PrefaceIntroductionSandingBare WoodSealing the WoodOilsWipe-on Vanishes and OilsShallac and French PolishFriction PolishesLacqueurColouringAltering the Wood |
OilsOils are easy to apply and often provide a beautiful finish when followed by a coat of wax, then buffed. Richard Raffan for example uses mineral oil and wax almost exclusively.
Mineral Oil Mineral oil darkens the wood less than most other oils. It is fully saturated, and thus cannot go rancid like unsaturated oils such as olive oil. However, it will stay in a liquid state forever:
Linseed Oil Comes in a pure (raw), boiled (metallic drying agents added) or polymerized, (Tried and True Velvet Oil – used as gunstock finish) version:
Tung Oil Comes in a pure or polymerized (has been cooked to partially complete the molecular cross-linking that occurs in drying-oil) versions – Shelf life 1 to 2 years: Pure Tung Oil – Provides a hard and tough surface finish that is waterproof, impervious to dust, alcohol, acetone, fruit and vegetable acids. But it takes forever to dry, does not penetrate the surface well and costs more than other drying oils. It’s a reactive finish that dries and hardens when exposed to air.
Polymerized Tung oil:
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