'Home-made' decking oil

Discussion in 'Materials' started by Bergalia, Aug 20, 2005.

  1. Bergalia
    Joined: Aug 2005
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    Location: NSW Australia

    Bergalia Senior Member

    Being a new 'boy' to the forum I'm not sure if it's been mentioned before, but a cheaper (and superior) version of decking oil can be made from the following recipe (handed down through three generations of Scots boatbuilders- I'm the fourth):
    One part linseed oil (boiled or raw); one part white spirit; and one part Cupranol (this is a clear commercial timber preservative used for fence posts etc). Any clear substitute will probably serve as well.
    Keep applying to raw timber until it will soak up no more. Any surplus on the surface will harden to a pleasant 'gloss'. If in doubt test it on a piece of scrap wood and you'll see that the wood takes on a pleasant honey colour throughout - without losing any of its flexibility.
    If desired the treated surface will take a coat of paint without adverse affect.
    This Scots' broth works out at approximately one quarter of the price of most commercial deck oils. (And sorry if this puts a strain on commercial profits...but owning a wooden boat is harsh enough already...) :D
     
  2. D'ARTOIS
    Joined: Nov 2004
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    Location: The Netherlands

    D'ARTOIS Senior Member

    Home made antifouling

    Antifoulings based on metal oxydes are difficult to get (I am talking about the European community) and other sytems do not work really that efficient.
    In my recipe-book, I have found he formula to make your own home-broth and the formulation is as follows:
    Coaltar: 133 dl
    Benzol:288 dl
    Colofonium: 146 dl
    Pine oil: 74 dl
    Zinc white: 212 dl
    Silicic acid: 82 dl
    Magnesiumsilicate: 83 dl
    Copper oxydule: 112 dl
    Mercuriumoxyde: 45 dl

    dl stands for part(s)
     
  3. tom kane
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    Location: Hamilton.New Zealand.

    tom kane Senior Member

    Thanks for recipes.But I would like to know if anyone has the recipe for what used to be called Lion Oil.A similar brew.
     
  4. Bergalia
    Joined: Aug 2005
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    Location: NSW Australia

    Bergalia Senior Member

    Tom Kane - re Lion Oil

    Sorry Tom, Lion oil escapes me...However I am going up to Canberra (seat of Aussie Parliament) this weekend - so I'll look out for some snake oil... yours Max (aka bergalia)
     
  5. tom kane
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    Location: Hamilton.New Zealand.

    tom kane Senior Member

    No joke..I may have mis-spelt it, Lionoil,wipe on a couple of coats it dries with a low gloss and is easy to renew,just wipe on some more,no tedious sanding ectra.
     
  6. Frosty

    Frosty Previous Member

    You dont mean shilac do you? I know it doesnt even sound like 'lionoil' but the method you describe to apply does.
     
  7. tom kane
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    Location: Hamilton.New Zealand.

    tom kane Senior Member

    Home -made decking oil

    `Lionoil` is the name,a friend has been using it for years but has run out and would like some more,or equivilent.I believe it may contain an Alkyd Resin plus some type of oil (Tung) and some type of drier (White Spirits) perhaps.It would work similar to shilac dissolved it alcohol.It does not form a skin like varnish on the surface,but soaks in and slowly wears away.Easy to use.
     

  8. Tvermoes
    Joined: Aug 2005
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    Location: Vaxholm/Stockholm; Sweden

    Tvermoes Junior Member

    Coating

    Hi!

    Lineseed oil is frequently used in Sweden and the other Nordic countries, raw and cold pressed/extracted, not chemically.
    It is not recommended for top layer coating, since it will get a bit sticky and eventually attract dirt. Even if you add a veryvery thin layer each time and rub it in so there are no fluid left on the surface, it will be less sticky but still have dirt attraction (but try this with a kitchen knife handle).

    Yes, I know that old fashioned Varnish is not more that refined (>250 degrees Celsius) lineseed oil, but I'm talking from sad experiences. You need to cover with varnish. Also, in more humid climate, fungus (black spots) will start to grow.

    For old type (working) boats, we add some tar, i.e. wood tar and get a very smelly, sticky preservative. Keeps a 100 year old boat perfectly sound.

    It is not considered as good practice to mix in White Spirit (or other Pertoleum based fluids), only organic Turpentine. However, the addition of Turpentine will give a smell that lasts for years and please note the vapours is highly toxic. The lineseed oil will penetrate by itself anyhow. the saying is "if you can see light throught the board, then it is correctly lineseeded.
    From my experience, it will penetrate thruogh 1 inch wood in a year or two.

    How much? Well there are no rules whatsoever. In my 40 feet long , 5 feet 4" wide and 1 feet 6" over the waterlne and some 3 - 4 feet under, I got in 120 litres and she is still thirsty..

    To mix chemicals to prevent rot etc is really not so necessary, but this may vary with the local climate. Dry wood (about less than 20% humidity) will not rot.

    Lineseed oil is used to "fill" the wood, i.s. stabilize or reduce the movements due to changes in humidity. In the Nordic we have frost that forces us to lift the boats out of water not later than October, in a plastic canvas boat house and dry out some so they do not get frost expansion damage -especially Mahogany is vulnerable. A lineseed treated boat will show considerably less shrinkage and thus less leakage in spring when back in water.

    To use Shilac (I suppose it is some brownish fluid, called shellac in Sweden) is more for indoor furniture.

    If you want to get colour (mahigany or teak), one should use clay or earth pigments (burnt sierra), 100 grammes in 3 deciliters linseed oil. Some of the colouring we can buy here in Sweden from one of the big suppliers looks good when new, but after some years is gives up and the eventually yellow mahogany shows up. And especially with 2 component varnish it will turn lila (liliac?, well mix red and blue).
     
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