Boiled linseed oil
Boiled linseed oil is linseed (flax) oil with additives that shorten its drying time, as Sunnyside describes it, and 21 CFR 175.300 lists linseed oil among the drying oils a coating may be made from.
Finico’s sheet says to wipe off the excess after 15–20 minutes, allow 12 hours after the first coat and 24 hours after later ones, and wait 2 days before use. Sunnyside says it may be thinned up to 2:1 with mineral spirits. Finico warns that oily rags can catch fire by themselves: soak them in water or lay them flat to dry.
Boiled linseed oil, by its makers
Boiled linseed oil: recoat across makers
Only one maker’s sheet so far, so no class value: see its own figure below.
Boiled linseed oil: coverage across makers
Only one maker prints a coverage, so no class value: see its own figure below.
| Product | Touch-dry | Recoat | Use | Full cure | Coverage | Thinning and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finico Linseed Oil One source: Finico (Tembi), the maker of that product | — | 12–24 hwipe off the excess after 15–20 minutes | 48 huse (first damp cleaning after 14 days) | — | 120–230 sq ft per litre | Thinning: Dilute with 30 % oil thinner.First coat 12 hours, later coats 24 hours. Rags can catch fire by themselves: soak them in water or lay them flat to dry. |
| Sunnyside Boiled Linseed Oil One source: Sunnyside Corporation, the maker of that product | — | — | — | — | — | Thinning: Up to 2:1 with mineral spirits.Flax oil with additives to shorten its drying time; the sheet gives no dry times. |
Compared with other finishes
Work it out for your project
Times are the makers' own at the temperature and humidity they name, and several of them say cooler, damper conditions slow their finishes. For how much to buy, the finish coverage calculator uses these same coverage figures. Every finish side by side: the finish dry time chart. What the federal rules say about finishes and food: food-contact finishes.
Elsewhere in finishing: shellac and the shellac cut calculator; for repairs before the finish, wood filler vs wood putty; and for the glue-up, wood glue types.