Wood Paddle Finish Question

Advice
#61

Hear, hear! n/m

#62

Pure lanolin?
One could pull the hair/lanolin balls from a sheep’s coat, rub the oil into the wood, and then gently heat it to make the wood absorb multiple layers.



It should be quite waterproof, would be easy to touch up.



But it might attract wolves.



Jim

#63

Thanks for good info
Cockneykayaker,



Thanks for the last two posts, sharing your knowledge of finishes with us.



Of course some of my posts were in jest. Thank you for taking the high road and continuing to offer real information.



Dave

#64

Palm Oil finish
Jim,



I just thought of something I learned years ago. The carved elephants and other items from Africa that are golden color were/are finished with palm oil. It’s the same stuff used in cooking. I haven’t acted on that knowledge, but this statement is serious, not like some others of mine in this thread.



Dave

#65

Actually
my last idea was half-serious. Except for the wolves that is. It would seem that palm oil would be a no-brainer for the Polynesians to use on paddles, and I have heard that about the hand-rubbed carvings as well.



I imagine that it comes down to how often you are willing to touch up your paddle.



Jim

#66

You are correct that if the methods
of application are the same, a similar surface effect will be obtained. But penetrating oils like Minwax 209 do get deeper into the wood, especially into the end grain of a paddle handle or of a bench top. The amount of varnish left in the wood, after the varnish has been scraped off by abuse, is too little to retain useful hardness, and too little to keep water from getting into the wood, swelling it, and further opening it.



It’s not as if I have not used both varnish and oil and examined the results. I have always preferred the initial effect of varnishing. Then, after use, I go back to penetrating oil because the wood lasts better.



It depends on what needs finishing. I use penetrating oil on paddle handles, but I use only varnish (sometimes over West Epoxy) on paddle shafts and blades.

#67

The only problem is Palm oil
Will not dry as does linseed or tung oil due to its chemical make up.


#68

Lanolin from sheep !!
Bah !

#69

I had a buddy that was a…
…professional landscaper and really loved his tools as well as working hard. I once remarked on the beautiful condition of his tool handles and their unusual patina. He explained that his technique for blister prevention also protected the ash and hickory handles. He then demonstrated by producing a gallon-size square metal can of white goo that’s smeared on horses to prevent saddle sores and stuck his hand all the way in, removed it, covered with the stuff, and put on a leather glove (his gloves were also amazingly supple)proclaiming,“If you do this before you start, you can rake or shovel all day long without getting blisters!” He said the stuff was lanolin that was not USDA graded for human use, therefore inexpensive.

#70

There’ll never be another ewe! n/m

#71

Just don’t ram the idea down our throats

#72

I don’t disagree with that. I have cut
into wood that I have oiled, and wood I have varnished. I have not seen varnish penetrate in such a way that prevents its being flaked, scraped, or worn off, at which point the wood has less protection from your “residual” varnish than it has from a thorough oiling job. That is why I have given up varnishing paddle handles. A proper oiling simply lasts better with use.



And with furniture, it sure is easier to spruce up a damaged spot on an oiled piece than it is to correct damage to a varnished piece. It’s just that some people gotta have that varnished look… It might make good sense on a coffee table, but not on a harpsichord.

#73

That is a great idea
And here I was joking about lanolin. Have to give it a try!



Jim

“My girlfriend’s a blonde

but my true love goes ‘BAAHHHH’”

#74

Couple of excellent products
Waterlox: Very nice range of real tung oil-based products. $$$

http://waterlox.com/desktopmodules/fathomecom/catalog/Category.aspx?TabID=424



Sutherland & Wells: The best tung oil based products. $$$$$$ http://www.sutherlandwelles.com/exterior_tung_oil.htm



Tried & True: True zero VOC, zero heavy metal driers, food grade linseed oil-based finishes. Zero UV protection though, so you will have to accept some darkening with age.

http://www.triedandtruewoodfinish.com/owf.htm



Here’s some examples of cherry finished with the above products.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2432215770101250189tUHLap

#75

Epoxy and oils
If you use epoxy, you need to coat it with varnish with UV inhibitors, just like you would on a boat. That will prevent any degradation.



Tung oil and “boiled” linseed oil both cure at about the same rate and can be applied at a rate of one coat per day. While linseed oil is actually “food” for mildew, that only occurs in situations where it’s not allowed to dry completely, such as in and SOF frame. It doesn’t happen on paddles.

#76

so where does it go?

– Last Updated: Sep-14-08 6:58 AM EST –

Not to start it up again, but I was just finishing my paddle with pure tung oil mixed with turpentine. If it isnt penetrating deep into the the wood and i'm not spilling it, where did it all go? My first coat, I just kept slathering it on, and it didn't drip much, but it disappeared. There was very little seepage.

Before I finished it, I did an experiment. I paddled, then I rubbed it hard with a glass bottle. ALOT of seawater came out as I rubbed, almost like I was ringing a sponge. Is it not safe to assume that tung oil thinned 2:1 with turpentine went just as deep?

I'm also assuming poly would have gone just as deep too, and how "deep" something goes depends on how viscous it is combined with how "thirsty" the substrate is, combined with how long the substance maintains the liquid state. Am I crazy, or does this seem pretty simple?