pilkington's rubbing oil

[tony williamson]

i cant find the thread on the linseed finishes, but i am a little confused. is pilkington's stock rubbing oil a finish, or a conditioner? i have been using it for years, it doesnt seem to dry, and i use it as a conditioner when my stocks get a little dry. but when its brought up, folks immediately begin talking about linseed drying and sanding and drying and rubbing and sanding and all this, but this stuff doesnt dry like truoil or the like. its just for rubbing. and smelling...but, as you all know, the dilemma is there is no more. i have got ahold of some raw linseed oil which has a very long drying time and will do for now, but does anyone know how to make a substitute similar to his stock RUBBING oil? it has got to have more in it than just linseed oil, and it doesnt seem to dry. i dont want to build a finish, just condition.

[Jeff langbehn]

Most all of the old traditional finishes have other materials in them…. There are recipes after recipes depending on who you want to believe. I have found adding Japan drier does help but it all comes down to ratios, you have to play with the volumes to your liking. Raw turpentine also helps, again you have to play with it to get what you want. Lastly Carnauba wax adds hardness to the mix…. If you want color you need Akanet root ….. there is no quick answer it takes some experimenting. There is a commercial product called rapid oil that also does a nice job …. It’s a deep rabbit hole… good luck