Oil finishes and fretwork application

[pat c]

What types of oil finishes do you guys and gals use? For years I've used Watco natural on furniture pieces as a base coat when I had some really spiffy grain to bring out but... I see and have found out that dipping works better on fretwork. Can't seem to bring myself to buy enough Watco to fill a "Tupperware" dish, (seems too expensive) Add to that I like to topcoat with lacquer and Watco calls for a 72 hour wait before topcoating. Patience isn't one of my virtues, (one of the reasons I use lacquer)
Is there anything that dries faster and is less expensive and is there a type of plastic container that seals well enough so the oil doesn't go bad?
Thanks, Pat

[GrayBeard Phil]

I use just plain old fashion Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO.) Buy it by the Gallon at my local BORG (Big Orange Retail Giant) or clone. Very reasonably priced.

If I want a base coat or sanding sealer I dilute to a 50/50 mixture of BLO and inexpensive Mineral Spirits, aka Paint Thinner. Mixed up batch will dry quicker but with less finishing oil product on the wood. Cure time remains the same, a couple of months, but the dry-to-the-touch is quicker.

I store my left over used BLO and BLO mixture in glass Ball canning jars with lids. Local paint store (Sherman Williams) sells cone shaped filters for Paint that I use to filter the BLO as I pour into glass jars. Seems to work with only some cleanup.

I have now use a glass 9" X 13" baking pan for dipping. I still think one of the old time ceramic Black with White speckled roasting pans would work best. You must know these pans, the mostly inexpensive oval shaped ceramic coated metal roasting pans with a 3 inch high wall, and poorly fitted lids for steam to escape. They come in about 3 maybe 4 different sizes. Hardware stores (real hardware stores) at one time in history would carry them in the housewares department. BORGs, well not so much anymore.

However, borrowing a roasting pan from the Kitchen was NOT one of my best ideas I ever had. Nope! I could've thought on that idea a bit more than I did.

Phil

PS: Are you positive that Mineral Spirits won't eat away on your Tupperware over a long period of time? Just asking.

[wood-n-things]

I use the same method as Phil, and I too use a 9x13 glass pan for dipping. I hadn't made up enough to fill several jars though. I just usu one jar to hold excess..seems to store rather well. I make sure that now I don't try dipping until I have let the shop air get clear of any sawdust though...LOL

[pat c]

Sounds like BLO is it. Any other ideas are welcome. I've been separated for 5 years now so anything I ruin out of the kitchen is mine I think I'll find something else to use besides my baking dishes though. Thanks for the info. Pat

[Bill Wilson]

I use BLO as well. If you don't want to fill a container with enough to submerge the piece, just put some in and use a cheap brush to slather it all over. BLO wicks pretty well and if you turn it over, soak the other side with the brush, you should be able to get good coverage.

Another alternative that I've been using lately for fretwork, with good results, is spraying shellac. You can get shellac that is clear or that will add an amber tone to the wood, much like BLO. Dipping or brushing isn't a good option, IMHO, because it dries so fast. But spraying works really well. Shellac dries hard and has a bit of gloss to it, but shellac can be hand rubbed out to tone down the sheen, if desired.

[lucky788scroller]

I dip whenever I can, using Watco danish oil. I also slobber it on thick with a rag on pieces that are to big to dip, and after it soaks in a bit, I blow off the excess and wipe off with paper toweling.On even bigger, more complicated things, I spray on watco with a cheap misting bottle, like a windex bottle. I do that on some of the bigger clocks where dipping isnt possible, and ragging it on would be to difficult.When dipping, or ragging, or spraying it on,whatever drips off goes into the dipping pan, and afterwards is poured into another older watco can, and saved for the next time, and reused. Never pour it back into a can of fresh stuff. Use from the older stuff first, and add a little new stuff to that as it gets low. A gallon of watco lasts me quite a while by doing it this way. I rarely give the oil more than 24 hours before spraying with Deft , and havent had any problems because of that either.I prefer the Watco over BLO/MS mix because I dont care for the smell of BLO, but both work fine. Oh, for a nice cheap dipping pan, save those plastic trays that some stores use to package meat in. I have some fairly large ones, and find they work great for dipping in. The chemicals in MS and in Watco dont have any ill effects on them, and when they start getting nasty, I trash it and grab another one. I dont want to end up like Phil after taking the good roasting pan from the kitchen,it took him years of therapy to overcome that mistake!