Expert: Jamie Yocono - 2/26/2005

Question
Hello Jamie, Thanks in advance for any help that you give. We
have recently bought some rustic style furniture made from
green unseasoned oak. The manufacturers have said that the
timber should be oiled to preserve it while it dries out. They
recommend Linseed oil diluted with white spirit (Turpentine
substitute). However they give no more details. White spirit has a
fairly unpleasant odour, is this the best option? The oak is a
lovely pale golden yellow colour which I am keen to preserve.
Any advice would be gratefully received.

Answer
Dyrck,

Without knowing much more about your rustic furniture, I am assuming a couple of things. First, the reason that the manufacturers suggested applying that mix of Linseed Oil and white spirits is to slow down the drying process. Wood can have very high moisture contents when it is green, and that moisture needs to dissipate from the wood. If it leaves the wood too quickly. The wood will crack and split. So the application - in theory - slows the moisture down from leaving the wood. This prevents - again, in theory - the cracking.

Now the reason they say to use Linseed Oil and white spirits is because Linseed oil by itself is fairly thick, and it wouldn't absorb that well into the wood. So by cutting it 50/50 with the thinner, it will make it more watery, and will better be able to be absorbed into the pores of the wood.

When I was in college, a million years ago, I did quite a bit of wood carving. Each day, with chisels in hand, I would attack a piece of green wood, and fashion my sculpture. At the end of each carving session, I would slap on a coat of polyurethane over the fresh wood area. It didn't have to be pretty, it was basically ONLY to slow down the moisture as it left the piece of wood. The next day, I would carve again and slap on more. The basic premise is- seal that wood, make the moisture leave SLOWLY.

So I think that's the same concept that your manufacturer was trying to get across. Any decent wood finish will work, but it has to be thin enough to really soak into the wood. You can't simply apply a thick coat of Linseed Oil; it's just not going to absorb that well.

I recommend that you pick out an appropriate finish. For example- if the furniture is going to sit outside, say on a deck of the lawn, you might want a spar varnish. If the piece is going to be in an enclosed porch, with more protection from the elements, you might want a simple polyurethane or even a tung oil product. Once you've chosen the finish, look on the can and figure out what to use to thin it down. In some cases, it might be something different from white spirits.

Apply at least one coat of the thinned down finish. Two would be better. Then, a final coat of the straight, undiluted finish. You don't need to waste a lot of time thinking about it. Thin coats, with a rag is fine. The final coat if the one you need to be a little more picky about. Watch for runs in the finish, you don't want those.

I have a suggestion, but I don't know if you'll be able to find this product. I use a Danish Oil called Watco. They make an Exterior Oil, perfect for your situation. It's a pretty thin mixture, and easy to use. If you could find that, it would be perfect. You probably don't even need to thin it down, you could use it straight from the can. Yes, it smells like a wood finish, but that will go away when it dries. There are a few mail order places that sell Watco, so you can probably find some on the web.

That's about it. You don't HAVE to use white spirits, you just need the thinner that is appropriate for the finish that you choose.  Good luck, I hope this helps. Feel free to write back with any other questions you might have after reading this.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
www.wooditis.com
Las Vegas, NV