I am always hesitant to recommend boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits to some of the new builders here only because if they do not know what they are doing, or gloss over our warnings.....they could easily burn their homes down. It has almost happened to a couple of folks on here! So to those of you who are new to this and you try this method of sealing.......HEED THIS WARNING!

DISPOSE OF ALL OIL SOAKED RAGS PROPERLY AND DO NOT LEAVE THEM LAYING AROUND AS THEY COULD SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST AND CAUSE A FIRE! DISPOSE OF THEM IN A COVERED 1 GALLON PAINT CAN WITH SOME WATER IN IT!

I just don't want to see anyone get hurt!:kewl:

is there any danger with the mixture in a sealed plastic container?i have 2 qts. mixed for sealing the plugs i make

Crumpled rags generate heat. I wouldnt trust plastic.
Best bet is spread them out to dry, then dispose. If they are spread out, they cant get hot enough to ignite. It's when they are crumpled up in a ball that the center of the rag is insulated and can get very hot potentially causing spontanious combustion.

I store my mixture in 1 gallon aluminum/tin paint cans.....or a glass container would do.......the can would be better as it will not break. Also keep another tin paint can with a lid handy and when you are finished with the rags, put them in the can with enough water to soak the rags and close the lid tight.;)

If you want to do an interesting experiment, wipe up a little BLO with a paper towel, just enough to dampen it, not soak it, crumple it up and hold it in your hand for several minutes....you will heed the warnings from that time foreward.

You got that right Roc! I just get worried everytime someone asks about sealers and someone replies BLO and Mins........I want folks to realize what can happen.....so hopefully we have saved someone alot of trouble with this thread!:uhuh:

Larry,,, I will not use BLO since the garage in Texas gets to 100 deg,,, I just cant trust it when I am gone,,,,

what are some other good sealer recommendations besides BLO

I've been happy using Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane cut with mineral spirits. Dries fast, seals well, low fire hazard!

I've been happy using Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane cut with mineral spirits. Dries fast, seals well, low fire hazard!

If I have been waiting 3 days for plugs to dry with BLO, how long are you waiting for your plugs to dry?

for a quick and dirty seal try regular sanding sealer. Dries quick and gives pretty good protection. Heed the warnings. no matter what the label says I always put them in a metal paint can with water. better safe than sorry.

If I have been waiting 3 days for plugs to dry with BLO, how long are you waiting for your plugs to dry?

I should say that I have been pleased with BLO in my limited plug making - and it appears that this is some pretty good sealing - but always interested in what others (far more experienced than I) are doing.

Beware!

Woody... as bad as that picture looks,,,, I like it,,,,:hidin:

If I have been waiting 3 days for plugs to dry with BLO, how long are you waiting for your plugs to dry?

19 to 24 hours and your good to go. Usually I seal one night and prime the next night after work. Might even be able to go to the next step in 9 to 12 hours - they seem dry the next morning - but I have not tried it.

hey woody and woodbuster you guys are here too? hi you doing'
i'm surfflyfish4stripers...hahaha:pats2:

I use CPES ... I am starting to resemble the Toxic Avenger ..

Good reminder Larry -- I am partial to Val Oil 60-40 but all the precautions apply with that mixture. :uhuh:

quick question; I used cardboard to protect floor, will the cardboard with BLO/MIN spots(spill marks) ignite ???

quick question; I used cardboard to protect floor, will the cardboard with BLO/MIN spots(spill marks) ignite ???


Good question...I drip dry over a piece of MDF...I have the same concerns.... Anyone?

I think as long as you don't have a situation where the stuff can't ventilate as in a crumpled up rag soaked it it, you'll be ok with drippings on cardboard or MDF. those will have enough air to allow drying to occur. It's the heat building up in a crumpled up rag that cause combustion with BLO

........I want folks to realize what can happen.....so hopefully we have saved someone alot of trouble with this thread!:uhuh:

Having a fire is MORE than allot of trouble...

it .......is...........HELL.....>> trust me, i know

this thread and it's advice should be a sticky :uhuh:

I think as long as you don't have a situation where the stuff can't ventilate as in a crumpled up rag soaked it it, you'll be ok with drippings on cardboard or MDF. those will have enough air to allow drying to occur. It's the heat building up in a crumpled up rag that cause combustion with BLO

Thx, Those are pretty much my thoughts as well......

I use CPES ... I am starting to resemble the Toxic Avenger ..

TOXIC AVENGER....That's a classic!!!!

I use CPES ... I am starting to resemble the Toxic Avenger ..

Eddie, i thought you knew how to hold your breath. :huh: :D

I've been happy using Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane cut with mineral spirits. Dries fast, seals well, low fire hazard!

If I have been waiting 3 days for plugs to dry with BLO, how long are you waiting for your plugs to dry?

i just switched to spar urethane thinned with m/s. blo takes too darn long to dry.i do 2 coats of spar ure.. and the plug is hard like a rock.:jump:

Dave, are you soaking them or just brushing it on. Huge difference.

Anyone use Propionate Wood Sealer

Is there a safer sealer one that beginners can use?

Helsman spar urethane satin finish cut 70/30 with mineral spirits. About as safe as your going to get and readily available.

If anyone is die hard on using the BLO I have almost a whole can left that someone can have. I can bring it with me to plugfest.

Don't know where/how to dispose of it.
Didn't really like the idea of it being in the garage last summer, garage windows make it way warmer then normal in there.

Just learned today that Boiled linseed oil can start a fire. Good thing I changed my mind on useing it.

Just learned today that Boiled linseed oil can start a fire. Good thing I changed my mind on useing it.

This is pretty much the reason why I'm switching to epoxy sealing.

As long as you store BLO soaked rags correctly you have nothing to worry about. Get a old Tupperware container, fill it half way with water then cover the rags in the water. Sore the container out back away from the house. I collect and restore old military rifles in addition to fishing for striper's and blues. I strip the wood and then hand rub BLO into them, After 3-4 coats of BLO I give them a coat of wood wax after. If the stocks are really dry I cut the BLO 50/50 with mineral spirits, It helps the BLO soak into the wood better.

results

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w137/evan9201/enfieldport.jpg



before-

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w137/evan9201/IMG_0351.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w137/evan9201/IMG_0441.jpg

after-

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w137/evan9201/IMG_0462.jpg

Bump!

I don't think "Bump" should count as a post! You'll have to celebrate 18,000 all over again (ha ha).

how would one go about boiling linseed oil properly?

You don't boil the linseed oil, you buy it already boiled and cut it with thinner. It makes an excellent sealer, but is dangerous to use as the rags or materials you use while working can burst into flames by spontanious combustion. There have been many threads on this subject. Do a search and read them before using it.

You are in one Don.:rotf2:

Anyone use Propionate Wood Sealer

I have ... mixing propionate and acetone ,,, seemed good ,, When I went to ues it a again the level was much lower in a sealed pickle jar .. Acetone evaporates like a bastadge . I'm sure I don't make enough plugs for alot of sealing/clear coat methods .

how would one go about boiling linseed oil properly?


try tung oil instead

More on BLO and others..

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/plug-building-got-wood/61612-bye-bye-blo.html

All this stuff .. Are the benifits worth the hazards ? Many times I think Not .. Hobby guys want to use what the big guys (commercial) guys are using but are ill equipped.. (ventilation,fire protection,respirators,protective suits,gloves .. space suit more or less).. I had one commercial guy tell me he feared the hobby guys would find out what he using . Knowing alot of unprepared would endanger thier lives and thier families .. This stuff is NO JOKE.. reason why Bigfish wanted it sticky . When does a hobby become a hazzard .. I'm sure I cross the line myself ..

Thank you all for this most interesting post! Wow, I knew not to keep oiled rags around but didn't realize they would combust so readily!

i just put my boiled linseed rags in mason jar...

You made my day!:kewl: Happy plug building!

I've been using Val oil/MS or Turpentine since I started this maddness. I have settled on val oil/odorless MS (not the "green" odorless MS). I had never heard about a problem with heat generation with val oil until this thread, nor have I experienced it. However I do spread the wipe rags to dry so that may be the reason for not noticing. I don't think that anything will defeat Mother Nature. Boat builders have been trying to "waterproof" wood for centuries...there are lots of "waterlogged" boats sitting on the bottom of ponds and oceans that are testiment to our inability to waterproof wood. Try as we may our coatings will eventually fail for any number of reasons, hook swing is a biach and a yellow eyed devil will surely punch holes in epoxy. But hey it's fun to try.

When I was using BLO and MS I used paper towels to0 wipe them. Then without crumbling them I would place them in a paper bag. When done I placed the paper bag in our trash receptacle leaving it open to breath. When it was time to put the trash to the street for collection I would close the paper bag.
I never experienced a problem.

Its not a myth......thats for sure! One of the guys on here told of how he almost burned his shop down because of this.