AWGB Woodturning Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: will103 on March 29, 2021, 04:55:48 PM
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Hi folks,
I am a bagpiper and during the first lockdown I decided to buy a lathe and turn my own bagpipe drones - a long held aim of mine. My interest is in 18th century instruments. I have turned a set of drones using pearwood, which is historically accurate and they sound good. However I have noticed that the wood is more prone to dings and scrapes than the harder tropical woods. What would you recommend as a hard wearing finish? I have tried boiled linseed oil and it works to some extent, but I am looking for better alternatives. Thanks, will
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I would not have used Boiled Linseed Oil. It soaks into the wood and dries, that's what the boiled part of the name indicates, its not boiled at all but contained metallised driers. Great for a waterproof coat on Tool Handles and Cricket bats but it does not harden the way you want.
I would have gone for Hard Wax Oil, it dries by polymerisation, forming a hard outer coat.
The same can be achieved by Danish Oil and Finishing Oil but more coats would be needed.
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Good advice dr4g0nfly. Thankyou. Can I apply a hard wax oil to the wood now even though I have already applied linseed oil? Cheers, will
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Putting many finishes on top of an oil finish is not easy, but oil on top of oil can be done, so yes.
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i'd turn them again and use danish oil.
what other woods have you thought of using that are historically accurate?
i guess things like service tree, field maple, laburnum and strawberry tree were often used.
lignum vitae has been available for hundreds of years so would have been used quite alot i would have thought.
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Steve, Pear was used historically as it does not split in the presence of saliva/moisture.
It is also the wood used in Mouth Organs for the very same reason.
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I would not have used Boiled Linseed Oil. It soaks into the wood and dries, that's what the boiled part of the name indicates, its not boiled at all but contained metallised driers. Great for a waterproof coat on Tool Handles and Cricket bats but it does not harden the way you want.
I would have gone for Hard Wax Oil, it dries by polymerisation, forming a hard outer coat.
The same can be achieved by Danish Oil and Finishing Oil but more coats would be needed.
Traditionally, boiled linseed oil was dried, hence the name. Boiling the oil caused oxidation which promted drying. Now some manufacturers add driers etc. but there are still some sources of boiled linseed oil which is exatly that and contains no metallic driers. I use one as a salad bowl finish and it's also food safe, which it wouldn't be if it had the metals in.
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I believe Turner Robin Wood used to use raw linseed oil on his bowls etc.
https://www.dictum.com/en/oils-dbf/ra-linolja-organic-swedish-linseed-oil-raw-1-l-705354
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Raw linseed oil would work well. I use loads of it, and get it here -https://thelinseedfarm.co.uk/buy/organic-linseed-flaxseed-oil
Takes a little longer to harden then the boiled stuff, but is much nicer to work with
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They have lots on Amazon, as cheap as £11.99 a Litre. I think I’ll try a small bottle.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Flax+seed+oil&ref=nb_sb_noss_2