Boiled Linseed Oil on old engines

About two weeks ago I painted my Keller with Boiled lindseed oil cut about 50% with thinner. Engine turned out great. But it still feels just alittle tacky can I put a coat of clear enamal over this or do I just need to wait longer for it to dry? Thanks Bob

[Dick Brown]

can any body help me with what they mix with boiled linseed oil. to help make it dry quicker.
looked in the archives and found one that used a 50/50 mix of linseed oil and turpintine.
any thing else???? thanks in advance and thanks to Harry
Dick Brown

[Preston Wells]

I have used a 70/30 mix of Linseed oil and mineral spirits and have gotten good results. Takes about a 2 days to dry good.

Preston

[Dick Hamilton]

I use the 50% - 50% mix of the boiled linseed and mineral spirits. Depending on the weather I am happy with the results. I use this on most of my collections from corn shellers, hay handling equipment, and some of my engines. Dick in the cool Finger lake Region of NYS.

[Tanner Remillard]

Speaking of linseed oil and mineral spirits, what is it for? Do you paint it on to protect original paint and decals on unrestored engines? Call me dumb, but I am only 21. I dont know these things.

[Doug Waggonner]

Tanner, It works great for preserving an unrestored engines paint. And it's amazing how it really brings back the color of the paint, even in places that you'd think there wasnt any paint left! It also looks really good on an engine that has no paint left at all.

[BobRR]

Heres an example.If I did this right?? There will be a before and after?(or at least one)BobRR

[BobRR]

One A two a! Lets see if this works?

[Tanner Remillard]

Wow Bob, that makes a nice difference. I think I will try that on my steam engine I am about to start working on. It has alot of original paint left.

[Robt.]

It certainly does make a difference....what kind of cleaning and preparation do you use before the linseed goes on?

[Peter]

I like both the before and after. I have seen some of these linseed oil engines and sometimes they look artifical and greasy to me. I am of the belief the best investment and long term, most rare of the rare, most valuable of the valuable: Will be an origional, unmolested, origional- means origional engines. So, if I had the chance to buy one of these greazed up engines at some future estate auction or sale, will be I be able to get the linseed oil off and get back to origional looking origional finish?

I tried another method on a few engines-I could also be harming my engines finish, some I have lightly coated with LPS2. That is supposed to be safe for paint and protects the bear metal from corrosion. it also looks nice, but I chose this for protection and the appearance is a side effect. Eventually it wears off, but in doors and left alone it seems to last for years. So far not seen any lifting of the paint. This is not so shinng as the linseed oil. A temporary lubricant that leaves a protective film. You can lay on a heavy coat and it does a great job protecting stuff thats under canvas outside.

[BobRR]

I cleaned with kerosene then simple green after everything was dry made sure no grease was left then coated with linseed. make sure and mix 50/50 or will never dry!I dont know what it would take to get it off but It sure doesnt hurt anything as it brings the color back and protects it!BobRR

[Dick Brown]

A great big THANK YOU to everybodys input on this thread. went the 50/50 linseed oil and mineral spirits. worked great. Oh yeah i am working on a real nice 1 1/2 fairbanks Z with the plugoscilator sumpter mag . on a nice original cart.
DICK

[Michael Barnes]

An alternative to linseed oil is walnut oil, sometimes called just nut oil. It does not yellow with age. In Canada the only source I know is Lee Valley Tools. Linseed and nut oil are a traditional wood finish, and form one of the ingredients of traditional printer's ink as well. That's why I know nut oil is better: it does not cause ink or pages to yellow with age.

[Don C. Wiley]

The walnut oil works very well on wooden bowls, especially if you are going to eat out of them. It makes a great finish with several coats on all "treen ware". That is wooden spoons, forks, knives, and other eating utensiles.

I've never tried it on iron, I think I'll just do that. Did you mix it with any dryer?.

"DELCO DON" Southern Illinois

[Don C. Wiley]

The walnut oil works very well on wooden bowls, especially if you are going to eat out of them. It makes a great finish with several coats on all "treen ware". That is wooden spoons, forks, knives, and other eating utensiles.

I've never tried it on iron, I think I'll just do that. Did you mix it with any dryer?.

"DELCO DON" Southern Illlinois

[HBurk]

how do you go about getting this boiled linseed oil off your engine, if you so desire? thanks!

[Patrick M Livingstone]

I think the answer would be "with great difficulty". A couple of friends have done their engines this way and they look great but it is very hard to remove. I will not use it on any engine that may someday get a full restoration.

[Mike]

It is my belief that as the paint ages, the oils in the paint dry out. When we put the boiled linseed oil back on the old dry paint, it absorbs the oils back into the chalky paint and gives that original antique color.

[Dave Hyatt]

Next time you're in your favorite hardware store, look at the backside of a can of boiled linseed oil for uses and how much to reduce it. It has been used as a furniture finish for years before shellac and varnish came about and is still used by some for furniture finishing. To speed up the drying process, thinner is added. Either turpentine or mineral spirits can be used as the thinner. Turp is more expensive, is distilled from pine sap, and has a strong lingering odor. Mineral spirits (also called 'white gas') is distilled from petroleum, is practically odorless and dries faster than turpentine. The uses on a can of boiled linseed oil include making oil based paints flow easier, apply as a gun stock finish, furniture finish, and apply to garden and farm equipment for rust prevention. Make sure you don't get RAW linseed oil or you may be waiting years for it to dry, thinner or not.