Boiled Linseed Oil

I’m have a nearly full can of BLO. No hemp oil, no Alaskan grey goose oil. Why isn’t BLO good for a wood paddle? I do have coconut oil. Would that work? It gets thick when cooled, so it might hang in the fibers?

I've been using it on my woodwork. I heard it turns the grain on ash black, and it does but it does protect the wood. I recently got some Badger oil but don't have enough experience with it to give an opinion.

Black_Fly said:

I’m have a nearly full can of BLO. No hemp oil, no Alaskan grey goose oil. Why isn’t BLO good for a wood paddle? I do have coconut oil. Would that work? It gets thick when cooled, so it might hang in the fibers?

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Boiled Linseed Oil can be great. It's just that it is very time consuming and tedious to finish with it. Also, some types of woods seem to work a lot better with it than others. I have used it quite a bit for walnut gun stocks and other carpentry projects. Never tried it with ash but I've heard that BLO and ash is not a good combo. BLO also yellows over time. On a dark wood this doesn't matter as much but on ash it could look pretty gunky.

Good quality walnut and BLO (like on gunstocks) is a great combo. It will still take about a year before it's considered finished and even after that it's a finish that you will need to tend to on a regular basis. Tung oil could possibly be a better alternative for ash.

My go-to paddle is a Grey Owl Sugar Island. On long days I got burns in my hands from the gloss finish so I sanded off the varnish on the whole shaft and handle and gave it many coats of BLO over the winter. It's now a thousand times nicer to use. It always feel warm and smooth in the hands and does not cause burn.

The first coats can be rubbed in to the wood with liberal amounts of BLO and some 400 grit sandpaper. Using the sandpaper will create a sludge that will help seal the grain and it will shorten drying time (which is still very long). It's an old saying that you should do this every day for a week, then once a week for a month, Then once a month for a year and after that whenever necessary. After the first 5 or so applications you don't need to use sandpaper anymore, just use a tiny amount of oil, as little as possible and rub it out with your hand. Wipe away all excess with a rag (and dispose of it in a safe manner. It can spontaneously combust in rags!).

I don't think coconut oil ever dries (or "polymerize" as it's called) so that is probably best left for eating.

Who says that BLO isn't good for paddles? It's my preferred finish for the shaft and grip areas.

Some bits of context:

• BLO is a drying oil, it reacts with oxygen to harden. (Basically a slow, self-fueled baking process)
• Coconut oil is not a drying oil. It will just stay goopy, melt on hot days, and probably go rancid when environmental micro-life moves in and decides to eat it.
• Commercial BLO has metallic elements added to speed the drying process, commonly iron. This is probably why it stains ash black: the iron reacts with the tanins in Ash or Oak wood to form Iron Oxide in the finish. YMMV on the intensity of the effect.
• There is an argument to be made that open-pored woods like ash and some oaks are not well protected by a drying oil: the oil doesn't get a chance to soak all the way into the vessels in the early wood, and doesn't form a film to block water intrusion into those same vessels.

I actually haven't found BLO to be all that tedious. You do need to get a coat on, let it cure, and then fine-sand and apply another coat before a new object is ready for use. The finish will require some semi-regular maintenance for a while, maybe a couple of times a season depending on use. Process is:

1. Scuff-sand the piece with very fine paper (320-400 grit) and apply oil. Takes less than 10 minutes.
2. Alllow to rest 10 minutes while putting away your canoe gear.
3. Wipe the remaining excess off the surface, and hang the paddle somewhere to cure. It can stay there until the next time you take the canoe out.

As the finish builds, this will need to be done less frequently.

I’m finishing sassafras. Hate to build up w weighty finish. Sounds like i do need some other oil. Ordered some hemp seed oil. A quart should be a lifetime supply.

Looks like you’ve already made a decision but I’ll throw out there that I have had really good luck with Walrus brand Tung Oil. They don’t sell BLO but do offer a linseed oil and outline the differences in their products in the article below:


The Tung Oil does take a while to fully cure but it holds up very well on paddles, offers very good abrasion and UV protection, and I actually kinda like the smell, plus it’s food safe. It’s also made in Ozark, MO and I like to support local when I can

I have used Boiled Linseed Oil on my hand-carved paddles. While it preserves and protects the wood, it does mildew. Usually, the mildew stains can be removed with some light sanding. I heat the oil for my first coat so that it penetrates better.

Tung oil cures to a harder and longer lasting finish and works well on paddles. It's just harder for me to buy or I'd use it more often.

I usually use Watco Teak oil anymore. It works every bit as well, is cheaper and easier to get a hold of than tung oil.

Varnish is the last thing that I would finish a paddle with. Refinishing a varnished paddle IS the definition of tedious.

My favorite fine finish wood paddle maker suggests using 10% Blo mixed with 90% good marine varnish on wood paddle blades. From the throat up to the grip use 90% BLO mixed with 10% varnish. Seems to hold up well, weathes nice and feels right on hands on the shaft and grip.

Black_Fly said:

Sounds like i do need some other oil. Ordered some hemp seed oil.

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Just for clarity, if you made this decision due to ring porosity, be aware that all drying oils - BLO, Tung Oil, Hemp Seed, and any of their processed variants are going to have the same "Doesn't get into the pores, doesn't film over them" thing going on.

Well, it’s what Badger recommends. Decided to stick with that. I don’t know if it’s lighter weight when dry, but I didn’t want to risk adding weight with BLO. Non hardening oils could affect the fibers. Just go with the safe, proven.