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and aromatic enrichment thin and volatile oils like balsam
oil of turpentine or orange oil. Used only pure they are not
suitable for the finish of wood. Then there are non-hardening
vegetable oils, like Camellia oil. They can be used as
polishing oil or antirust agents for metals, they are not very
suitable for long-lasting wood preservation. Vegetable oils
can be mixed in order to achieve specific characteristics.
Drying Accelerator
Drying accelerators, also called siccatives, are added to
most of the purchasable oil mixes in order to reduce the
drying time. The catalytic effect is created by metal joints
(cobalt, heavy metals oxides). This way the oil is no longer
environmentally friendly. Besides the penetration is reduced
by shortening the drying time and thus the long-lasting
protection. Therefore we recommend to not add any
siccatives.
Surface
You can oil all natural finished, grinded or polished and dry
wooden surfaces. Best suitable with a grit of 180 – 220 and
a wood moisture of less than 12°. Open-pored woods like
rosewood and wenge should first be treated with grain fillers.
Layer composition
It is vital to first apply the soft and then the harder part,
e.g. first shellak ground then oil and finally wax. If it is
necessary to apply several oil layers the first application
should be reduced. The following layers should only be
applied once the previous one has tried and the finish has
been done.
Mineral and animal oils
In addition to the vegetable oils mineral oil derivates are
also used as wood preservation, e.g. paraffin oil, which are
usually the basis of many hard oils. Several culture groups
traditionally used animal oils, like fish oil. These oils will not
be considered in this brochure.
Security advice
All curing oils can heat up during polymerisation. If the
cloth is still wet or oil-soaked a risk of spontaneous ignition
is likely! Please store in closed containers or under water.
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