[TimberFace]

Hi gang,
I'm working on a basswood carving and would like to try washed acrylics for the first time. I have done the usual coarse to fine grits on the portions that I wanted sanded. Now the question. Has anyone sealed with BLO before using acrylic paints, and with what results? I know that BLO is good after the acrylics dry and then satin lacquer and liquid wax. I have used oil paints for a transparent color variation before with good results but would like to try acrylics. I don't necessarily want to use a sanding sealer because I have heard it raises the grain quite a bit on the sanded portions.
Thanks in advance for the help.
Lundy

[TimberFace]

I just found a helpful thread (after I posted my question, of course) with good info from Susan Irish on 4-9-08. Thanks Susan. Very informative.
Still open for other opinions and experience on the matter.
Thanks again.

[Mark N. Akers]

Hey Lundy:
I myself I haven't,but I know that Jon Nelson teaches to paint that way,he will dip them the night before he paints. Pete LeClair dips prier to painting,but he uses Minwax 209 base,hope this helps.

[Mitchell]

It works fine. Do let it dry a day or two before trying to paint over it though. I use the minwax occasionally to seal before painting and sometimes use the BLO. I don't like the BLO because it usually takes longer to dry.

I would (and have) suggest that you do a trial piece first - better yet make two similar trial carvings and finish them differently (one with BLO before and one with BLO after) for comparison.

[TimberFace]

Thanks guys. Very helpful.

[MelNM]

I do it on a lot of my carvings, you can either dip it or brush, I have done both. The biggest thing is to wait at least 12 hours before painting. I paint the way you describe. Just make sure you make your washes real thin, they have to be the consistency of milk. Then just apply the amount of washes till you get the look you want. Something else I do is if using white, I do not dilute it at all.
Mel

[AlArchie]

Got a few questions for you BLO afficianodos............I don't have anything against it, in fact I use it on tool handles, "working" walking sticks, a few gun stocks, some antique furniture refurbs and an old carving handed down from my grandad.

Now the questions..........

What is the advantage of BLO over the newer finishes?

Is it better than sanding sealer as a sealer? Waterbased, or petro based? I've used waterbased and didn't like it as it raised the grain but I haven't found that problem with the petro based Cabot or Minwax sealers.

Some carvers mix oil colors or stain with the blo for adding color to carvings. Can't you add these same pigments to sanding sealers, poly and varnish with very similar if not the same results?

The newer materials seem to dry in 1 to 8 hours. BLO takes at least 24 hous to cure. Unless you want to wait for results, what's the advantage there?

As some of you put on a finish coat of poly, varnish or lacquer anyway, what is the purpose of the BLO under that?

With the assortment of optical qualities (matt, satin, semi-gloss and gloss) in the newer finishes, is ther a particular sheen with blo that is not available with the modern finishes?

Do you use BLO as a "traditional" finish purely out of asthetics?

Do you use it because you took a class or read a book or article where the instructor or author used it and you liked the results?

Have you actually experimented with other mediums or have you simply bought into the BLO mystique?

Is there an advantage to applying a color wash over BLO when compared to using that same wash on raw wood or wood sealed with a commercial sanding sealer?

How about adding stains to poly, varnish or sanding sealers as opposed to adding these colorants to BLO

I guess my primary question boils down to .......... Why do you use BLO ( a slow curing, fairly hazardous material, fire-wise) when there are so many more easily handled and applied materials available today?

Again, I don't want to criticize your use of the stuff, or discourage you or others for trying and using it. I'm just trying to get a handle on the "mystique" of the stuff.

Al

[Lynn O. Doughty]

The use of BLO, like that one weed in the yard that no matter what chemical you pour on it it just will not die, this subject just continues to resurface. Like Al, I just can not understand why the use of BLO continues when there are so many other, safer products out there that do just as good a job or even a better one. Is it because it's so cheap? Is it because seminar instructors encourage it's use?

I have to admit that I bought a gallon of the stuff about 5 years ago to use as part of a "secret" mix for coating the framework and wheels of our Chuckwagon. Even in that case the stuff was a complete s it never dried completely and we finally has to completely redo the wagon so we could refinish it properly. Maybe that's the stuff they used in the old days to treat wagons but nowadays there are better products out there.

Here's another example of how certain applications change: saaddles and other leather products used to be kept in order with Neatsfoot oil. This stuff was made from rendered cattle parts. It didn't work great but it was the only thing available. Unfortunately, it turned the leather almost black over time and even with it's application the leather dried out and became unusable. Today there are loads of products out there to treat leather where this doesn't happen but like BLO, there are those to continue to swear that Neatsfoot Oil is the only way to go. Again, it's cheap, the oldtimers used it so it must be the way to go, right? Baloney!

[Bartster]

al,

i think alot of folks use blo for 2 reasons 1; they like the effect it gives to the carving i for one have tried other ways and did not like the effect it gave carvings so i went back to blo, i have since began usin minwax 209 natural stain with burnt seinna in it and this gives me a good antique look to my carvings alot like blo but less hazardous and dries alot quicker, so for the most part i have switched to the min wax stain until i start having problems and i will go back to blo,

the second reason people use blo is it is a tried and true method of antiquing that works and has worked for along time, some just get complacent and stick with what works.




also with the minwax stain i can precoat before painting or paint and then coat with the stain whatever i feel like doing,

there is no right or wrong way in antiquing carving it is whatever the carving likes and wants to do it is all personal preference whatever works for one may not work for another or they just may not like the way it looks.

bart

[AlArchie]

That's a reasonable answer, Bart, and now I have to wonder....Can you quantify that effect the BLO gives? Is this strictly achieving an antique look? I know it does impart a sort of golden hue to the walking sticks and gun stocks I did. Haven't really thought of using that as a desired result on carvings, though. But then again, most of my carvings are fish and I don't want any of the colors obscurred or dampened..

I have used Minwax paste wax on several other carvings, both for protection and as a medium to slightly mute the hues. It also works grerat on natural wood grain fish carvings....seems to bring out the richness of the piece, even though its final "finish' is satin or semi-gloss poly.I use the amber colored wax for that, but they also have a clear or "white" wax.

Al