseed oil product, to be on the safe side. One thing I've picked up.. when you wipe it off after an hour, make sure you aren't leaving any on the surface. Tip the wood in the light and look it over to make sure you aren't leaving any glistening patches. After the 24 hour dry time, go over the whole thing with steel wool, and don't be afraid to put some elbow grease into it. any patches that feel tacky or waxy, buff until they are smooth and hard to the touch before you apply your next coat. I have 4 coats on a maple project right now and it's lookin pretty sweet.

Thanks. Pics?
I couldn't get a shine out of mine. I was doing it wrong.

[Maz]

Originally Posted by chuck norriss

Thanks. Pics?
I couldn't get a shine out of mine. I was doing it wrong.

It's not a gloss surface, but's it's smooth and luminesces nicely.

[chuck norriss]

Rad. Your top layer is about 1cm thick? Rad. I have a rough build in progress but my veneer is thin & it only covers the surface; it doesn't cover teh edge--and it shows.
I'm not that critical with this project. Its' my Mex Fender that I intend to make a fretless.

[Growly Lytes]

Originally Posted by chuck norriss

Which wood? On paulownia it hasn't glossed over, even w/ multiple coats. I'll experiment on ash.

I tried Boiled Linseed Oil on Rosewood.
When i applied the Linseed Oil i did it with 1200 grit sandpaper dipped in Linseed Oil so wet sanding it.Before coating again i rubbed it down with naptha each time.5 coats & its like a mirror.

[Growly Lytes]

Originally Posted by Maz

I'm doing a project with Tried & True right now. It has beeswax in it additionally. Anyway, the instructions on the can for this stuff are wipe on as thin as possible, let stand one hours, then wipe off (rub in). After that, wait 24 hours, then buff it with 0000 steel wool and wipe clean before applying the next coat.

I would recommend following that formula for any linseed oil product, to be on the safe side. One thing I've picked up.. when you wipe it off after an hour, make sure you aren't leaving any on the surface. Tip the wood in the light and look it over to make sure you aren't leaving any glistening patches. After the 24 hour dry time, go over the whole thing with steel wool, and don't be afraid to put some elbow grease into it. any patches that feel tacky or waxy, buff until they are smooth and hard to the touch before you apply your next coat. I have 4 coats on a maple project right now and it's lookin pretty sweet.

At the end i used scotch brite pads....the green ones' to give it a nice smooth feel.

[Maz]

Originally Posted by gimmeagig

I'm using ACE Boiled Linseed Oil. I don't care too much about how glossy it ends up being but I sure want it to dry.
I'm also wondering, if I'm not happy with the end result, could i just apply true oil over the existing coat(after sanding it a little of course) or do I need to sand down to the untreated wood before I can apply a coat of True oil?

I've been searching for answers about oil finishes myself, and I've run into several threads on different forums where tru oil is mentioned. sounds like they are compatible.

Chuck, that looks pretty sweet. I resawed a 4/4 plank for the top of mine, it's going over a multipiece (alder?) body from an old washburn. Top looks ok, rest looks like ...That's for another thread though.

I'm going to let this sit and dry out for a few days while I ponder whether to topcoat it with something.

[chuck norriss]

thanks
3 coats of linseed oil

Untitled by CXK, on Flickr

Untitled by CXK, on Flickr

[chuck norriss]

no shine i haven't buffed it yet. I have to get that bubble out too.