Wood Preservation

[NW Mailing List]

My father taught me years ago the value of tung oil for protecting wood 
from water.  Unlike varnish, it penetrates the wood instead of forming a 
protective coating.

As an example or it's effectiveness, my family likes to re-tell the 
story of the time a certain young boy (who shall remain nameless, of 
course) who came running into the living room announcing "Daddy, the 
drawers hold water!"  Dad's cabinetry skills are pretty good, but 
bathroom drawers are not designed to be watertight.  Nevertheless, they 
survived entirely unscathed.

Linseed oil might work similarly, but it would have to be a rather thin 
mixture of oil and thinner.

Kenneth Rickman

NW Mailing List wrote:

> Dave:  Linseed oil will only be a surface-penetrating treatment that 

> will tend to mold over time unless thoroughly covered with some sort of 

> paint.  Repeat coating is likely.  But, a thorough coating of linseed 

> oil will help a lot.

-- 
Kenneth Rickman - krickman1 at carolina.rr.com
Salisbury, NC

"Once admit that human life can be guided by reason, and all possibility 
of life is annihilated" - Leo Tolstoy