Welcome Dave,
I have a lot of bog oak. I have learned that it is far better to have use stabilized. But, it can be used unstabilized if you take your time and work to seal and build up the finish.
There are several things in your situation that apply:
1) Linseed oil (its actually flax oil) needs oxygen to cure by polymerization. If stabilized by soaking or under pressure it may take a VERY long time (weeks to months) to cure.
Using boiled linseed oil will make drying faster, but it still would take a long time. using linseed oil with a dryer added will only speed it up a little. It won't work on bog oak well at all ... read on.
2) Bog oak is highly silicized. It does not absorb an oil finish like regular wood will. You would want a surface protectant that fills the pores, becomes a solid, and has strong bonding.
3) You need to fill those pores and striations first. The simplest method I would recommend a quick drying sanding sealer from the paint/hardware/woodworking store. Rub in a coat with lots of pressure, wait until it is tacky, and sand it off with 400 grit paper. Let dry overnight. Repeat at least 10 times. Then apply the finish.
4) Once the pores are sealed, you can use lacquer or another finish to build up a smooth finish. Put on a coat, let it dry and sand with 400 grit paper back to the wood. Repeat many times until you like the look. Finish with 800 grit paper.
5) The best method of doing raw bog oak is a superglue finish. Bruce Bump developed one that has been the Gold Standard of superglue finishes.
Get a bottle of thin CA.
Get a bottle of CA-Debonder (you can use acetone, but Debonder works a bit better).
Get a stack of cut-up 400 grit sandpaper (3"X3" is good) and other paper up to 2000 grit.
Have a pile of cut up line free rags (do not use paper towels).
After the handle is sanded to 400 grit and is shaped as you want, apply a coat of the CA ... WEAR RUBBER GLOVES! (you can use acetone to remove cured CA from the blade or any place it gets you don't want to sand.
Let sit until mostly cured and then put some debonder on a rag and work the surface rubbing the CA into the wood as it dissolves. Work it for a while until it is smooth, wipe off the excess, and let it dry overnight. Sand lightly with 400 grit paper to remove all CA from the surface and repeat the CA sealing/removing again. The third time, instead of a rag use 400 grit paper on the debonder/CA slurry to wet-sand it into the wood. Once the slurry is gummy, wipe the excess off with a rag and let it dry overnight. Sand and fill at least three to ten more times. Once the handle is completely sealed, you can go up the grits to 2000 grit. Buff with a soft polishing cloth for a final shine. The handle will have a show-winning shine that is IN the wood, not ON it.
Why we stabilizing wood ? What s the point to make plastic from wood ?
