Oil Drying Times

Please take a minute to read this guide to our different oils and their drying times as well as tips for application.

I'll start this guide with a reminder to read the application instructions before use and always remember to BUFF the oil THOROUGHLY until the surface feels DRY. 

It's important to note the difference between "dry" as in dry to the touch and fully cured, which means fully cured throughout the wood surface. Since Linseed oil is a deep soaking finish compared to alkyd/poly/acrylic based coatings, the oil will soak deep into the wood's surface. Once the oil has been allowed to absorb for 15 minutes, the wood is essentially acting as a sponge, although a very firm sponge which takes considerable pressure to squeeze the oil back out. The oil within the wood then takes significantly longer to dry compared to the oil at the surface of the coating. 

With this information in mind, it is important to note that for many uses, AFTER the oil has been WELL BUFFED according to our instructions, the "dry to the touch" time is usually the same for all our oils, at about 24 hours. This means that objects coated with raw or 40 hour double boiled can be handled and won't feel oily just 24 hours after coating. Even the squeeze of your hand won't be enough pressure to squeeze oil back out.

However, the pressure applied by your feet is enough to squeeze oil out of the wood, and this is why we always recommend our Boiled Linseed oil with Japan Drier additive for all uses on floors and decks. Also any items that can act as wicks, such as paper and cardboard, may wick oil out of the wood if they are left to lie on the surface within the first couple weeks. 

The three main types of oil we offer and their respective full cure times are as follows:

1) Raw Linseed Oil: 3 - 4 weeks

2) 100% Pure 40 Hour Double Boiled Linseed Oil: 3 - 4 weeks

3) Refined Boiled Linseed Oil with Japan Drier Additive: 3 - 7 days

One more VERY IMPORTANT note for application is that, at any time after application of any of our oil without driers, if you are unsatisfied with the drying performance, you can simply top coat with our Boiled oil with Japan Drier added. This top coat will seal the surface and will bond completely with the underlying coat. 

You can also add Japan Drier to our Pure Raw or 40 Hour Double Boiled oils yourself. In the US it is easily found at most hardware stores. In Canada it's not as common at hardware stores, but it can still be ordered through them, and you may also be able to find it (or a similar mineral based oil drying additive) at fine art stores, as it is commonly used by oil painters. 

One note for adding Japan Drier is that since it's dissolved in solvent it is difficult to pour, so I recommend either a syringe or ideally a transfer pipette for measuring. 

The last most important note regarding Linseed Oil and drying times is that Linseed Oil will always dry.

Linseed oil dries by reacting with oxygen in the air to form bonds between the oil chains. This process can't be stopped or reversed (it can only be slowed down by cold temperatures). I once saw an acrylic paint that must have not had enough chemical drier added, because it remained slightly tacky for years. This won't happen with linseed oil, it will always dry, usually in less than a month. 

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me through this website's Contact Us form.

- Dawson Detwiller 

page created January 2024