Raw Linseed Oil/ Flax Seed Oil - Tasty(?), Healthy, AND Good for Your Stock!

[jmoore]

Since my OLD quart can of RLO "cooked off" and won't flow any more, there was a need to buy some more. The paint store employee had no idea what linseed oil is(!!!! No foolin'!), so a prolonged search was made to find further mass quantities of this oil. Plenty of Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) available, some with "evil" additives, others "pure", but no RLO!

Remembering old Edward Horton investigations, and his sourcing of RLO from art supply shops, I found some good non-toxic gen-u-wine cold pressed oil. But price-y it is!:





Note that the English bottle is US$11 more than the Canadian for the same quantity!

About the same time I started a major clean of a '93 Oviedo Mauser, and wondered if they might have used a local oil, but unless they use olive oil on stocks that seemed unlikely. The research did bring up a reminder that "linseed" is another name for "flax seed" oil. Sooo...what might flax seed oil be used for? Turns out it's one of those "wonder" foods that is supposed to do all sorts of good things for you. "Whatever!" Still, that means SOMEBODY ought to be selling it locally, I was just looking in the wrong spots!

A trip to the local barber revealed a Whole Foods grocery store within walking distance, so after a 30 minute hunt through the multitude of olive, walnut, safflower, canola(rapeseed), and sesame oils, a whole section of Health Oils was found! Several varieties of Flaxseed oil included! Mostly "enhanced", but this one seemed tame enough:






Got it home and commenced some informal tests. :
1)Smell- same!
2)Color-The Flaxseed oil may be a touch lighter, but not by much over the Canadian Linseed oil. The English oil was darker, and had some sedimentation.
3)Texture- same!
4)Viscocity- The Flaxseed oil is more fluid, but it's quite possible that's entirely due to it's being fresher, no oxidation or slow polymerization has yet occurred.
5)Taste- The linseed oil is a little "stonger" but otherwise tastes the same as the flaxseed oil. Both are good on greenbeans, BTW! Who'd a thunk it? Did not try the English linseed oil, as there is some apparent sedimentation going on in the bottle. Probably MUCH older, given that it's more than twice as expensive as the Canadian product.
6)Wood test- nothing definitive yet, but it LOOKS the same going on. Both penetrate much better than BLO.

Best part?- Price! The food grade oil is MUCH cheaper than the artsy stuff. (Both are FAR more than the old quart can variety, but it's unobtainium.) ~US$6.99 for 236ml of Flaxseed Oil vs. US$6.99 and $17.99 for 75ml of Raw Linseed Oil.

So, does anybody know of any "down sides" to using "flaxseed oil" versus "Raw Linseed Oil"? (Disregarding the "enhanced" uber-healthy versions of flaxseed that is.)

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[xa-coupe]

I think a downside would be an upset stomach and multiple trips to the 'happy room'

[jmoore]

I think a downside would be an upset stomach and multiple trips to the 'happy room'

Only if you eat your woodwork!

[xa-coupe]

I can't imagine flaxseed oil being for ... firming purposes .. I would think as a supplement ti woudl be like cod liver oil. I digress though !
I would interested to see how your questions get seriously answered.. I have an art supply shop within walking distance and health food shops dotted around. I got the existing BLO from a hardware store so it's probably full of additives.

[jmoore]

BLO does have it's uses, but RLO penetrates better, is sure to be non-toxic, and leaves less sheen on the wood. It's also the "proper" wood oil for British weapons- BLO being an "emergency" substitute.

I do not know if the term "MSDS" (Material Safety Data Sheet) works for products outside the US, but the manufacturer should have something on their website regarding the ingredients of your BLO. Our evil "Wallystore" carries "pure" BLO, oddly enough, but it's regional.

[jmoore]

Going to add some old Edward Horton links regarding linseed oil as I come across them, so this post may show additions from time to time. No particular order either!
ETA: It IS hard to find threads where Mr. Horton participated that don't degenerate into insane rants from multiple sources, but I'll try and dig out a few that won't make your head hurt!

Question for Mr. Laidler

What did ROF (F) finish the furniture on their No.4 Mk.2 Lee Enfields with ?? (Good clarification of the oiling process as used at the big base workshops, and linseed oil in general)

Here's a link to the subject- Apparently, if I vas schmardt, I'd have done more searching here!:

https://www.milsurps.com/showthread....hlight=linseed

From this thread:
No. 4 stock finishing

I do believe that, contary to some statements in the links above, that RLO not BLO is the proper SMLE and Rifles No.4 and 5 finish. Note that the base workshops mentioned by Peter Laidler kept their oil warm or hot in large tanks. Over time this would oxidize the oil within, so it probably dried quicker than straight cold RLO. Not properly termed BLO, though!


Rerun of an old subject isn't necessarily a bad thing!

[jmoore]

An excellent post regarding the penetrating power of RLO is in the thread below:

Getting the most accuracy from a No. 4 MK1*

See Post #15

[Bearclaw]

RLO cheaper here than the boiled and lately I am coming across heaps of it. Just wish some of the stuff you guys can get your hands on was easily available here.

Myles

[jmoore]

Canada does seem to be the world's leading producer of linseed oil.

I think the environmental nuts didn't research "oil based" paints well enough before the big push to the inferior water based products now generally available. It would seem to me that merely specifying WHAT oils could be used would have been more helpful. The US paint companies don't mind, as the newer formulas don't last as long, so folk must buy more! Counter-productive rules and regs...

[Patrick Chadwick]

The linseed oil I use on my old bangers is indeed comestible oil from a German health store ca. 1988. Just plain natural maturing, no boiling, has given it the look and consistency of pure comb honey. Of course, I didn't deliberately keep it in reserve for 20 years - it got lost in a couple of moves and turned up later with some bits of machinery, by which time I didn't fancy drinking it, but kept it on the famous "It might come in handy one day" principle - and it certainly has!

So lay down some stocks now for the next generation!

Patrick