Hi. I am interested in experimenting with making linoleum and was digging on the internet about how actualy make linoleum, but did not found any step by step procedures, only ingredients (linseed oil, cork , pine resin and fluor, etc.) and general info. I want to experiment with linoleum on wood, some crazy ideas I want to try on. So has anyone seen the linoleum recepy around? I guess the linoleum patent must have the specifics about the elaboration process but is that info of public domain?
I wouldn't worry about patents, except maybe to locate the patent file at the Patent Office and copy any listed ingredients. I very much doubt you'll find step-by-steps, though. This is an old process for a material that is so many years out of date.
The Flax Council offers the following: "Linoleum was invented in England in
1863 by Frederick Walton who coined the name linoleum from the Latin name, linum, which means flax, and oleum, which means oil. Later in the century, Michael Nairn, a flooring manufacturer in Kirkcaldy, Scotland perfected the flooring, introducing qualities such as inlaid patterning ? a feature seen today.
Linoleum is a flooring that is manufactured by oxidizing linseed oil to form a thick mixture called linoleum cement. The cement is cooled and mixed with pine resin, and wood flour to form sheets on a jute backing. The term, linoleum is often used incorrectly to describe any sheet flooring, when in fact flooring can be made from other materials such as polyvinyl chloride." Charlie Self "If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner." H. L. Mencken
Years ago This Old House did a factory tour of a plant (in England?) that made linoleum. They showed how it was made, though I don't recall if they gave the exact "recipe." My recollection is that linoleum isn't the sort of thing one would make at home - the fabrication process involved rather specialized presses.
Plenty of artists have made their own linoleum (the recipe part is easy) but you need a heated press to do it. If you have the sort of press that a printer or bookbinder will have, then you can do this - but only for a small panel.
To make linoleum on a roll, you need to build a factory.
I want to make some sorf of a very customized finish of exotic hard woods, like phernambuco and ebony. And I want to go through the linoleum manufacturing process and see where can I alter it to suit my particular needs. I tried googling the about linoleum but haven yet found the "process" only general infos and some manufacturers. Linoleum has many caracteristics that I find useful for the purpose of finish instead of contemporaneous lacker/polishing techniques.
If anyone digs up the original linoleum patent number, please let me know. Konstantin.
One thing you'l need to alter is the drier used. The original recipe almost certainly used a lead drier (commonplace for linseed oil in its day) and this is now forbidden. Sadly lead-dried linseed has a particular surface texture that can't be reproduced by other driers.
You take linseed oil, cook it once with a metallic drier, mix it with the filler materials (which you will probably vary), apply it to the backing hessian (which you aren't using), then heat it again.
Most of this is oil-curing chemistry, which is described in several sources. Bill Knight's pamphlet "Staining and Finishing for Muzzleloading Gun Builders" is one of the most convenient for woodworkers, "The Modern Gunsmith" (1930s) and Leighou (1942) are others. I think oil basics will help you, but the specifics for linoleum aren;t near enough to what you're trying to achieve.
Like what ? Do you want linoleum, or just the surface of a cured linseed ?
On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 02:05:24 GMT, "Mark Jerde" calmly ranted:
I come up with a few of my own, but most are gleaned from my earlier visits on BBSes, reading other newsgroups, email sigs, etc.
Speaking of BBSes, does anyone have one of the original texts of the trials and tribulations of "Murray".
Here's one from 1998:
--snip--
A Captain's Tale
Long ago lived a seaman named Captain Bravo. He was a manly-man who showed no fear in facing his enemies.
One day, while sailing the seven seas, a look-out spotted a pirate ship and the crew became frantic. Captain Bravo bellowed "Bring me my Red Shirt." The First Mate quickly retrieved the captain's red shirt and whilst wearing the bright frock the captain led his mates into battle and defeated the pirates.
Later on, the look-out again spotted not one, but two pirate ships. The captain again howled for his red shirt and once again vanquished the pirates.
That evening, all the men sat around on the deck recounting the day's triumphs and one of the them asked the captain: "Sir, why did you call for your red shirt before battle?" The captain replied "If I am wounded in the attack, the shirt will not show the wound and thus, you men will continue to resist, unafraid."
All of the men sat in silence and marveled at the courage of such a manly man.
As dawn came the next morning, the look-out once again spotted not one, not two, but TEN pirates ships approaching. The rank and file all stared at the captain and waited for his usual reply.
Captain Bravo calmly shouted: "Get me my brown pants."
Actually the plant visited by Norm and Steve in This Old House was in Kirkcaldy in Fife, Scotland which is only about 5 miles away from me in Glenrothes. It is Forbo Nairn now but was started by Sir Michael Nairn over a century ago. The parent company is now Unilever, a Swiss (I think) owned multi national company who are in the process of running it down and will probably close it within the year. The lino we got from them a year ago is crap and so soft it can be punctured quite easily. This is not the true lino which is hessian backed and is almost bullet proof. If I remember correctly the true lino consists of woodflour and linseed which is mixed at temperature and rolled out into sheets like plasticene and then rolled again when still soft when the hessian sheets are 'bonded' to it by the heat and the two layers become one. the lino is then hung it large heated driers till it is dry and then cut to width and length. These driers occasionally go on fire and that is why the plant has its own Fire Brigade. Nearly everyone in this area knows someone who works there and can get lino at a discount price for them. As to the patent, I dont know when it was filed but if you contact someone at Kirkcaly Museum which is part of Fife Council's Community Services I am sure the Curator could tell you exactly when Nairn's first started or you could phone the plant direct. Whether or not you could make you own lino I dont know but good luck anyway
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