A 5000 year old wood finish formula that can't be messed up!

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My Grandfather used to use a home made concoction of boiled linseed oil, turpentine, and bees wax. You mix equal amounts of oil and turpentine and then add an equal amounts of melted beeswax in a glass jar with a lid. Cap the jar and place it in a sunny window or any other place that will keep it warm for a day. This will allow the beeswax to be totally dissolved. To apply wipe it on the wood surface, wait 15 minutes, and buff it out. Another variation is to use 50/50 carnauba wax with bees wax if you wish to and then combine it as an equal part to the turpentine linseed mixture. Grandfather told me that the turpentine acted as a carrier to thin the bees wax so that it would penetrate into the wood fibres instead of just coating the surface of the wood.

As a firefighter please advise your followers that "Boiled Linseed Oil generates heat as it dries, which can cause the spontaneous combustion of materials contacted by this product. Oily rags, waste, and other oily materials contacted by Boiled Linseed Oil can cause spontaneous combustion fires if not handled properly". Place oily rags into metal containers, or layout to ventilate so heat does not build up. Thanks. John. P

Gunsmiths have for many years used a boiled linseed oil finish on wood furniture on firearms. The application process could not be easier: place a few drops of oil on the sanded-smooth wood, and use 600-grit paper to rub it in. The paper generates a slurry of wood dust and oil that fills the pores and levels the surface. Multiple applications over several days creates a glass-smooth surface that is completely weatherproof. The finish looks a foot deep. And if the wood gets scratched, repeat the process over the damaged area and the repair is virtually invisible.

For a really smooth finish I would like to share a tip I got from a specialist paint store Duller&Co. After applying and letting it soak in, lightly hand sand with 800 grit wet & dry paper. The wet sanding removes the lifted fibres due to the oiling. Depending on how hard the wood, you can get extremely smooth finishes.

I have been using this finish for 60yrs and was introduced to it by a very old gunsmith. I thin it a bit with turps and also ad oil based artist tints to give colour to what shade I want. Also I rub each coat down with 0000 steel wool that burnishes the surface. The best tint I have found that gives the most beautiful shades is burnt umber available in any arts store. The trick is to rub a spot until it gets hot and move on. This acts to polymerize the finish a bit with each application. For a truly stunning finish I apply and rub down about 8 times leaving at least 24hrs before hitting it again. What I do is called a hand rubbed oil finish and takes this simple finish to exceptional quality. Its hard work but you will only ever have to do it once. I usually top it off with paste wax too.

I love your chanel. Please don't stop. I'm amateur woodworker who learn so much from You. I'm really grateful for your advice. Greetings from Poland

Be careful when disposing of your oil soaked paper towel or cloth. Sometimes if thrown in a bin and covered with other waste the organic oil can spontaneously combust causing a bin fire in your work area.

Again, great job James. The result you get is exactly what I want on my projects. I find other finishes I have used to be fraught with complications. This is perfect! Thanks!

I started DIY woodworking just over a year ago and have learned so much from you. I have found that finishing is a very challenging part of any project. I really appreciate this video and will try this finish technique as soon as I can. Thanks!

I love the fact that different finishes have different outcomes and values to them. I went with shellac for my mitre saw station (oak veneer fire doors as the bench tops), and used that same product for the first coat of my mobile project table (1/2" plywood base under 3/4" MDF), using a satin finish poly as the finish on the MDF. What a gorgeous, tough work surface. Such a different story if you're working with actual fine wood though.

My dad taught me this finish along with a number of other traditional finishes that he'd learned as a young sailor in the 1930s. Some of them have beautifully stood the test of time.

As a novice woodworker I have been finishing my projects nearly exactly in this way, but with danish oil (which is just linseed+something else) with paste wax on top. I thought I was breaking some major rules since I hadn't seen this combo from any of the usual YouTube woodworking suspects, but I kept doing it since I was getting great results. Thanks for codifying my approach!

Stumpy, I’ve been using a similar coating for a while now recommended from a good friend. It is an equal mixture of BLO, Tung oil, Teak oil and mineral spirits, followed up by a wax finish. I am very pleased with this method.

Stumpy is on fire.. you are prolific with your pontification about the craft and I love it.

Thinning the oil with mineral spirits for the first few coats (in decreasing amounts for each coat) can let the oil penetrate deeper. Was recommended by a professional canoe paddle maker.

Hey, even I can do that! Another great video how-to. You cover the essentials in a clear, understandable, useful way. Watching the sanding video is definitely a good matching with this one. Together they make for a simple and foolproof way to put a beautiful finish on a project. I agree with you fully - nothing features the beauty of the wood like this finish! Thanks for another excellent (pair of) videos!!

This formula is similar to one we were required to use 30 years ago on some millwork, made of Cypress, which we were restoring on one of the Spanish Missions in San Antonio years ago. The National Park Service historian gave me the recipe, which consisted of 1 gal boiled linseed oil, 1 qt of turpentine, and 1 oz of beeswax. Melt the wax into the blended oil and turpentine, and apply 2-3 coats. My painter liked this product so much that he used it for the rest of his life (20 years), said it was better than anything on the market. Over time, he modified it slightly by increasing the turpentine to 1 gal, making it a 1-to-1 mix, and substituting paraffin for the beeswax.

I absolutely love the look and feel of paste wax on a project. Great video!

Stumpy, you're the best! Your videos simply never disappoint. I nearly always learn something new.