?? About linseed oil

[Randy C]

OK so now I am even more confused. The cypress that I am using has been planed but not sanded and I don't want to sand it. If I use the oil/varnish blend, will I have to sand between coats?

I would like to have a little bit of "pop" and sheen to the wood. Will BLO    Do this or will it dry out so quickly that I probably not be able to accomplish this.

If I were to do the oil varnish blend, would the wood have more sheen and not look dried out as quickly. I think I don't want a film finish such as poly because it looks plastic.

[coxhaus]

I used BLO on my maple workbench and it looked great. I used it with beeswax mixed in to keep the glue from sticking.

I used some Teak oil which is some kind of Tung oil with UV inhibitors to keep the sun from breaking down on my smoker oak handles. It only lasted about a year then started showing signs of weathering. I need to redo the handles with something else.

[MikeBob]

I have used this on white oak chairs in WI that are out in the weather 24/7/365, after 2 years fine, this summer, 3 year and a light sanding will give them an other coat to freshen them up. Not a film finish and I think I use the Teak color.
http://www.cabotstain.com/products/produ...r-Oil.html

[Bill Wilson]

OK so now I am even more confused. The cypress that I am using has been planed but not sanded and I don't want to sand it. If I use the oil/varnish blend, will I have to sand between coats?

I would like to have a little bit of "pop" and sheen to the wood. Will BLO    Do this or will it dry out so quickly that I probably not be able to accomplish this.

If I were to do the oil varnish blend, would the wood have more sheen and not look dried out as quickly. I think I don't want a film finish such as poly because it looks plastic.

You shouldn't need to sand between coats of BLO.  This type of sanding is generally needed with film finishes like oil based poly or varnish, which require the surface be roughed up a little for the next coat to adhere.  That isn't an issue with BLO.

BLO will pop the grain and give it a nice low luster sheen, but it will dull over time, hence the advice to reapply it occasionally.  BLO typically isn't used, by itself, as a final finish, but more often as a colorant and grain enhancer.  It can be used as a stand alone finish, just need to understand its limitations.

An oil/varnish blend is just what the name implies.  They typically contain roughly equal amounts of oil, varnish and thinner, so it soaks into the wood more than straight varnish.  The small amount of varnish in the mix will provide a little bit of a protective film, but unless you put on a lot of coats, you don't build up enough to get that plastic look.