Re: dull finisg with BLO
Sorry Eliot, I don't really have any experience with BLO. I tried it about forty years ago & really disliked what it did to the wood color. Since then, I've used tung oil nearly exclusively if I've wanted an oiled look, primarily Watco. It can give a shinier look to wood, which I was unable to achieve with BLO, depending on how finely sanded before and during application and the amount of burnishing. I would guess that the two oils polymerize differently. My understanding is that the oil in the "shine juice" is mostly just a carrier to allow and aid flow and penetration of the shellac into the surface during the burnishing/friction polish stage. I've only just begun experimenting with the walnut oil, but the pieces I've done have certainly cured. Hopefully someone with the right experience will step in & give you a better answer.