Removing Boiled Linseed oil

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vcbvcbvcb

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I hafted my 1st hatchet the other day, and it came out pretty good. It has an 18.5oz plumb head and 18" hickory handle. I usually use trader Joe's jojoba oil on wood, which is really a liquid wax at room temperature. However, this time I used boiled linseed oil because it seems to be the go-to stuff for axe and hatchet handles. Bottom line is, I intensely dislike the stuff from the ground up. Admittedly, I used too much BLO and got a sticky shinny result, but in any case the smell still gets me. It smells like an extreme version of rancid oil, and I don't like the feel or the look. After several applications, the jojoba oil imparts a beautiful medium-dark natural wood color. The BLO will take years of applications to get the color I like. If I use too much jojoba, a day or two later it's absorbed and gone. Lord knows that's not the case with BLO. I have read that boiled linseed oil can be removed with turpentine, paint thinner, or mineral spirits. Is one better than the other? I also read that nothing will get all of the BLO off, bummer. Will that inhibit the absorption of future jojoba oil applications? Thanks, vcb
 
You sure your got BLO and not tung Oil or linspeed or something like that.

BLO nevers gets sticky on me and wipe it off and let it set and it'll soak in.

You can heat up the wood a bit with a hair dryer or lay it in the sun if you can find sun, oh southern California you might see the sun, and the oil will work to the surface where you can wipe off more.

I'd probably wipe with mineral spirts first, just a bit on a rag, don't soak or anything and it should remove enough that your jojoba (never used it myself) will take.
 
Yup, definitely BLO. The main problem is that I was used to using jojoba oil. You put it on and don't need to wipe it off. I put the BLO on but didn't wipe it off and ended up with a thick sticky mess. I'm not sure the smell would bother the average person. However, I can tell if someone has been eating potato chips on the other side of a room. The only thing I'm missing are the long floppy bloodhound ears.
 
BLO definitely is nasty in certain ways, but I like how tacky it is. Especially for stuff like axe handles.

No idea how to get rid of it though.
 
I wonder if it's a reaction to the Hickory? I know I've used it before but not a lot. Mine never gets sticky, wipe it off the next day. I use it sparingly and rub it in well but often times lay it on afterwards and wipe off.

I sometimes thin in a bit with mineral spirits to go in my checkering. If it's too thick it clogs it all up and you have to recut the whole deal.
 
Here is a good solution... BLO and cosmoline are both effected by WD40. Cosmoline is more easily wiped away with WD, but it also works with BLO. WD is water soluble so don't worry about wood damage. Just apply the WD 40 on a rag and wiped . Resoak the rag with WD when needed and exhange the rag for a new one when the previous one gets mucked up.
 
I have no experience with BLO, but I have lots of experience with sandpaper. Why don't you try sanding it off. Hickory is a pretty hard wood, so the BLO might not have soaked in too deeply. Even if it doesn't work you're no worse off than before and you can try other solutions (no pun intended).
 
gurkha berserka said:
Here is a good solution... BLO and cosmoline are both effected by WD40. Cosmoline is more easily wiped away with WD, but it also works with BLO. WD is water soluble so don't worry about wood damage. Just apply the WD 40 on a rag and wiped . Resoak the rag with WD when needed and exhange the rag for a new one when the previous one gets mucked up.
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Interesting. I just bought a gallon can of WD40 today. Ill have to try that. I usually get that gel ring around a piece of wood or on the blade when I submerge soak. It only forms at the surface of the BLO where it meets the air tho. I like that thick BLO. I have a can I leave open all the time because it gets really thick and works great on wood. I clean that ring off with alcohol then rub it down evenly with a rag and wipe it clean. Never have i seen it get sticky. It usually dries and polymerizes completely in a few days. You can put a great polish on it too. There is an aerosol Truoil that gets sticky and tacky if you dont wipe it immediately but havent seen this with BLO.

vcb: Try a drying agent like acetone or iso alcohol. It wont hurt the wood as long as you dont soak it. Wipe it clean with a saturated rag and let it dry for a few minutes then rub it with your favorite oil. It will penetrate just the surface and eventually everything will get pulled into the wood and you can reap the benefits of your favorite oil and not have to worry about the BLO. Might have to repeat a few times. works for me.
 
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Awesome info GB!

vcbvcbvcb, Please let us know how that works for your situation. I don't have any that are a mess, but if I ever do want to change from BLO to something else having details of the horror ahead might either make me go ahead and go for it OR just change my mind about how badly I want to change it. :D
 
WD-40 is not water soluble. The WD in WD-40 stands for "water displacement".
It was originally formulated as an inhibitor to protect the paper-thin balloon tanks of the Atlas missile from rust and corrosion.

Your best bet is to use lacquer thinner to remove all you can from the surface. AS BLO is a penetrating oil, it will be difficult to remove it all. It may or may not affect the usage of other oils, depending on their ingredients.
 
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Karda said:
WD-40 is not water soluble...
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Thats what i was thinking but it may remove that BLO gel? Havent tried it yet tho. problem is WD40 leaves oily residue where other agents dont. The "40" is because it took them 40 times to get it right.
 
ndoghouse said:
Thats what i was thinking but it may remove that BLO gel? Havent tried it yet tho. problem is WD40 leaves oily residue where other agents dont. The "40" is because it took them 40 times to get it right.
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It may remove the gel. But it may also be the rag doing most of the work. ;)
 
Karda said:
It may remove the gel. But it may also be the rag doing most of the work. ;)
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Oh your probably right. It never was a big deal to me to remove it. I like the stuff myself. To be honest I dont even soak anymore. I dont think it is needed. I wipe my wood collection down every few months with a mix of BlO and mineral oil and that works just fine. I have never had a crack appear on anything and have never had any shrinkage at all. Texas weather maybe?
 
Whatever WD is... It takes cosmoline off and gel BLO off like magic. I have stripped over a dozen surplus rifles with WD. Some where bathed in the stuff. The WD trick is pretty much common knowledge in the surplus military rifle world. I didnt invent it.

WD is easily wiped off most any surface. It sucks as a lubricant because it is washed away by water very easily. Ever lube a chain with WD? Bet you have to do daily because it doesn't last long at all. That's the point I was trying to make about the WD. It's a great stripper for botched gelled BLO and cosmoline, it easily washes away with a good amount of water.

Here is some reference material. There are many articles about it.
http://www.thewoodnerd.com/tips/cosmoline.html

I wouldn't give anyone bad advice on this forum!
 
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I know it's good for getting tar or pitch off your hands. I never cared much for WD40 myself.
I know over time it actually turns into an adhesive.
It's extremely flammable. It has it's uses and thanks to GB I just found another. I do a surplus rifle now and then and I'll give it a try next time.
 
Thanks guys. I don't mean to ignore my own post, but I got inundated at work 30 seconds after I posted, and that's continuing today. I'll get back to you as soon as I try something. The WD-40 info is interesting. I am curious Karda, why did you pick paint thinner over mineral spirits? I was leaning toward mineral spirits because it is reputed to have less odor and I don't want a solvent scented handle. Thanks again to everybody.
 
vcbvcbvcb said:
Thanks guys. I don't mean to ignore my own post, but I got inundated at work 30 seconds after I posted, and that's continuing today. I'll get back to you as soon as I try something. The WD-40 info is interesting. I am curious Karda, why did you pick paint thinner over mineral spirits? I was leaning toward mineral spirits because it is reputed to have less odor and I don't want a solvent scented handle. Thanks again to everybody.
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Because that's what woodworkers use and recommend for removal of BLO.
Chances are, using mineral sprits, is that you will be adding the mineral spirit to the handle instead of removing the BLO. A solvent with a drying agent is needed.
The best thing I've found for cutting cosmoline is kerosene. Long ago and far away, I used to have to bathe new Mercedes in it after they arrived here from their long ocean voyage.
 
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Alcohol wipes are best in removing cosmoline. Got some ancient Kukris wiped clean it in no time.
Might work on BLO as well.
I only use LO and never needed to remove it.

Soaking is great I prefer soaking it once properly to having to coat everything every couple of months.
After soaking it in LO for a week in summer I wait until it polarizes on the surface and then add a few layer of tung oil since its more water resistant than LO.

Against drying rings on wood or metal parts cover the ones you don't want any polymerized LO/ BLO on in Vaseline before applying the LO/BLO
 
Oh contrere gb. I took it as good advice and appreciated:thumbup:

Gasoline also readily dissolves cosmoline. No scrubbing necessary.
 
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