# stain over linseed oil



## jschaben

I have some experience with paints but stain is a whole different place for me. 
I'm making some folding stools to hopefully sell at some upcoming flea markets. For finish, I'm just wiping them down with coat of BLO and leaving it to the customer for a final finish, if any. I'm thinking that after 2 weeks or so the BLO will accept most any paint but *not sure if staining would be an option*. I'm just using pine, some recycled. The objective is to keep the selling price around $15-20. That doesn't leave a lot of margin as it is as I'm figuring about an hour labor in each.


----------



## Steve Neul

Linseed oil will seal the wood so if someone is trying to stain dark they will have a problem. The wood won't take a stain near as well as if it didn't have the linseed oil on it and would need to use a dye to stain it. Then using a dye to make a large difference in the color will make the wood look kind of fake like it was a vinyl print. I use linseed oil thined 50/50 with mineral spirits as a wood conditioner but full strength is too much.


----------



## Fred Hargis

Why not just leave them as bare wood?


----------



## jschaben

Thanks Steve, that's what I wanted to know. I just used one coat, wiped on, not flooded or brushed in. Hadn't thought about thinning. Will try that on future builds.

Fred - I found the bare wood easily picked up fingerprints and other dirt. I was looking to get at least a partial seal to maintain the appearance but still allow any buyer to select their own finish. This is a low budget/margin project. Objective is as much to whittle down my scrap pile as much as get a little return on it. :smile:


----------



## Steve Neul

One thing you might do is put some stain on a piece of scrap wood. Then put some linseed oil on another board and some thinned linseed oil on another. When dry put some stain on the treated wood and see for yourself what it does. You might have to explain it to a customer.

I believe the unfinished furniture stores don't put anything on the wood. The finger prints would be easier to clean up than linseed oil. On the other hand there is another thread about someone that purchased a counter top from Ikea and they put some kind of oil on it polyurethane wouldn't stick to it. I think the customer would have second thoughts about buying something unfinished from them again. If I were you I would either completely finish the items you sell or sell them completely unfinished.


----------



## jschaben

Steve Neul said:


> One thing you might do is put some stain on a piece of scrap wood. Then put some linseed oil on another board and some thinned linseed oil on another. When dry put some stain on the treated wood and see for yourself what it does. You might have to explain it to a customer.
> 
> I believe the unfinished furniture stores don't put anything on the wood. The finger prints would be easier to clean up than linseed oil. On the other hand there is another thread about someone that purchased a counter top from Ikea and they put some kind of oil on it polyurethane wouldn't stick to it. I think the customer would have second thoughts about buying something unfinished from them again. If I were you I would either completely finish the items you sell or sell them completely unfinished.


Hi Steve - I think I'll go down and do a couple of test pieces tonite. I really didn't want to get into finishing if I can help it. These aren't fine furniture by any stretch. They are more of a little folding stool to take to a ball game or fishing. I'd post a pic but my main computer is down at the moment. I'm guessing most will go unfinished anyway. 
Thanks for the input :smile:


----------



## dustmagnet

Hey John,
You could take 1/3 BLO, 1/3 naptha(or mineral spirits) and 1/3 varnish and mix, put on a liberal coat, let stand for about 5 minutes, second coat, let dry for 10-15 minutes, wipe off excess. It will be dry and ready for service in about 6 or 7 hours, of course this depends on mother nature also....You can buy this same mixture, it's the same as teak oil finish, tung oil finish or danish oil finish.


----------



## Steve Neul

jschaben said:


> Hi Steve - I think I'll go down and do a couple of test pieces tonite. I really didn't want to get into finishing if I can help it. These aren't fine furniture by any stretch. They are more of a little folding stool to take to a ball game or fishing. I'd post a pic but my main computer is down at the moment. I'm guessing most will go unfinished anyway.
> Thanks for the input :smile:


 That's funny. I didn't want to get into finishing either. I only wanted to do very simple finishing of the furniture I was building. Then I opened my business in the middle of a antique mall. I soon got many requests for antique repair and refinishing so I found myself having to learn a new trade.


----------



## dustmagnet

I know what you mean Steve, many years ago I said " I'm not gonna get into the small crafty stuff ", I don't do a lot of it. But when a client has a whole house of furniture ordered, then says " Oh, can you do a picture frame or two" , it turned into 14. I made my son a clock for his 27th birthday, well now we're backed up for about three months, not complaining, just eating some crow...........I'll post some pics when I figure out how.....


----------



## Tony B

My concern with any kind of oil finish without a hard finish on top is that it might stain white and other light colored clothing. It may be self defeating to produce a stool and explain to everyone that they cant sit in them yet.
I would either leave them unfinished or make several stools, each with a different finish on them. If someone is willing to put a finish on them they certainly are willing to stain them. 
Just a few thoughts.


----------



## cabinetman

jschaben said:


> The objective is to keep the selling price around $15-20. That doesn't leave a lot of margin as it is as I'm figuring about an hour labor in each.


You're figuring $15-$20 for making a stool including materials and an hour worth of work????









 







.


----------



## madhatter4096

I have an antique quarter sawn oak rocker I rubbed linseed oil on it. it looks bad,can I stain over it


----------

