lemon oil

[Dean A]

Hello,

 I thought I heard you can't poly over lemon oil because it never really dries. Then I heard you can poly over lemon oil if it's dry.

 OK, which is it ? you can or can't

 (the reason I use lemon oil is because my workshop is in the basement , and I don't use strong smelling oils and solvents down there)

 Thanks

[dgman]

The bottom line Dean is do what works for you. Lemon oil is designed as a cleaner, not a finish. Most of the projects I make are either for sale or as gifts. Naturally I want the best products to use for my projects. I would not want to find out that one of my items left stains on someone's table or nice furniture. Since lemon oil is not designed as a finish, I would no use it.

[Rapid Roger]

I tried lemon oil and HATED IT! It didn't dry after a week and even left spray poly gooey enough that I threw the project into the trash can.
I use BLO.... Boiled Linseed Oil to pop the grain and seal the wood. It dries in about 3 hours and it dose have a bit of a smell when you are using it but, not strong or toxic and there is no smell at all after it has dried.
Another thing that I use a lot is shellac. It has a fairly strong odor when using it but dries in 15 minutes and is totally nontoxic. Very good for children's toys etc. 

Rog

[jimbo]

I had 5 liters of lemon oil given to me but have not used it as it is for cleaning and polishing finished surfaces as dan has said, but I know a lot of members use it including Steve
Jimbo

[BilltheDiver]

I'm with Roger.  I use shellac. Particularly de-waxed shellac like Zinzer bullseye.  Its natural, nontoxic after drying, dries fast and the solvent is denatured alcohol so cleanup is easy.  A couple of coats then after drying 0000 steel wool and paste wax makes a perfect finish.

[Billy in Va]

I have pretty much changed to shellac also.  While the lemon oil make the grain pop, the fact that it never dries or cures is deal breaker. I tried blo/ms 50/50 and while it does a good job, I had some problems with it in high humidity.  I tried mineral oil but that is almost as bad as the lemon oil. I experimented with spray shellac and can shellac. I now use a shellac/denatured alcohol 50/50 and it works great. Fast drying time and a really nice look. Depending on the project I finish with either lacquer, wax, or just buff with brown paper and leave it as is.

[Becky]

Can you just put the shellac and denatured alcohol in a mason jar or something or do you need to mix it fresh for every project?

I've never used shellac but the quick drying time appeals to me.  I've been using Danish oil but that is prett pricey and still takes time to dry (though I have never had bleed through like I have with lemon oil).

[Rapid Roger]

Can you just put the shellac and denatured alcohol in a mason jar or something or do you need to mix it fresh for every project?

Yes Becky, You can keep it premixed in a jar or any thing. As a matter of fact, I had about a half of a quart can of shellac (full strength) and just added the alcohol to top it up and keep the can sealed. I marked the lid of that can "CUT" so that I know that it is a 1# cut instead of the normal 2# cut that comes in the can originally. Be sure to stir it up good when you open it and you are good to go for a long time.
I use a lot of shellac in my shop both for sealing the wood and for a final finish on a lot of things.

Rog

[Becky]

Thanks, Rog - and please pardon my mini-hijacking of this thread!