Boiled Linseed Oil and Heat Treating?

[ajbruggink]

Heh guys,

I'm working on a caul to balance out a red elm stave where one limb is naturally reflexed and the other is straight, to make tillering easier, and I thought while I was reflexing that straight limb I could heat-treat the bow as well. Can I use boiled linseed oil to seal the belly after I heat treat it? I don't have any spruce gum varnish and I'm looking for an alternative. My concern is that is that I'll be working in my garage and even with my garage door and windows open that it will produce nasty fumes and boiled linseed oil is flammable. Your advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Aaron

[Pat B]

Aaron, I've used turpentine with good results but not linseed oil. I've also tempered bellies with no other treatment at all until I added the finish.

[ajbruggink]

Thanks Pat, I noticed that you used olive oil in your 60" Elm Static Recurve build-along, I've thought about that too but I'd rather try to find a use for the boiled linseed oil because nearly a full can of it and I found out it doesn't work that well for protecting bows, so I'm trying to get rid of it because I have no other uses for it. This creates another question for me; why do we even use anything on the belly when heat treating?

[Pat B]

I use the olive oil only when heat bending or straightening but not for belly tempering. That I do dry and sometimes add the turpentine to the hot wood after tempering. 

[ajbruggink]

OK, I get it, I once used canned shortening for the same thing on a yew stave when I tried to make a recurve, the recurve didn't turn out but I was still able to make a bow from the stave.

[DC]

Doesn't boiled linseed oil dry kinda like paint? If so you might be putting a finish on before you're ready to finish,-if you follow me?

[JonW]

I tried linseed oil once and it gummed up real bad. It took alot of acetone to get it off.

[Sidmand]

boiled linseed oil WILL dry, and be gummy and gross.  I use it on my tool handles and as a finish on bows, I wouldn't personally use it as a heat treating medium.

[Carson (CMB)]

Commercially available boiled linseed oil typically contains undisclosed chemical drying agents. Chemical drying agents tend to be fairly reactive things. Potentially a health hazard if you get it hot enough to smoke.

Save that bottle of linseed oil, you will find other uses for it. Like Sidmand, I use it on tool handles and as a bow finish. Also good for metal tools blades/heads.