GG's

I recently bought Bob Flexner's book, "Understanding Wood Finishing".  He
mentions that saturating a piece of wood with oil, for example, by soaking
one end in linseed oil until capillary action causes complete penetration,
will stabilize the wood from shrinkage and swelling from water-vapor
exchange.  Michael Dunbar's book says that he places old, checked planes in
linseed oil, and that as the oil is absorbed, the checks may close.

My questions are:
1. Were the 19th century woodies generally finished by placing in linseed oil
until they were saturated, or were they finished on the surface only?

2.  I have seen old planes that look like they have compression shrinkage
(something else I learned about from Flexner's book).  Would a wooden plane
be more apt to get compression shrinkage if it had oil on the surface only or
if it was saturated with oil?

3.  Which oil is best for saturation, boiled or raw linseed oil?

4.  If i make a new wooden plane, what finish will best preserve it?  Would I
be better off with a wiping varnish or some other finish other than straight
oil?

Thanks much in advance for any replies.

David Sobel

On Sun, 13 Jun 1999 17:27:29 EDT JPagona@a... writes:
>GG's
>

>
>3.  Which oil is best for saturation, boiled or raw linseed oil?
>

Raw.  The boiled oil might polymerise too soon and plug the pores.

When you put the plane in the oil to saturate it be sure to leave one end
out
in the air.  THis is necessary for capillary action to wick the oil up
and
through the wood.  If you immerse it completely you'll trap air in the
wood and get incomplete penetration.

I have saturated chiselhandles and an odd piece or two of beech with tung
oil  That seems to eork fine and it penetrates throught to the top
suprisingly
fast, a matter of a couple of hours for a 3" long piece.

I wouldn't try that (well I might try it but I wouldn't expect good
results)
with any tung oil finishes, just the pure stuff.

Douglas S Caprette wrote:
>
> JPagona@a... writes:
> >3.  Which oil is best for saturation, boiled or raw linseed oil?
> >
>
> Raw.  The boiled oil might polymerise too soon and plug the pores.
>
I have read that boiled is preferred as a finish because the raw will
never really dry. I use the Maloof mixture - 1/2 boiled linseed oil, 1/2
varnish, and 1/2 mineral spirits (or for other things I just leave the
varnish out completely, using thinned-down boiled linseed oil. How would
this affect the plane? I wouldn't want a sticky surface from undried
oil. In fact just before I read your post I was wondering what raw
linseed oil WOULD be good for.

I am not contradicting you, but I would be interested to know your
thoughts on the drying issue. If I were going to try it on a plane, I
would probably try it on a fairly similar scrap piece of wood first,
just for my own peace of mind.

Howard

On This Subject:
        Bernard Jones, compiler of early twentieth-century WW lore, has
this to say in the section of THE COMPLETE WOODWORKER on "care of tools"
(pp. 38-39):
        "The wooden parts of tools should be occasionally rubbed with
cotton waste or rag moistened with linseed oil, taking care not to leave
any superfluous oil on the surfaces, as it is liable to become sticky.  In
the case of new planes it is a good plan to soak them well with linseed oil
a short time before using, and then, by well rubbing the surfaces, a dull
finish is obtained, and by following this with an occasional rub, the
surfaces are kept clean and in good condition.  Some people oil a new plane
by removing the wedge and irons, stopping up the mouth on the face with
putty, and then filling the mouth with linsed oil, leaving it until the oil
exudes from the poores at the ends of the stock; it is allowed to dry, and
then polished with friction."
        In THE PRACTICAL WOODWORKER, pp. 55-56, there is a slight variation:
        "A plane should be 'oiled' before using; this makes it heavier,
lessens the friction, and thus makes the plane work easily.  A reasonably
heavy plane is better than a light one, as it works more solidly and does
not require so much pressing down on to the work.  If the plane, therefore,
has not been oiled, or is too light, it should be soaked in raw linseed oil
or other suitable oil until it is a suitable weight.  This is usually done
by suspending it in an oil tank.  If this in inconvenient the cutter and
wedge are taken out, the bottom of the mouth of the plane is stopped with
putty, and the mouth filled with oil.  After a few days the oil will have
soaked into the plane; add more oil until sufficient has been absorbed.
Planes are sometimes french polished, but this is not necessary."
        Note the mention of raw oil.  I think boiled would begin to cure
and stiffen before soaking in fully.
                Tom Holloway

>       Tom Holloway wrote:
>       Note the mention of raw oil.  I think boiled would begin to cure
>and stiffen before soaking in fully.

I have done this using boiled oil.  If you fill the throat with linseed
oil, beads of oil will appear on the endgrain at the ends of the plane in
less than a day.  I have treated beech, maple and oak planes this way.

I should add that I did this in warm New Mexico weather.  If you try this
in your unheated shop in Maine around Feb.  things may be a little different.

Adam

On Mon, 14 Jun 1999 23:10:57 -0400 Howard Slack <hnslack@i...>
writes:
>Douglas S Caprette wrote:
>>
>> JPagona@a... writes:
>> >3.  Which oil is best for saturation, boiled or raw linseed oil?
>> >
>>
>> Raw.  The boiled oil might polymerise too soon and plug the pores.
>>
>I have read that boiled is preferred as a finish because the raw will
>never really dry. I use the Maloof mixture - 1/2 boiled linseed oil,
>1/2
>varnish, and 1/2 mineral spirits (or for other things I just leave the
>varnish out completely, using thinned-down boiled linseed oil. How
>would
>this affect the plane? I wouldn't want a sticky surface from undried
>oil. In fact just before I read your post I was wondering what raw
>linseed oil WOULD be good for.
>

My thoughts are simple.  In this application the oil is not being used
as a finish.  It is being used as a stabiliser.  The object is to
saturate
the wood through and through.  Moreover a little oil seeping out
onto the sole of the plane would be a good thing while the plane is is
use I should think.

I don't think a surface finish of any sort will have anyting but an
esthetic effect on the plane.  It won't stabilise it at all, and
considering
that you cannot finish the sole might even contribute to warpage due
to uneven mosture exchange between the sole and the top.

If the wood is saturated with oil there is no 'room' inside for
water.

I've also read onthe list that people who restore planes have
better luck using raw oil to swell checks closed that when they
use boiled.  Here it seems theory and practice agree.

By all means for a surface finish use boiled oil.  Better yet,
use Tung oil with a dryer added.  My favorite oil finish is
tung oil diluted 50/50 with a 'tung oil based' danish oil.

I basicaly use the danish oil simply as a thinner and source
for dryers.