What to do after oil stain?

[mm]

Should I wipe on a coat of linseed oil after oil-staining new bare wood?

If I don't paint it, and don't need a great finish, I usually "finish" wood one of two ways:

1) Linseed oil wiped on and wiped off, which brings out the grain and leaves a nice finish. Not as nice as varnish or polyurethane, but nice enough.

OR

2) I used latex stain, if I want more color than linseed oil will give. Depending on what it's used for, that's all I do, or I put varnish or polyusethane on it.

This time I have a can of oil stain of a nice shade, different from my usual, and I think I want to use it.

Will another coat of linseed oil accomplish anything good? Or will it just make a mess? Is the stain all I need?

Thanks.

BTW, Red Devil doesn't seem to make stain anymore, based on its webpage. Boohoo.

BTW2, Why is the 1x6x8' board I bought made in Sweden? Don't we have trees in the US?

[Ed Pawlowski]

"mm" wrote

I never used latex stain. Over oil stain, I'd put a couple of coats of BLO and leave it cure for a week or so. How I finish depends on the use of the item. You don't "need" more than stain for appearance though. More oil will give some measure of protection and build a sheen, but never give a high gloss.

One of my favorite finishing methods is: polyurethane cut 25% with mineral spirits sand Polyurethane straight sand with 220 Polyurethane straight sand with 320 Polyurethane straight let it cure for 3 weeks sand with 600 rub with pumice rub with rottenstone wax

Time consuming, but gives a fantastic finish that does not have that plastic look you get with poly.

[mm]

Well, for this simple thing, maybe one coat of BLO. I'll see. I just didn't want to start on this without knowing app. where I could go or where I'd be going, and I couldn't find a web page that talked about it.

Right. That's fine.

Wow.

I agree. I don't like the plastic look with poly. I also noticed that it wore off my floor after a few years. I don't know how floors were finished before poly, but it never happened in the other rooms in my 1930 apartment (It could be redone without it showing what was old and what was new, but still.)

This time, it's just a board to keep things from getting lost under the bed. After several years of not looking very hard, I found things

3 feet from the edge of the bed.

I hate to do this, because my feet stick out when I walk. Like ducks or something, and I need the space under the bed for my feet, but it's got to be done.

[Don Phillipson]

It depends on your proposed use for the wood and on the type of wood. Linseed oil can penetrate under the wood surface and can later migrate out to the surface again. This makes it unsuitable for floors and bookshelves, because the oil can transfer later to shoes or books that touch it.

It would be interesting to learn how Australians finish eucalyptus woods used for bookshelves etc.

[Ed Pawlowski]

"mm" wrote

Shellac was a very common floor finish.

Can you recess it a foot or so?

[dadiOH]

Just remember that it isn't paint; i.e., wipe of what isn't absorbed. Leave a coat on the top and you'll wind up with lots of sticky goo.

[Joe]

Used tung oil over stain on my last fancy project and it was nicely light colored. Tests the other day on some very old salvaged pine wound up a beautiful golden hue. Curing time is probably slower than BLO, but subjectively seems less soft. Worth an experiment if you're so inclined.

Check over at rec. woodworking for a consensus on best stains. Cabot is given good marks, maybe others.

Joe

[Jon Danniken]

[snip]

Interesting. I'd imagine that is to give you better penetration on the first coat?

Jon