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Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/Boiled Linseed Oil on Cedar Chest

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Expert: - 1/9/2009


Question
I applied boiled linseed oil on my cedar chest and apparently I did not wipe the excess sufficiently.  Now the finish on the top of the chest has a gummy film.  Is there a way to restore the finish to make it smooth and remove the gummy finish?  I have only used linseed oil on the chest in the past and never had this happen before. Help!  Thanks for your assistance.  Happy New Year!

Answer
Hi Diana, I wouldn't use boiled linseed oil anymore, it's really kind of "old school" when compared to todays products...it dries slowly,  (or not at all if it's old, or applied too heavily),gets very sticky, and darkens with age. Take some mineral spirits, saturate a rag, and wipe down the chest, and remove as much as you can, drying with a clean rag. Then let that dry thoroughly, at least overnight. Then, if you want to use an oil finish, look at something like WaterLox, Watco, or Formby's Tung oil finish. These more modern finishes have driers, and other oils and resins that give you the ease and benefits on an oil, but will dry better and won't tend to darken over time like Linseed oils. Make sure to apply liberally,wait a few minutes, but then wipe off thoroughly leaving a very thin film for each coat. If it's sticky when you're wiping it off, apply a little more oil and wipe down after another minute or two.Wait at least 36 hours between coats to make sure you won't dissolve the previous coats. Hope that helps- regards- Greg

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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