Oil Hardener

[jaxenro]

I put this here because I am doing a walnut knife handle and not a gunstock but I am using a CCL oil finishing kit and was wondering about the oil "hardener". The kit contains three bottles:

1. Cleaning and polishing compound - this looks to be a milr rubbing compound of some type

2. Red root oil - I am thinking bioled linseed oint with alkanet root

3. Oil harderner - it semlls a bit like turpentine or paint thinner

Basically you rub in a few coats of oil - letting it soak in for 24 hours between - then the same with the oil harderner - then let it harden a few days - rub it down with the polish - then apply coats of oil and hardener together

So what is the hardener and how does it harden the oil?

 

[jaguarxk120]

Could be Japan Drier. Or a oil containing Japan Drier

TF

 

[jaxenro]

Not oily at all. I am not familier with Japan Dryer, does it resemble turpentine in smell and feel?

 

[paulvallandigham]

Find an art supply store- near most campuses of universities with Engineering, Architecture, or Art departments-- and ask them for Japan dryer. They will know what you are talking about. Or go on-line and search out the substance. I am sure you can order it through the mail.

 

[zodd]

There is a proprietary product called Terebine that will accelerate the drying time of linseed oil and harden it slightly.Linseed oil dries relatively slowly and will never get paticularly hard and so in the past lead based driers (lead oxide, lead acetate)were added to enhance drying time and various hard resin varnishes, such as copal resin incorporated into the oil to strengthen the dried film-this is the basis of japan oil, japan gold size, coach varnish etc.Cobalt drier (which you can get from an art store)is considered the safest of the drying accelerators for linseed(in terms of the duarability of the final film-excess lead driers can lead to cracking and excessive darkening)Remember linseed oil, like all the drying oils, doesn't actually "dry" as we normally think of the term ( it doesnt dry by evaporation like say Shellac does- by the evaporation of it's solvent)but it oxides- a chemical reaction.Best to apply in a number of thin, diluted coats ( dilute with mineral or gum turpentine at least 50/50)in a warm enviroment.The Turpentine itself doesnt make it dry quicker but dilutes the oil so a thinner coat can be applied and it is the thinner coat that will dry- oxidize- more quickly. You want it to sink into and incorporate with the wood more than sit on top of the wood as a thick layer--cheers zodd

 

[Sydney]

Make sure you carefully dry the cloths or brushes you use with cobalt and japan driers. They can self combust.

 

[jaxenro]

I put my finger over the bottle, turn it over once, and use what sticks to the tip of my finger (more than enough for a knife handle). So as long as my fingers don't self combust I should be ok.

 

[Zoar]

Combustible Finger.

Rather like TipToe Monster.

Or Liquid Steel.

BTW: I vote for Japan Dryer mixed with Turp being the Oil Hardener in your kit.

 

[jaxenro]

I don't think I can recommend that anyone else buy the kit. The finish is coming out beautifully, even with me doing it, and it works just as directed but for the price I got three bottles about the size of nail polish with oil - hardener - and cleaner - and a small strip of sandpaper.

It is fun though - you wet a finger tip with oil and it covers the knife handle - wet the tip again with hardener and mix it together - wait about an hour and rub with your palm - you can feel it drying in your hand. Dries a lot better than plain BLO I have worked with.