Val oil ?'s agian
 

Don't usually have to post many questions due to the search function, but Val oil won't search due to the 3 letter thing. I realize this has been covered but I'm almost out of Boiled linseed oil and am ready to make the switch. Tired of that stuff.

So...Do you cut the val oil with mineral spirits? 50/50? 60/40? not at all?

How long are you dipping? I was dipping for one minute with the other stuff.

Any help is appreciated.

this is what I do
 

50/50 with paint thinner-5 mins a plug-wait a few day anyway then prime... I had a couple poppers split alittle last fall they were broom sticks or wooden dowels...maybe bad wood, split before I sealed them.I'm getting old eyes:( all the ceder plugs no problems...the popper or two that split the paint stuck great, just split:wavey:

popper
 

hate when a plug splits... got a triple- 2 blues on the popper and a striper on a teaser with this plug and it split:bc: paint stuck good, its still bugging me why it split.

thin with "TURPS"

all other thinner's are crap.

60/40 or just through some in till it looks thinner

soak 4 hours min. if using pine/ayc/cedar....overnite on hardwoods.

wipe dry

hang and forget them..go to another project.

warm oil soaks in better than cold oil.

soaking for a minute wouldn't get your dingles damp.

I use mineral spirits, 60% oil, 40% solvent. Turps might be better, but this dries quickly (overnight) without odor and I think it is the oil that does the sealing, not the solvent. Sand lightly before you prime.

I've been doing 50/50 with Mineral Spirits. soak for about 20 minutes then wipe and hang. 2 days and I prime....seems to work fine.

I didn't have the patience to wait for the Boiled Linseed oil to dry.....sometimes I would wait 2 weeks and then prime and the primer would stll peel off.

If this is happening, you don't have enought mineral spirits in the mix! The spitits enhances absorbtion and drying!!
I use 50/50 BLO and MS and give it 48 hours dry time. Works for me!

I'm breaking away from Val Oil .. I use to leave plugs submersed for days sometimes .. Too Much sealer .. Not dry enough inside when painted and finished.. After some with wringle finished paint,, I submersed 2 hrs. max .. Another problem is thickening .. You have to keep adding Turps to thin because the mixture keeps thickning ,,. After a while you have no idea where you are .. val oil/turps ???
I think any uncured/not dry val oil will make an apperance after sitting in a steamy car for a couple of weeks .. I want something that drys 100% sure ..

I am going to use the minwax wood hardner,,,, Anyone ever use this and could offer some suggestions that would be great,,,, soak time? Dry time? RESULTS good or bad..???

Dangerous stuff as in bad for you.
Use with plenty of fresh air, NOT indoors. Wear a respirator if you can.

I use it in front of a powerful exhaust fan and try to submerge a plug for 10-30 min depending on what I have and what wood. Maple = 1 hour if I can. Wipe it after because it's tough stuff the sand the drips off, and gooie.

Lower, try tung oil

Thanks for the heads up,,,, I will do it outside and go get a respirator,,,,,,

Like Steve said I use it 60/40 with Terp. 3 hours for AYC and 6 for Maple. I let it dry for a few weeks which is excessive but I have lots of plugs at different stages so it doesn't matter. I have it in a 3 gallon bucket with a screw lid. I like it because I can submerge 20 or 30 plugs at a time. I use a disc of metal slightly smaller than the container to push all the plugs under the fluid. Just make sure you wipe the plugs off after you take them out of the fluid or it will dry to a nice gloss finish which is not a good thing, learned that the hard way.

Thanks for all the replies guys. Lot's of great advice as always. Amazing how on one step there is so much variation.

Slip...at least i can search that one...4 letters.

Sand the gloss finish. Should give the primer something to grab onto. Don't know for sure about the Val oil, but with other stuff this is the case.

Jigman

The gloss made by the val oil is a pain to sand off. I used some stuff CS told me about, a liquid sander type product to get the gloss off the plugs then a light sanding. I usually light sand the plugs after the val dries. I don't think you want the stuff to dry like that so a good wiping eliminates the hassle.

arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
 

just swam a finished goo goo, and it split:realmad: split right in the middle of belly, both hook holes:realmad: 50/50 val/paint thinner...15 mins head and 15 mins tail in mixture, it was popular... its now a bluefish plug:skulz: going to have to up the time in mixture overnite:exp:

poplar is crap

striper crazy
 

you aren't by any chance drilling the belly holes after you seal them are you.. I did that on a few not realizing that when i drilled the hole none of that was sealed.. they all split at the belly holes and the eye holes..:rocketem:

doubt anyone but me... uh.. i mean my dumb buddy would do that though..:rolleyes:

Oil finishes mixed with thinner cure by solvent evaporation and oxidation of the oil. Constant exposure to the oxygen in the air will cure the finish and make it thick, adding more thinner will make it more fluid but will not make it work like it did when fresh.

after sealer
 

TB, after drilling I sealed it:( I going to start keeping a log of wood and sealing I do, I'm going to try boiled linseed oil an min spirts 60/40 for some fall poppers and let hang for a few months

it looked good too
 

hope the pic shows the crack:realmad:

I did my sealing with Min Wax wood hardner.... It was easy.... I bought a empty paint can (metal) filled it with plugs... Then put on my respirator (thanks slip not) outside and poured in the wood hardner. Put the cover on it and left it,, shook it around every ten min,, then flipped them over.... and finally took the top off, wiped them and hung them to dry,,, rock hard and sealed....

Hey Gattafish...How long did you end up leaving the plugs in the sealer? Does it add much weight to the plug, once it's dry? Just curious.

Ed...frustrating huh? Think I wold avoid Poplar when your making "nice" plugs!

WELL SEALED IT IS OKAY. NO PROBLEMS WITH IT.

i have made hundreds of pencils out of poplar and have never had one crack or the paint peel.as far as it being a crap wood for exterior that has to do with resistance to decay not anything else.

Where do you get Val Oil? I have looked around and haven't been able to locate any. The HD I went to didn't carry any.... any suggestions? Thanks.

I asked the same thing.

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...ad.php?t=36082

Hi,
1. Has anyone tried adding Japan Drier to help speed things up?

2. What about putting them in an oven at 150 to speed up the drying?

john

I cant get it around here either,besides, I'm happy with the results of the 60/40 mix of BLO,I use the oderless mineral spirits and keep a lid on the container....

I leave cedar plugs overnight and hardwood for 24 hours...

After they drip dry (over a turkey roaster pan)for a day, I wipe their butts and let them cure for a week, I always scruff them with #220, if they are glazed( which means it's time to change the mixture) I'll "de-glaze" with #80 and wipe with a tack cloth I then dip in binz allowing the mixture to run through the plug, bring shelac based,it affords an extra measure of protection, it takes a few days for the inside to dry, but the plug will never split... not even poplar....
I've never had a paint peeling issue,,,maybe I've just been lucky...