On 2/28/2019 at 2:56 AM, Jon Kerr said:

Is Boiled Linseed Oil the best stuff to use to protect it?

I never use just linseed oil. 

I mix 50/50 linseed oil and turps. Then add a walnut sized piece of beeswax to the mix. This is for a pint of each.

I've never had a problem with this mix on any household iron. 

The caution is to make sure that after you apply the finish that you clean it well with denatured alcohol.

Black smuggie on your towels will not win any smiles.  

I have used Bees wax floor polish on my anvil and havent retouched it in 3-4 years and it gets lots of condensation on it during the winter when i have the heater going in the workshop and still no surface rust

 

Thanks everyone.

Above it was mentioned that BLO does not stand up well to situations above 90* F. I'm making my father a fire poker for Christmas. Is there something that will keep rust off, not react or deteriorate in fire, and not have him leaving black/greasy handprints on my mother's walls? I'm new to finishes; BLO and pine tar (Torbjorn) are the only two I've seen used. I did see the BLO/turpentine + beeswax combo above, but I'm guessing that would also not stand up to fire. 

I use a paste finishing wax made by Minwax on pretty much everything (including fire pokers), after a good wire brushing it's applied to the hot steel (at a low black heat) with a rag. It leaves a nice blackened finish that isn't greasy to the touch. Unless it's applied too cold, in which case it's left a little waxy feeling. 

I'm not sure what it's made of, but I'm sure lot's of people have their preferred finishing methods.

I'm not sure anything wax or oil based is going to stand up to the heat of the fire for long periods of time though.

Platinum plating stands up to heat very well.  You could try the high temp paints they sell.

Vht flameproof exhaust paint will work on a fire poker. It says it holds up to 1300°f-2000°f.

I get it at the auto parts store. There is actually a cure procedure mentioned on their website. 

I use the flat clear on sculptures and things because I found it to hold up well. I don't go through the cure procedure on items but could be done for a fire poker. 

I use BLO, turps and beeswax on my fire tools. Only the tip turns greyish over a period of time. When this happens, just wipe the tip with  your finish or any carnuba based furniture polish. Or any oil for that matter.  You will prolly do this once at the end of your winter season.

Thanks all! Sounds like the BLO/turps/beeswax is good for general applications and should do alright for the poker. Dad visits often, so I can have him bring the poker if it needs a touch-up. 

I've used mineral oil for years for colonial cook ware seems to work well - no brown tones - nice black applied to black heated metal - 

Hi thanks for your information 

I have a question : can I use linseed oil for lubricating in rusted metals?

As linseed oil is a drying oil---it hardens and solidifies, the answer is no.  It would be like using concrete to lubricate a gear box.

If you are looking for a substance to help rusted pieces to move again, you want a penetrating oil. Not knowing which of the 100+ countries that participate here on the World Wide Web I can't make a suggestion for one you can find locally.

For a DIY version an acetone and automatic transmission fluid mix is highly recommended.  (search on: DIY penetrating oil)

I have used LInseed oil to good merit for certain items like hinges and such..  when I put together HL hinges and even strap hinges sometimes the barrel to pin and hinge body can be a little tight..  To tight in fact when warmed to apply the blo the hinges still won't move.  

But once the hinge is warmed up (it will squeek some when moving or trying to move the wings) once dunked into the blo I will wiggle them and they will free up nicely. 

because they are tight fitting the blo stays soft for many years.. soft enough never to fully polymerize in 3 or 4 years.. 

Where there is ample air flow though what Thomas wrote is correct..  It will harden and form a skin on the external parts.. 

But since the hinges are wiped off there is very little excess.. 

I have also used blo when punching cold or hot parts as well as fitting tight tenons.. 

Jen,

Another reason that the linseed oil does not harden up in tight hinges is that the oil does not oxidize. The diffusion of oxygen into the tight joint is severely limited.

Oil setting, "drying", happens by a combination of oxidizing and polymerization.

SLAG.

p.s. have a happy, safe, and healthy 2021.

Right on Slag..   

I'm very hopeful for 2021.. All ready have the ABANA Johnstown, PA meet, teach and greet,  just got asked to do a Tomahawk class, Forged in fire wants me to join them, Fair season might be a possibility as well as the New teaching center.. 

If we can get a hold of the Covid stuff it might be a very interesting year for sure..  Got a lot of hope for 2021.. 

I never use plain ole blo. Its too thick and tacky. I always cut it with turps and add beeswax.

When they are tight like you said, that is good. I work them cold to get a poor mans machine fit, take them apart and clean off the swarf. Then a quick black heat to apply my final finish. The blo, turps, beeswax soaks into both barrel and pin surface and the beeswax cools and fills the microscopic voids. The beeswax gives a relatively long sorta self oiled hinge. Sometimes as its cooling i rub the hinge area with my block of beeswax. This melts into the barrel area. This really makes a nice long lasting smooth swinging tight hinge. Besides it smells good. When you have a full kitchen's worth of hinges done like this, it adds a very nice smell.

I stay away from BLO because of the heavy metals. I use beeswax melted on and then wiped off with a rag at a low black heat for my forged items, and then I use Danish oil for wood items and axe heads. It seems to work for me.

I was a bit skeptical about your claim Owen, so I googled it.  You are right about many common BLO products which are sold.  I did see, however, that there are some products offered without those heavy metal drying aids.  I guess that armed with that knowledge one should carefully choose which one to buy and pay attention to any additives present.

Danish oil contains linseed oil without the heavy metal driers added. (I knew a fellow who made walking sticks and used plain linseed oil on them---he used sunlight to help speed up the curing but it was a much longer process!)

Walnut oil and hemp oil will also cure when left to their own devices. Walnut oil was favoured for oil paint in the renaissance as it dries clear and yellows less over time.

I don't really worry about it in general use. I use gloves and try not to get any liquid BLO on my skin. I think the real danger would be if you put a piece coated in BLO back in the forge and heated it enough to vaporize the heavy metals. 

Pnut

On 5/11/2021 at 9:10 AM, LeeJustice said:

I guess that armed with that knowledge one should carefully choose which one to buy and pay attention to any additives present.

Bingo Lee! Better advice is seldom given, just don't limit the practice to BLO. ALWAYS READ THE LABEL! I read them all and you'd be surprised and sometimes horrified at what's in things. 

I like Trewax applied to fresh coffee, hot iron excess wiped off, as a finish, there's nothing in it but carnuba wax, (I'd have to read the can to be sure which) but an oil and "mineral spirits" to soften it to paste wax consistency.

Read the label guys, ESPECIALLY if you're: eating, drinking or BREATHING IT it! If you Vape, have you read the ingredients? 

Frosty The Lucky.

Linseed Oil MSDS

A comparative study of the content of heavy metals in oils: linseed oil, rapeseed oil and soybean oil in technological production processes

If I read Glen's PDF above correctly, It appears that it is not a problem no matter how you apply it.

The key thing about that paper is "edible oil production", as you can see on the second page.  They were not studying BLO products sold at the big box or hardware store.  Those may have drying aid additives which you certainly would not want to consume.