Epoxy over blo?

V

Vpetrell

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Jul 14, 2015
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I am finishing up some scales for a mod I did on a condor woodlaw and want to epoxy them when I get it complete. I will en using systems 3 wood epoxy.

My question is, since I have put a few coats on the handles already, will the epoxy cure right over the blo? I read that it won't but want to make sure.

Any advice is helpful.

Thanks

VP
 
What's "blo"?

Epoxy will stick to cured epoxy very well. Just make sure it is clean. This is the principle of composite manufacturing.

I hope I understood your question.
 
BLO is the common term for Boiled Linseed Oil, a household wood treatment that is commonly used on wood axe and tool handles

It took me a few months in the axe subforum to figure that one out
 
RX-79G said:
What's "blo"?

Epoxy will stick to cured epoxy very well. Just make sure it is clean. This is the principle of composite manufacturing.

I hope I understood your question.
Click to expand...

Yep boiled linseed oil.

How well does epoxy cure over an oil based subject? I may not use it but hair want to know if it is possible. I should have held off on oiling it but I thought I was finished! [emoji15]
 
BLO is going to cause two problems - it is oily, like a mold release, and it has already sealed the wood.

Maybe you should just stick with the oil based finishes?
 
Vpetrell said:
Yep boiled linseed oil.

How well does epoxy cure over an oil based subject? I may not use it but hair want to know if it is possible. I should have held off on oiling it but I thought I was finished! [emoji15]
Click to expand...

I don't know how fixed you are on epoxy, but I found that Tung Oil seals the wood better than BLO, BLO seems to penetrate deeper but isn't as waterproof while Tung Oil takes longer to dry and sits closer on the surface but is a lot stronger at resisting water.

You might want to try Tung Oil if epoxy will no longer work for you. I have never used epoxy but I have an axe that has a few layers of BLO as base and a few layers of Tung as the top coating, and it's really nice and sealed.
 
RX-79G said:
BLO is going to cause two problems - it is oily, like a mold release, and it has already sealed the wood.

Maybe you should just stick with the oil based finishes?
Click to expand...

I think that's my best option from here.

What do you mean "mold release"
 
KingMC said:
I don't know how fixed you are on epoxy, but I found that Tung Oil seals the wood better than BLO, BLO seems to penetrate deeper but isn't as waterproof while Tung Oil takes longer to dry and sits closer on the surface but is a lot stronger at resisting water.

You might want to try Tung Oil if epoxy will no longer work for you. I have never used epoxy but I have an axe that has a few layers of BLO as base and a few layers of Tung as the top coating, and it's really nice and sealed.
Click to expand...

Thanks man. I think this will be what I do. Any specific number of coats you do?
 
Vpetrell said:
I think that's my best option from here.

What do you mean "mold release"
Click to expand...

If you were casting with epoxy resin, you'd use something oily to allow the casting to "release" from the mold. I would expect the epoxy to "release" from the wood.
 
Vpetrell said:
Thanks man. I think this will be what I do. Any specific number of coats you do?
Click to expand...

Well, I remember doing at 4 coats of BLO, using it a couple times, and then deciding it needed a bit more. Once I started on the Tung Oil I gave it 2 coats and it felt pretty good (I used a 50/50 blend of Tung and citrus solvent I got from a fellow carpenter), used it a few more times, and just added 2 more coats to the point it's a bit darker than before but feels pretty impregnable.

I guess that's 4 BLO and 4 Tung coats. One thing to note is Tung might stain your wood darker than BLO does, since it's thicker and darker than BLO.
 
KingMC said:
Well, I remember doing at 4 coats of BLO, using it a couple times, and then deciding it needed a bit more. Once I started on the Tung Oil I gave it 2 coats and it felt pretty good (I used a 50/50 blend of Tung and citrus solvent I got from a fellow carpenter), used it a few more times, and just added 2 more coats to the point it's a bit darker than before but feels pretty impregnable.

I guess that's 4 BLO and 4 Tung coats. One thing to note is Tung might stain your wood darker than BLO does, since it's thicker and darker than BLO.
Click to expand...

Ok awesome. Thanks so much. What's the point of the solvent? Just to thin the oil?
 
Vpetrell said:
Ok awesome. Thanks so much. What's the point of the solvent? Just to thin the oil?
Click to expand...

Yeah, thins it out and makes it easier to soak in. Also cuts down on drying time, even with the solvent it takes 48 hours to fully dry.
 
If you're looking for more wood treatment options, the axe subforum has plenty of guys who rehang and restore axes all the time and they all seem to have their own method of coating their handles.
 
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