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BLO Odor in cabinets.

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BLO Odor in cabinets.

#1

BLO Odor in cabinets.

Steve in Chicagoland

>Hi Folks,

I am building 8 cabinets for a friend�s collectables. These are oak carcasses with face frames and sliding glass doors.

I am a total novice at finishing.. and do not have a spray setup. So to finish the cabinets I had planned to coat with 1/3 BLO 2/3 Mineral Spirits mix as a wood preparation step to aid in avoiding blotchiness, stain with Minwax Special Walnut (customer request), then coat with 3 coats of Minwax wipe on poly.

I have completed the BLO step with 4 of the cabinets. They look really nice (IMO) but after two days in the moderately heated shop (It is getting colder here in Chicago), the BLO still provides a significant odor. I imagine that it is still polymerizing and will continue to outgas for some time.

Given that I don�t really want the BLO to outgas on the collectables or smell up the customer�s home at this point I need advice�

1) Wait?? If so, how long before the smell is not noticeable??

2) Coat with wipe on Shellac diluted to 1 pound before staining?? How many coats??

3) Stain with the special walnut then coat with the diluted shellac??

4) Other Ideas??

Thanks All!!!

Steve

Re: BLO Odor in cabinets.

#2

Re: BLO Odor in cabinets.

Howard Acheson

>Any oil or oil based finish will off-gas for almost forever. You never want to use an oil or oil based finish on the interior. Use only shellac or a waterborne finish.

Forget the BLO. It brings nothing to the party. Oak is not a blotch prone wood. If you want to stain the wood, use a waterbased dye stain. With a stain like Minwax, you are dealing with oil again. For a topcoat use a waterborne acrylic finish or shellac.

If you must use the Minwax, then let it fully dry for 4-6 days and then overcoat it with dewaxed shellac. Dewaxed shellac is a excellent sealer for moisture and odors.

Re: BLO Odor in cabinets.

#3

Re: BLO Odor in cabinets.

Steve in Chicagoland

>Thank You Howard!

With your advice, I will try the Minwax stain (customer request), followed by the dewaxed shellac and water based lacquer finish.

I know that I can thin the shellac for wiping, but is it possible to wipe on the lacquer?

Thanks again!

Steve

Re: BLO Odor in cabinets.

#4

Re: BLO Odor in cabinets.

Howard Acheson

>Yes, but you must move fast as the waterborne evaporates quickly. DO NOT THIN WATERBORNE. Wipe it on and leave it alone. If you miss spot, don't go back. You'll get it on the next application. Wipe in circles, do not think of it as brushing. You will need 5-6 applications to get a decent film build. Apply the first two coats and let it fully dry. Sand it smooth with 320 paper, dust and apply the rest of your clear coats.

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