oak windows

[leewilliams]

Dear all.
I oiled my new oak windows (box sash) with linseed oil, and now I find they are sticking a bit, any help please

 

[Gervase]

I lubricate the edges of the sashes and the stiles with wax, and that seems to stop them sticking. Just rub a candle stub up and down a few times. A bar of soap will also do the trick, I'm told.

 

[Toby Newell]

Pure linseed oil will take several days per coat to dry in this weather. A proprietry oil finish would dry quicker. Lubricate like Lee advises. You may find your windows are bedding in, perhaps it isn;t the finish?. They may swell up quite a bit and you may need to take them out and plane them a bit. (possibly your oak is not quarter sawn from fully mature trees like it used to be years ago, "oak" these days can move a lot more with moisture)

Toby

PS You can gently remove excess Linseed by rubbing with a terry cloth dipped in turpentine then recoat with an oil with a drier added (like boiled linseed etc)

 

[Penners]

Toby - should that be real turpentine? If so, do you think this would also shift some muck that seems to be glued on to my oak front door? I suspect that it was dust and crud embedded in sticky unboiled linseed before it dried, but it happened before I bought the house so I can't be sure.

I posted about this a while ago, and one forum member kindly sent me some linseed oil soap to try. Unfortunately it didn't have much success. Would you recommend me to try real turps?

 

[Toby Newell]

Hi Biff

I just like real turps as it smells so lovely and its a natural product rather than white spirit which smells awful and comes from oil.

Real gum turpentine is also less oily and so is better for reviving old finishes/removing wax. Actually real turps is a slightly stronger solvent than white spirits so yes try that with a little fine wire wool, that should help.

Toby

 

[Toby Newell]

nm sorry, meant for Penners, not Biff!

 

[Penners]

Received and understood - thanks.