sews

madamekelly, in the first photo it looks as though the cabinet has some kind of varnish finish.... I always thought that you had to remove the old finish before using oil, otherwise it wouldn't penetrate...?

madamekelly

In most cases, you are right, but this wood was so dry and the finish so flakey, and my house so dry, that I figured it couldn't hurt. I spread a heavy coat of oil, planning to go back in a while to wipe off the excess, but when I went back, it had all soaked in. That gives you some idea of how damaged it really is. The varnish did not even slow the oil down!

sews

Did you move away from the Willamette valley? Can't picture 'dry' there :-)

Rodney

It depends on the oil finish. Some finishes sold as oil finishes are really a thin varnish. Boiled linseed oil has hardeners added so it will cure.
Rodney

madamekelly

No, I am still in The Pacific North Wet. My home is very airtight/watertight and I have forced air, so the air gets really dry unless I leave a pan of water on low, a coffee pot on, or a tea pot or a window open. Anything to get moisture in the air. My home is so dry, the windows never sweat! When I first moved here I had no end of sinus problems until we figured out that I have always had moisture in the air to breathe,(here and Texas, and Tenneessee) that my sinuses were drying and cracking without it. I keep all of my real wood furniture lightly oiled to protect it. (Think pledge, but better.)

Rodney-I am going to add several more coats of oil over the winter, so that when I lightly sand it to get rid of the flakey varnish, I will not risk changing the finish colors as I sand. I used scratch cover the first coat, but will switch to boiled linseed oil from here on out to take advantage of the hardners in it. Right now, I just want to preserve the wood that is in good shape, and feed the wood that has been exposed to the elements. I have to reglue the veneers before I use the boiled linseed so I am not hardening it in the wrong shape. That would be a disaster.