Linseed Oil

Joe Bfstplk

Axe-Master
I got some boiled linseed oil a few weeks ago for a home project. I decided to use it for the unfinished wood fretboards. Definitely better than lemon oil, IMHO!

Did my Strat's ebony board when changing strings, and it feels a lot less 'squeaky' now. Next up, the SG Special. Big difference! The fretboard wood is a totally different and darker, richer shade of brown. It was lighter than the body, but now is darker....
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Plus, they smell right now.
 
Boiled linseed oil is a drying oil and sets into a fairly hard finish. Artists oil paint is basically fine ground pigment and linseed oil. It can seal the grain of the wood like a varnish. Not bad for the wood but not easy to remove either. Some folks like it while others like to keep the grain open. It can sometimes get sticky as it slowly dries so use very thin coats. Make sure your fretboard is very clean before using it since it will seal any dirt or stains onto the fretboard.
 
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Boiled linseed oil is a drying oil and sets into a fairly hard finish. Artists oil paint is basically fine ground pigment and linseed oil. It can seal the grain of the wood like a varnish. Not bad for the wood but not easy to remove either. Some folks like it while others like to keep the grain open. It can sometimes get sticky as it slowly dries so use very thin coats. Make sure your fretboard is very clean before using it since it will seal any dirt or stains onto the fretboard.
Good info, thanks!

I scrubbed the board with it first, and all the finger schmutz came off. Then I wiped on a bit, let it sit for a few, and wiped off the excess, with what seems to be good results. That should result in a thin coat, no?
 
Better tale Carey, it irremediately darkens and does compact wood fibers and really penetrates deep. We rather use it for wooden floors here. I would not use it on any neck.
 
Better tale Carey, it irremediately darkens and does compact wood fibers and really penetrates deep. We rather use it for wooden floors here. I would not use it on any neck.
Yes as a luthier this makes me cringe. I’d never put lindseed oil on a fret board.
That's news to me. Years ago when I was starting out, it was what was advised as an occasional treatment for rosewood boards, to clean/seal the wood....
 
On the advice of someone I knew, I put double-boiled linseed oil on a wood railingI it was fine for a while but after a bit, it turned into one hell of a sticky mess. Not sure why, possibly the reaction with skin oils, kind of how some people’s skin oils react with lacquer finishes, which makes it real sticky.
 
On the advice of someone I knew, I put double-boiled linseed oil on a wood railingI it was fine for a while but after a bit, it turned into one hell of a sticky mess. Not sure why, possibly the reaction with skin oils, kind of how some people’s skin oils react with lacquer finishes, which makes it real sticky.
I've used it years ago with no bad results, so I guess my skin oils are compatible with it. I had been using lemon oil furniture polish the past 10 years or so, but recently got this for another project and tried it again.
 
I use lemon oil, I sweat a lot and in Costa Rica the humidity is something else. I had wondered about linseed oil.
Here in Arizona, it's very dry. The wood dries out. I played the SG for a few hours a few months ago and got a bad blister from the dry wood rubbing against it. It had been lemon oiled a couple times since I got it a couple years ago, and was still drying out despite it. The linseed oil seens to have soaked in a little during the few minutes before the excess got wiped off. Hopefully it works to prevent future blisters....
 
Here in Arizona, it's very dry. The wood dries out. I played the SG for a few hours a few months ago and got a bad blister from the dry wood rubbing against it. It had been lemon oiled a couple times since I got it a couple years ago, and was still drying out despite it. The linseed oil seens to have soaked in a little during the few minutes before the excess got wiped off. Hopefully it works to prevent future blisters....
Make sure you through the rag out you used to apply the linseed Oil they can spontaneously ignite and cause a fire just Incase you didn’t know that. ;)
 
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