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Question about using boiled linseed oil on walnut
I was talking to a guy at the lumber yard in Spokane who said he never uses boiled linseed oil on walnut because it turns it too dark and muddy. He just uses a clear Danish oil. I've been using BLO for years on everything, but now I'm second-guessing my whole finishing schedule. What's your go-to oil finish for walnut to keep the grain looking sharp?
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wendy3916mo ago
That lumber yard guy is onto something (and it's funny how one offhand comment can make you question years of routine, right?). For walnut, I actually switched from BLO to a simple tung oil finish, the kind cut with citrus solvent. It pops the grain without that yellow, muddy darkening you get with linseed. The chatoyance in walnut is too pretty to hide.
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bennett.vera6mo ago
You're so right about walnut's grain being too good to cover up.
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veraj536mo ago
Try wiping down walnut with mineral spirits before you commit to a finish, it shows you the true color. I learned that the hard way after staining a piece too dark. Wendy's point about tung oil is solid, it keeps things clearer than linseed. Bennett.vera is right, that grain shouldn't be hidden under some muddy coat. A few thin coats of a simple oil finish, sanding lightly between, lets the wood speak for itself. Anything more feels like putting a tarp over good furniture.
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