Boiled linseed oil over shellac

bbrown

Well-known member
Any problem using boiled linseed oil over shellac?  I used a careful brushing of Zinsser clear (dewaxed) shellac to protect  some banding on a curly maple Chester Co. Bible box.  I want to retain the clarity of the inlay, especially of the white aspects.  I then used BLO on the entire piece, which I like to do with tiger maple.  It's been 2 days now and the BLO is dry everywhere but the banding.  

 --Thanks
 
Hi Bill
I would highly recommend not using BLO on top or under any film finishes. As a way to " pop the grain" under a finish, it is very difficult too know when this stuff is dry enough to coat. It tends to fill the pores so the finish can't bite/penetrate as well as it could. The reason you thin the sealer coat is to get the finish as deep as you can into the wood. Stain/dye is much better for popping the grain and has a long term effect.  Oil under a film finish will create different surface tensions and can accelerate finish adhesion failure.
  On top a film finish, it serves little purpose, has a long dry time , in witch to collect dust, and continued use over time can darken and/or create a sticky or gummy surface when heated.
Last week I spent some time removing BLO from the surface of a great little drop lief table [ early 1800's]. The table sat next to the window and when the sun heated it, things would stick to it. Their computer left marks and paper bits were  embedded in it. Kind of a goo. How do I know it was BLO? They showed me the can their grandma gave them when she let them have the table.
I've been finishing and repairing finish for 30+yrs, I don't have any BLO in the shop. It's good for making paint and dipping fence posts.
History books are full of uses for BLO, Time has shown there  are better ways to finish wood.
Do Good Work
Randy
 
   
 
  Thanks Randy.  You certainly have the experience here. 
          I have used boiled linseed oil for figured maple with great results.  It's especially nice to pop the figure when I don't want to use any dye.  However, I don't think I've ever applied it over shellac, which is only on the inlay as I said.  Shellac over BLO is no problem, but I'm gathering the other way around might be a problem.  Four days now and the inlay is still a bit tacky.



   
 
Hi Bill
You might want to do an adhesion test on your finish [ shellac] after it dries. I think you maybe surprised. If the BLO isn't dry on the shellac, it isn't dry in the pores. Remember, you can also shellac/ French Polish over wax, also not a good practice. This video is done on paint but the test is the same for clear finish. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=civUpTEC_7w 
Just trying to help.
Randy
 
Bill,
I am not a fan of BLO to "Pop" the figure. For the reasons Randy gives but also because i don't think it really does anything. I wonder if you could take a figured board and put BLO and shellac on 1/2 and just shellac on the other half. Let us know if there is really any discernible difference.
 
  Thanks for the reply Mike.  I'll do the test and let y'all know what I come up with. 

    --Bill
 
  Well,  I did the test, and I think I have to agree that BLO did nothing more than shellac alone.  I'd be curious to hear if others agree that BLO is unnecessary to pop the figure of tiger maple, and if this is also true also for other figured woods.

  Sorry for the delayed post here.

    --Bill
 
 
  I did the simple test that you proposed a few weeks ago, but just got around to posting it.  The question for me was weather there is any point in using BLO to "pop" the figure of curly maple, if shellac is going to produce the same effect. 

  So I made a sample board with shellac alone, with BLO (allowed to dry for a week) followed by shellac, and with BLO alone.  The shellac alone seemed to produce the same amount of highlighting of the curly figure as BLO followed by shellac. 

  I was wondering if this is what folks here already knew.  I had been going on the assumption that the BLO actually did something.

  BTW, my original question had to do with doing BLO over shellac (I wanted to protect some inlay with shellac, then use BLO on the entire piece).  But that sort of morphed into the question of whether there is any point in using BLO at all.
 
Bill,
When this question comes up I always ask the person to make a sample board and get back to me. The use of BLO is a strongly held belief and not worth arguing about. Use your own eyes. Randy Bohn has seen many antiques that have not been improved by applications of BLO. The key word in your last post is "assumption".
 
  Yes, that is exactly what I did.  I often rely on the experience of others who I trust, so I was surprised to find the results I did. 
 
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