The Armour Archive

Why wouldn't one use linseed oil, raw or boiled to protect maille? Boiled would dry out and form a hard film, that could be retouched periodically with more boiled linseed oil...

Has anyone tried this on mild steel?

Glaukos

Does the term "sticky mess" mean anything to you? It would be like trying to finish off your mail with glue!

Thomas

Thomas Powers wrote:Does the term "sticky mess" mean anything to you? It would be like trying to finish off your mail with glue!

Thomas

Wouldn't it dry as it does on wood?

I happen to have a partially-full gallon can of boiled linseed oil out in the shop. It has not been opened in probably over a year.

There is a somewhat gelatinous puddle of linseed oil around the spout cap.

I suspect wood soaks up the oils.

Steve

It also smells funny.

Steve -SoFC- wrote:I happen to have a partially-full gallon can of boiled linseed oil out in the shop. It has not been opened in probably over a year.

There is a somewhat gelatinous puddle of linseed oil around the spout cap.

I suspect wood soaks up the oils.

Steve

As far as I know, boiled linseed oil polymerizes in a sort of "proto plastic" when exposed to the air. It literally hardens, but being natural, it can be refreshed. But it needs to be in a very thin film or it takes forever to dry..

I know this from wood refinishing. So I am wondering if mixing boiled linseed oil with a solvent, like wood alcohol, to make it easier to spray and faster to dry, may work on non continuous armour such as maille.

I presume that on plate it would look like a well seasoned but new frying pan...

I use lanolin, myself.

John Carlson, the best mail smith you never heard of, treats his with boiled linseed oil. It works great! He sent me a sample that was rust free for over a decade, till this last year, when it was handled by scores of school kids. Actually, it had already been handled by scads of kids over the years, just finally gave out.

http://www.mgexperience.net/archive/rus ... ing/147266



Apparently it is used in cars to prevent rust...

hrolf wrote:I use lanolin, myself.

Sheepskate...

iv also used it on my plate with no problems at all.
like its been pointed out, do not over apply it, you must put it on thin and let it dry. you can also go over it again to bild up more protechion but only once its dryed.

Having recently started a mild steel riveted maille project, I read this thread with interest, even the forum page Glaukos posted (http://www.mgexperience.net/archive/rus ... ing/147266)....


"...and no dolt has been rusted." (first post on the page)

Truly, there is hope for me yet.

Well, I'm tempted to try it with some of my maille now.

I like the idea of cutting it with a solvent to make it flow better.

Steve

Glaukos the Athenian wrote:Why wouldn't one use linseed oil, raw or boiled to protect maille? Boiled would dry out and form a hard film, that could be retouched periodically with more boiled linseed oil...

Has anyone tried this on mild steel?

Glaukos

Super sticky dude. I was just using it a couple weeks back. I bet just trying to apply it on mail would be a pain in the a*..*. Then wearing the stuff would be a heck of a mess to. But I don't know what would happen if you heat it up and then just pour it over the mail, or however.

If I were you I would sample a small piece of mail first and see how it works, if you have any scrap mail

Good luck. I want to hear how it turns out if you do it.

I wonder if baking the maille after application would help polymerize it?

I will test.

Steve

I watch this thread with keen anticipation.

Steve -SoFC- wrote:I wonder if baking the maille after application would help polymerize it?

I will test.

Steve

Maybe just applying a heat gun.

Again, the trick with linseed oil is thin, thin, thin coats.

Most people in the wood business apply it mixed with turpentine (which is really foul smelling but works very well) . This allows for a more liquid / fluid oil to work with, much faster and consistent drying and less mess.

I would imagine that for maille, an even thinner mixture would be desirable, sprayed on, and then dried with a heat gun to set.

I imagine that the trick would be getting one good but thin layer of dried linseed oil to dry off nicely on the rings. Afterward, a simple rubbing with an oiled rag for regular clean up, plus it would provide with surface maintenance. Besides, the lightest application of some type of gun oil spray and wipe would give the final touch.

Hmmm

I am looking forward to hearing about your testing too.

Steve -SoFC- wrote:I wonder if baking the maille after application would help polymerize it?

I will test.

Steve

Maybe just applying a heat gun.

Again, the trick with linseed oil is thin, thin, thin coats.

Most people in the wood business apply it mixed with turpentine (which is really foul smelling but works very well) . This allows for a more liquid / fluid oil to work with, much faster and consistent drying and less mess.

I would imagine that for maille, an even thinner mixture would be desirable, sprayed on, and then dried with a heat gun to set. Just make sure it does not get too hot, or the armour will blacken...

I imagine that the trick would be getting one good but thin layer of dried linseed oil to dry off nicely on the rings. Afterward, a simple rubbing with an oiled rag for regular clean up, plus it would provide with surface maintenance. Besides, the lightest application of some type of gun oil spray and wipe would give the final touch.

Hmmm

I am looking forward to hearing about your testing too.

If I am rembering right the boiled linseed oil forms a polymer called linoleum as it dries. Just like the kitchen flooring from the 70's.
heating will speed up the polymerization process but just like paint thin coats dry quicker and adhear better to the surface.
In wood working the boiled linseed finish will usualy be left along for a few days to cure in a dust free enviroment.

When I started making maille, before I was old enough to have a paying job, I used second hand coat hangers from the local laundry mat. They are coated in a thin layer of some polymeric/paint/stuff. It sticks pretty well to the wire when all you are doing is hanging a shirt on it, but once the wire is made into maille, it rubs right off.

Long anecdote to say that I think that even if you are able to get a coating of linseed oil on the links the way you want, as soon as you start moving around in the maille the self-scrubbing action will wear it right back off.

My first piece of mail was made from bailing wire 16ga.
It was always rusty.

But to my surprise.
Years ago... I did school talks and armour and weapon shows.
I gave my bailing wire piece to the first kid in the desk row and said.
Pass this back and you guys get a close look at chain armour, called mail.

After it went around about 70 kids, it came back all polished and clean.
Mr. Gillaspie's post reminded me of it.

So perhaps a gaggle of kids could open up a maile cleaning service.

Hal

Glaukos,

I can think of two good reasons not to use linseed oil or boiled linseed oil, which actually has a compound called "Japan Drier" (I might have that wrong) on mail.

First, is that linseed oil doesn't ever seem to actually get dry. If you only have linseed oil for protecting wood, I suppose it is a great thing, but if you have anything better, it is best to avoid the nasty, sticky, dirty and grease attracting mess that it creates. It always seems tacky and wet, which means that it picks up every bit of grime and lint for miles.

Second, and probably more important, is that linseed oil impregnated cloth (like cloth bags) tend to show a really annoying tendency to burst into flame for no really good reason. This is really irritating when it happens in the shop, but horrifically unthinkable when it happens in the trunk of the car, right above the gas tank, while you drive the family to an event.

I use WD-40. It works. I am positive that there are better things, but it works for me.

freiman

You're such a wet towel, Frieman.