# Olive oil finish?



## PeterW (Nov 29, 2014)

I was wondering if I can use olive oil to finish a slingshot. If I gave it a 12-hour olive oil bath, and sealed it with polyurethane, would that work? or would the oil bath be enough on its own to seal the wood?


----------



## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

PeterW said:


> I was wondering if I can use olive oil to finish a slingshot. If I gave it a 12-hour olive oil bath, and sealed it with polyurethane, would that work? or would the oil bath be enough on its own to seal the wood?


I keep posting this information, and yet the topic seems to reappear again, and again, and again ...

I have made this comment elsewhere, but it is worth saying it again. There are, generally speaking, two types of oils ... siccative oils and non-siccative oils. Siccative oils polymerize when exposed to air ... that is, they harden or "dry". This "drying" is mis-named, as it is not an evaporative process. Non-siccative oils do not harden. Linseed oil is a common siccative oil and is used in paints and varnishes. So called "boiled" linseed oil has been chemically treated to make it harden more quickly. A few vegetable oils are siccative, but many are not.

If you put a couple of drops of boiled linseed oil on a plate and set it aside, after a time (day or so) the drops will harden. If you put a couple of drops of olive oil on a plate and set it aside, the drops will remain liquid and runny for weeks or even months. Petroleum oils are not siccative.

If you coat your frame with a non-siccative oil, the frame will always feel oily or sticky. Also, non-siccative oils tend to go rancid, so your frame may begin to smell after a time.

I would urge that you NOT use olive oil.

Cheers .... Charles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drying_oil


----------



## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

OO never dries. It turns nasty and it makes the wood mushy.


----------



## Warren (Feb 23, 2015)

Hello PeterW.

I don't like oils unless they are specifically for applying to wood.

If you want to use oils and are looking for a really good shine and hard, waterproof finish then only Burchwood Casey Tru oil or any other gunstock finish should be used. I have only ever used Burchwood Casey Tru Oil. It is very fast drying. Its only drawback is it tends to be a darkish oil.

I have never had a linseed oil finish that I was happy with and I have refurbished a lot of stocks and I apply the same to my slingshots.

I am using spray-on polyurethane at the moment too.

I apply the poly then sand it really heavily almost back to the wood, and in some cases back to the wood, ( I make Naturals) then apply an exta cut cream polish to bring out the shine and the cream I use has Carnauba Wax in it and that gives it a good wax coating. It's RE-PO by CRC made for vehicles with dulled paint. It works fine so far.

Hope this gives you something to think about or spark some ideas,

Warren.


----------



## PeterW (Nov 29, 2014)

Alright, thanks guys! I'll look in to getting some tru oil or linseed oil.

This is yet another example of the amazing helpfulness of this forum and of the people on it.

Thanks!

Peter


----------

