OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

80884 "Schwartz, Christopher N." schwartz@i... 2000‑07‑12 RE: Cleaning and refinishing wooden planes
One data point:

The only thing I read in print regarding linseed oil being bad for antique
planes was from St Roy.  He cited unnamed museum curators, saying there was
evidence it made the wood break down after 200 years or so.  He encouraged
anyone to use linseed oil on planes they were making new, but maybe using
paste wax on you Chelor planes from 1700.  (I'm extrapolating a bit.  Don't
you dare put a hang hole in your Chelor planes or anything.)


Chris Schwartz...  Ex-Feral Brewer
Stealth Galoot #97, FOYBIPO
http://agent.infodata.com/cns/chris.html



-----Original Message-----
From: reeinelson@w... [mailto:reeinelson@w...


Hi All,

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. To me, any current thinking
that linseed oil is undesirable and/or might do damage is a bunch of
bunkum. 



Recent Bios FAQ