[oldbearx2]

Hey all I have been finishing my indain and mountain man carvings with oil paint and linseed oil for some time now. I got the recipe from the Jeff Phares book. It's also the same technique Marty Dophind uses. Paint thinned with linseed oil, spray a few light coats of Krylon 1311 which helps the paint dry, then Watco liquid wax. This has worked fine until the last few carvings. Whenever I apply the wax and then try to buff it (by hand) the whole thing turns into a sticky mess. I gone so far as to strip the carving and just put paste wax. Any ideas? Someone told me the Krylon could have frozen and that would caust it. Don't know, any help would be appreciated. Thanks Harold

[Irish]

Harold,

I was trained as an oil artist back in college and I have never heard of anything that dries an oil paint in a matter of minutes. I do know there are driers that can be added to oils but they take several days to work. I don't know this techique, so your best bet is to contact Phares directly.

What I hear you saying is that you are applying the spray sealer over the oils then preceding on to work. So what is happening is that the sealer can become dry enough, in itself, to continue working. But the oils underneath are obviously still wet which is why you are getting a sticky mess with the wax. Liquid wax is full of solvents which can eat through the spray sealer and therefore release the still wet oils underneath.

Have you even made homemade pancake syrup then left it on the kitchen counter for a few hours. The top layer of syrup dries ... it dries enough to rest a spoon on top of it. In fact, sometimes it takes a knife to break through the sugar layer ... but underneath that sugar layer is very wet, very fluid syrup. That is what I think is happening here!

There is nothing that I know that really force dries an oil paint let alone one mixed with linseed oil. So what you have is equivalent to a plastic sheet (the spray sealer) over the surface of a swimming pool (the oils) and when you and the solvents in the wax they just eat through that plastic to the water below.

This technique must somehow be dependent on how well the wood soaks up the oil because once the sealer is on the only place for that oil to go is into the wood ... no moisture release. So, what wood are you using? And, have you changed brands of liquid wax?

Susan

[AlArchie]

Check with your local paint or hardware (real hardware) store and ask for "Japan drier". It may be a bit hard to find as there is nowhere near as much need for it since the waterbased paints have taken over, but the stuff is added in very small quantities to enamel (oil based) and other oil paints to hasten CURING. They still won't dry immediately but the stuff helps curing throughout the material, not just on the surface. Honestly can't say that I've seen it around in ten years or so, but I'd bet someone still stocks it....maybe under an "artist" supply, rather than hardware.

On the other hand, I may have just dated myself!

Al

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

Japan Drier is available at Home Despot ... at least ours has it.

[Irish]

You can also go to Dick Blick Artist Supplies for dryers specific to artist oil paints including Japan Dryer and Drying Oil.

http://www.dickblick.com/categories/oilmediums/

Susan

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Most art suppliers carry japan drier.

[kaiserb]

just a thought but you might check the date on the linseed oil and make sure it has not gone bad. I know shelac, danish oil, and tung oil all have a limited shelf life.

If it is past its prime the drying agents in it have probably disapated. Boiled linseed oil is not really boiled (it used to be in days of old) it is raw linseed oil with dryers added. Adding more dryers may not do the trick..

[kaiserb]

Linseed Oil (Artist Grade)

VOC: [as packaged] ....................... 0 g/l - (0 lbs./gal.)
This product is a 100 % natural oil and does not
contain any solvents.
APPEARANCE:
Gloss at 60° .................................................. .. 60
Class .................................................. ........ Gloss
WEIGHT PER GALLON: ............................ 7.8 lbs.
FLASH POINT:............................................ .. None
VISCOSITY: ........................................ Near water
SOLIDS: [average]
By Weight............................................ ....... 100%
By Volume............................................ ...... 100%
COVERAGE:
Theoretical at 1 mil DFT ............. 1604 sq. ft./gal.
[may vary with surface and method of application]
DRY SCHEDULE: [at 50% RH and 1.5 mils DFT]
No Drier 45° F. 60° F. 75° F. 90° F.
Tack Dry 10.hrs¡ 7.hrs¡ 3.hrs¡ 3.hrs¡
Handle 48.hrs¡ 36.hrs¡ 24.hrs¡ 16.hrs¡
Hard Cure 8.yrs¡ 5.yrs¡ 3.yrs¡ 2.yrs¡
With 2% Drier 45° F. 60° F. 75° F. 90° F.
Tack Dry 10.hrs¡ 7.hrs¡ 6.hrs¡ 3.hrs¡
Handle 36.hrs¡ 24.hrs¡ 12.hrs¡ 8.hrs¡
Hard Cure 8.yrs¡ 5.yrs¡ 3.yrs¡ 2.yrs¡
MINIMUM AIR DRY TEMPERATURE: ........ 60° F.
ORDER NUMBER AND COLOR:
D418 ................................................ Light Amber

UNIFORM FIRE CODE: [CFR 29] .. Non combustible
STORAGE TEMPERATURE: ............ 120° F. max.
SHELF LIFE: [warranted] ................................ 1 Year