Galoots
Just a few comments in relation to linseed oil on wood*, I agree 
with Bob in relation to linseed for planes.... *(start of holy war!)

On 12 Jul 00, at 13:17, Robert Nelson wrote:
> Various anti-linseed oil comments made re this thread have twanged my
> bow. I can't quote the sources off the top of my head, but I'm sure I've
> seen several of them that stated that linseed oil was the finish of
> choice of almost all old time plane users. One of the primary reasons so
> many 200 year old planes are still here in pretty decent shape is
> because they were finished with linseed oil. 
A common practice mentioned by my Grandfather (a coachbuilder) 
was to plug the mouth of a new plane with leather and fill the throat 
with linseed oil, leaving the oil soaking until it wept out the ends of 
the plane. I have read of similar practices using putty instead of 
leather to plug the mouth of a plane.
To me, any current thinking
> that linseed oil is undesirable and/or might do damage is a bunch of
> bunkum. Will it darken a plane? Yes, sometimes more than others
> depending on the wood, the phase of the moon, and who knows what else.
What oil does't darken wood?. All the ones I have ever tried have 
the same effect on wood eg., walnut, poppy seed, manuka, 
mineral, olive and grapeseed oils. I suspect that any wax or other 
treatment that does not darken wood does not give much 
protection, merely sitting on the surface
Using a plane also darkens the wood, especially if the wood was 
never finished with anything much to start with.

Regards
David Burnett