Pen build with BLO

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Daniel2025

Daniel2025

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2025
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52
Location
Harris County Texas
Good morning. I'm curious about Linseed oil finishes. I have a quart but never used it.
Would like to hear you guys processes & procedures for using this product, and what to expect for it holding up.

Thank you

Dave
 
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For pen turning, I use BLO as a way to add depth and contrast to the grain, and enhance any chatoyance present in the wood. I don't use it as a complete finish. I just wipe on a generous coat with a shop towel, allow to soak in for 10 minutes or so, then wipe off the excess and burnish at high speed for a minute or so to dry it and fast-track some curing. Then apply a CA finish as usual over the top of it.

I have used it as a finish for gun stocks. Application is largely the same - wipe on liberally, allow to sit ~10 minutes, wipe off thoroughly. But I end up doing numerous coats over the course of, usually, weeks, with lots of time in the warm garage to cure between coats.

TBH I haven't really put a BLO-only finish through any kind of testing. If it's raining outside, I probably don't really want to be out there shooting my Mosin Nagant anyway. I suspect it would stand up to a rainstorm if it was carefully dried off afterwards, but for a pen, I think BLO only would be pretty poor as a "protection" finish for the wood. Certainly it would do almost nothing to protect the wood from abrasions or dings.
 
BHuij said:
For pen turning, I use BLO as a way to add depth and contrast to the grain, and enhance any chatoyance present in the wood. I don't use it as a complete finish. I just wipe on a generous coat with a shop towel, allow to soak in for 10 minutes or so, then wipe off the excess and burnish at high speed for a minute or so to dry it and fast-track some curing. Then apply a CA finish as usual over the top of it.

I have used it as a finish for gun stocks. Application is largely the same - wipe on liberally, allow to sit ~10 minutes, wipe off thoroughly. But I end up doing numerous coats over the course of, usually, weeks, with lots of time in the warm garage to cure between coats.

TBH I haven't really put a BLO-only finish through any kind of testing. If it's raining outside, I probably don't really want to be out there shooting my Mosin Nagant anyway. I suspect it would stand up to a rainstorm if it was carefully dried off afterwards, but for a pen, I think BLO only would be pretty poor as a "protection" finish for the wood. Certainly it would do almost nothing to protect the wood from abrasions or dings.
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Ok, sounds like yall are using BLO as a base coat, sealer for a CA finish. I can try that

Thank you
Dave
 
I have used this CA/BLO method from Don Ward, (AKA its_virgil) after finishing a few pens with the various waxes and polishes. It produces a beautiful finish and requires very little sanding after application. It is also fast.
Here is the link to the PDF in IAP resources:

CA Finish for Pens ... One man’s opinion

How I apply CA to finish my pens. Click on the image below to begin download of PDF. Author: Don Ward
www.penturners.org

Mike
 
I just cannot understand how CA over BLO is a good idea. I coat my workbench twice a year with BLO. If I happen to drip any CA on the surface, it just flakes off with hardly any effort on my part. I just hit it with a putty knife and it flips right off. It's well known that you never glue over a finish as it won't hold, well CA is a glue and my own experience with my bench bears that out.
 
KenB259 said:
I just cannot understand how CA over BLO is a good idea. I coat my workbench twice a year with BLO. If I happen to drip any CA on the surface, it just flakes off with hardly any effort on my part. I just hit it with a putty knife and it flips right off. It's well known that you never glue over a finish as it won't hold, well CA is a glue and my own experience with my bench bears that out.
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I don't know enough to argue with you from a scientific standpoint.

But my n=1 experience is that my CA finish stays on just fine, and the wood underneath looks great. I have pens that have had frequent use for the better part of a decade, finished this way, with no signs of the finish failing or coming off. *shrug*
 
BHuij said:
I don't know enough to argue with you from a scientific standpoint.

But my n=1 experience is that my CA finish stays on just fine, and the wood underneath looks great. I have pens that have had frequent use for the better part of a decade, finished this way, with no signs of the finish failing or coming off. *shrug*
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If it works it works 😁
 
KenB259 said:
I just cannot understand how CA over BLO is a good idea. I coat my workbench twice a year with BLO. If I happen to drip any CA on the surface, it just flakes off with hardly any effort on my part. I just hit it with a putty knife and it flips right off. It's well known that you never glue over a finish as it won't hold, well CA is a glue and my own experience with my bench bears that out.
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Ken,

I am no scientist either, I have also used the CA/BLO method for 30 or 40 pens. If you follow the steps in Don Ward's write up I linked above, it works great. It is very durable and gives a great finish. You don't need accelerator and it is not bumpy and rough like CA that is spread and accelerated. It requires very little sanding, starting with 1500MM and going thru 12000. If I want really glossy, I polish on the Beall buffer system.

Mike
 
The problem with BLO is close to the same problem with CA. It takes experience and the right touch - and much of the right touch at the beginning is just plain luck. IF you hit it right the first couple of times and keep doing it, then great.

But for people just starting out, the more variables one has, the more potential for longer learning curves. And there are plenty of people with beautiful work without it.
 
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