Oil

[geneVG]

Will someone tell me about putting oil on the wood.  I guess I do not understand the reason and what it does for the wood.  And what kind of oil do you use.  If it makes the piece look better, I want to use it.

gene

[dgman]

Hey Gene, Oil bring out the color and grain of the wood. If you are using hardwoods, it makes the grain "pop" and brings out the natural beauty of the wood.
I use a 50/50 mixture of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits. I use an old metal baking pan to soak the item. Let it soak for five or ten minutes. Drain off the excess oil, then wipe it down with a clean lint free rag. I use old tee shirts. Let it dry for at least 24 hours, then top coat with your favorite finish. I use deft semi gloss spray lacquer. Go into the gallery and look at my projects. They are all finished as explained.

[geneVG]

Thanks Dan.  Some of my cuttings I soak in Lemon oil.  Dose that do the same thing?  An, another question.  This spray Lacquer, can that be bought at places like Menards or Woodsmith?

gene

[dgman]

I get it at Home Depot and Lowes. The lemon oil does the same thing, but never really dries.

[geneVG]

The reason I used lemon oil, was becaues I seen Steve use it on his vidios.  I will get the mix that you suggested and give it a try.

gene

[kimb]

Gene, I started using lemon oil and I really like it because it is so quick. I soak it in lemon oil for about 5 minutes then wipe off the excess and let it dry for about an hour, and then I put 3 or 4 coats of the Deft spray lacquer. You don't have to let it dry over night like the other oils. Seems to work great. I am going to try Dan's mixture too one of these days. I always like to try new methods and see what works best.

Kim

[Mainewoods]

Gene, there are other options too.  Such as Tung Oil or Danish Oil.  I've used the lemon oil, the Boiled Linseed Oil and the Tung Oil.  It's mostly a matter of preference for the particular piece you're trying to finish.  For simple decorative pieces, a quick soak in the lemon oil followed by clear coat works well.  If you're not going to clear coat, you'll want to use an oil finish that will dry and leave you with a nice finish.  That's the main issue with the lemon oil.  It basically doesn't dry!  You can come back a week later and still get oil stains off a piece treated with lemon oil.  However, you don't have to wait to clear coat it either, so it DOEShave it's benefits.  The more elegant or fancy a project is, the more time/effort I spend on the finish.  I've done a few items for my wife that I hand rubbed a Tung Oil finish into.  I didn't want a clear coat on these items because I didn't think it would look right.  So, it isa matter of personal preference.  What type of finish do YOU think will look best on that particular piece. 

Sorry for rambling on.  Hope this helps!

[dgman]

Gene, Whatever you choose, remember this very important safety tip. As oily rags dry, they produce heat. If you leave a bunch of oily rags in a pile, they may catch fire! What I do is drape them over an edge of an empty trash can for 24 hours. After that you can toss them in the trash.

[geneVG]

Sorry for getting back so late.  You guys have given me a lot to try and to think about.  Thans.

gene

[dgman]

Hey Gene, Why don't you come over this weekend and I'll show how to do it!