Linseed oil

[cottage cheese]

Nice one Mark, learned a new one today! Thanks for sharing.


also Timmy... full agreement on the Linspeed brand... It is indeed very good and I certainly think it's much better than Tru-oil which almost feels like PU varnish. The only problem is the spotty availability and the problems in securing a healthy and regular supply for my work...which is why I depend on locally available LO...er BLO (?) that I bum off the local police armory. I've stashed it up in liters so that's going to last me donkeys years.

[ckkalyan]

What an interesting thread - I am soaking it all up, avidly!

Thank you all for your input gentlemen!

[Mark]

Well here I am still on my tablet, it is nice they are so portable but they are sure a bother to type on without the keyboard!



I made this one almost exclusively by hand, I did profile the blade a bit on a grinder but that was about it. I shaped the handle with a wood rasp and when it was how I wanted it I cleaned it up first with 80 grit sandpaper, then 120 grit and finally 220 grit sandpaper. After the 220 grit I gave it a light rubdown with a damp rag and applied the superglue directly from the tube, and spread it around by hand. After it was dry I gave it a light buffing with fine steel wool and called it good. I could have applied a wax after the rubbing but it was not needed.

[ckkalyan]

Woo Hoo - nice finish, lovely flowing shape, ergonomic - Mark!

I think the copper pins and (superglue) sealed handle add panache to, what started out to be a simple work (rope) knife and took it to beyond the realms of just a simple tool. I must say, you have given the knife a look of antiquity say, perhaps from your Scottish Village?

Very nice, indeed, Mark!

[Mark]

It would fit in there rather nicely, style wise, hadn't thought of that CK!

[TwoRivers]

Nice patch knife, Mark. Have to try that superglue trick on some pistol grips.

[Grumpy]

Boiled linseed oil is boiled linseed oil ..... except that a lot of modern `boiled` linseed oil contains linseed oil ( probably boiled ) solvents and driers. Boiled linseed oil takes longer to dry than oil that hasn`t been boiled because it`s thicker. I was always wary about using unboiled linseed oil because of worries about the water content and because it can develop black mould but I was assured recently that unboiled linseed oil is better for stock finishing. It DOES take a heck of a lot of coats and never develops a `High` finish but builds up over time. If time is not a concern, then the finish - on a gunstock - is rather pleasant ...... and gets better and better. Using the heel of the hand to rub the oil in and generate some heat helps create a little more gloss and seems to speed up the drying.
My oldest son hated me treating his cricket bats with linseed oil because they went yellow ...... but an oiled bat would last a whole season.