BLO on chainsaw carving

[Dave Duane]

I recently purchased a chainsaw carving and the carver suggested several coats of BLO to help reduce splitting and checking. The wood is cottonwood and when I put the first coat of BLO on it the carving turned a light yellow. Is there some way to tint the BLO and bring the color back to a wood tone?

[Howard Acheson]

Couple of points. BLO has no protective qualities when applied to wood. Water and water vapor goes right through it. Therefore, it will not realy likely to reduce or stop checking.

Second, Any oil will impart an amber color to light colored woods. BLO will impart amber upon application and it will get more amber over time. Tung oil is slightly less amber initially and will not amber as quickly over time.

Once the oil has been applied, it is virtually impossible to get the oil out of the pores.

Cottonwood is rated as "slightly" or "nonresistant" to rot or decay. In other words, it's a wood that does not do well outside.

[Dave Duane]

Well, that doesn't make me feel very good. While this piece will not be directly in the weather, it will be sitting on a covered deck. Now that I have applied a generous amount of BLO what can I do that might help protect this wood?

[Bob Hayhurst]

At this point, I would think that a number of coats (at least three) of a good spar varnish would seal and protect that piece while outdoors. As with most spar varnishes, you would have to recoat every couple or three years, may as long as three to five years. But the spar varnish would be the most flexible and durable in the elements, in my opinion. It has been used for decades (maybe centuries) to protect wooden sailing masts..aka "spars." You can get it in either gloss, semi-gloss or satin.