Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-11-11
Linseed Oil and its Uses.

A correspondent to u trade journal
writes: Linseed oil is generally pre-
pared by cold or warm pressing Of
ilaxseed. Its employment in the man
ufacturo of oil paints is owing to its
drying properties. When spread out
in thin layers it dries and forms solid
varnish-like body. Fresh linseed oil
always contains watcry and gummy
bodies, from which it must DO separat-
ed before being used. The simplest
method for purifying and clarifying
linseed oil consists in storing it for
several months and then carefully
drawing it of from the sediment. The
coloration and oxidation of lnseed oil
is due to the absorption of oxygen from
the air, and it is for this reason that
linseed oil should be stored in hcrmct-
ically sealed vessels, If possible in the
dark.
When linseed oil is to be used for
paints, its drying properties must be
improved; that Is, 1t must be converted
into varnish. For this purpose q
parts of litharge are placed into an
iron or copper boiler with fifty parts of
old clarified linsecd oil. The oil is then
carefully heated to boiling. At the end
Of about one hour q dirty scum forms
on the surface OF the oil, which must
DO removed as it forms. Precautions
must be taken to prevent tho oil from
boiling over. 1t is advisable to have
proper cover and wet cloths at hand
Tor cxtinguishing the fire in case the
oil should become overheatcd. On u
large scale jacketed boilers heated by
steam are used. After the oil has boil
ed three-quartcrs of an hour it is al
lowed to cool and settle. At the end
of two or three days, sometimes after
twenty-four hours, tho clear oil is
drawn Off The linseed-ol varnish OBJ
tanned in this way has a pale wine col
or, is clear and transparent, and more
viscous than the original oil. 1t docs
not froth when poured out, and dries
to an almost colorless mass. Linseed-
oil varnish should be kept in bottles.
1t may be ground with various colors,
and used for painting wood, iron,
brlck-work, etc. Melted together with
resins, especially with copal and am
Der, it may be used as q waterproof
paint on wood, etc.
10 make white oil paint. this lin
seed-oil varnish is generally ground
with lead; and in case colored paints
are to be prepared, ocher, Naples yell
low, terra de sienna, chrome red, ver-
million, etc, are added. When wood
en- floors are TO be painted, they should
first be saturated with linsced oil. For
this purpose the oil should not be used
cold. but always warm, because tho
heated oil is more fluid, and penetrates
the wood to greater depth.
Oil putties generally consist of lin
seed oil, varnlsh and litharge, or cal
cined chalk. This putty is gradually
converted into 4 soap, which is perfect
ly insolublc in water. Its hardness
may he increased BY the addition of
quartz sand or brick-dust. In paint
ing, the finest purified and bc"cLed
linseed oil is often required. Sucn an
oil may be prepared ny treating the
varnish, prepared rs above, with Il So
luton of sugar OF lead. The sugar Of
lead solution is prepared by dissolving
one part of sugar of lead in sixteen
parts of alcohol; one hundred pounds
of linseed oil are heated to So or 80 de-
grees, and then thoroughly mixed with
five or six pounds Ct the alcoholic lead
solution. The oil is then left at rest
for three or four days, and the clear.
bleachcd oil is drawn oil from the sed-
iment. The sediment may be freed
from the gummy matter by filtration.