Any experience with linseed oil as alternative to high temp paint?

[gtsum]

Many thanks gtsum for the feedback. How often do you have to re-apply the linseed oil? Is your smoker covered from the elements? Would love to see a pic.

Not sure yet. Only had it a couple of weeks, but it’s gotten darker as I’ve cooked on it. Jd told me 1-2 times per year for the linseed oil. I have a cover for it, but I doubt I ever use it. As long as the linseed oil is cured on it, rust shouldn’t be an issue. My side shelf wasn’t cured with linseed so I’ll need to do that. I think it was missed as mine was one of the first with the shelf.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Top2Not2]

I have a 1969 that was rained on frequently for about 4 weeks straight and there's only a little rust on some of the welds. I applied more linseed oil a couple weeks ago using the heat of the Texas sun and it cured in a few days. I don't care for the smell of it, but it works.

 

[charcoalwilly]

She looks great so far!

 

[LordRiffenstein]

I use linseed oil on both my offset and Yoder YS640.
Both have paint on them and the linseed helps keep the paint from flacking.
I apply a little bit after I´m done cooking and the residual heat will 'set' the linseed oil.
I let the rag dry outside and never had a problem.

 

[charcoalwilly]

I use linseed oil on both my offset and Yoder YS640.
Both have paint on them and the linseed helps keep the paint from flacking.
I apply a little bit after I´m done cooking and the residual heat will 'set' the linseed oil.
I let the rag dry outside and never had a problem.

Interesting. I wondered if that was possible. Is is tacky after it cools or more like a hard shell?

I ask because I’ve tried the same with regular flax seed oil over paint and it turned out tacky but I now know that boiled linseed oil will set more quickly.

 

[LordRiffenstein]

Interesting. I wondered if that was possible. Is is tacky after it cools or more like a hard shell?

I ask because I’ve tried the same with regular flax seed oil over paint and it turned out tacky but I now know that boiled linseed oil will set more quickly.

Not tacky if done properly, which took me a couple of times to figure out. The smoker still needs to be hot and the layer applied thin. A little goes a very long way.

 

[Abbylonglegs]

Greetings all - I've seen a few examples of people using boiled linseed oil to protect exterior of smoker instead of high-temp paint. My limited understanding is that the linseed oil hardens into a protective shell when heat is applied and doesn't get tacky like most oils would on a smoker.

The advantage seems to be two-fold. The oil highlights the patina of unpainted steel and secondly, it can be re-applied more easily than paint, for example, at the end of a cook.

The guys at Workhorse Pits created a how-to video on the subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFp9j28mxKc

Couple of questions for those of you who have experience with linseed oil on their smoker.

* How durable is the coating? Would you recommend it over paint?

* How often do you have to re-apply and how difficult/easy is it to do? Can you simply wipe down smoker at end of a cook? Or do you have to use a weed burner to pre-heat the steel to 425 degrees like in the video?

* How do you dispose of the oily rags to deal with the spontaneous combustion risk? It's the real deal.

Shirley Fabrication paints theirs after sand blasting. Since matt paint has pigments and fillers, after it dries, its surface should be porous enough to absorb thin coats of boiled linseed oil. I would think this combination would provide a very good barrier to water and oxygen, both needed to form rust.

 

[1MoreFord]

I've not used boiled linseed oil on a pit, but I've used cheap spray vegetable oil on my firebox. It works much better than paint. Looks like it's going to combust but it's not happened to me yet.

I have used Lin-Speed and Tru-Oil to finish gunstocks. Both are thick, and expensive, versions of BLO that will dry at room temps in a matter of few days depending on temp and humidity. Sometimes overnight and sometimes more. Great stock finishes. Normal BLO can finish stocks too but require much more work and time.

 

[Aggie12]

My Old Country Pecos is painted, but I always give it a light coat of mineral oil on the exterior after each cook. I keep it covered with the ones that Academy sells that are made for the Pecos as well. Seems to do a pretty good job of keeping the rust to a minimum without making things sticky.

Anybody else do this? Seems like I read that tip on here at some point.

 

[charcoalwilly]

When I apply the oil over paint even when smoker is hot, it often stays tacky for 1-2 weeks Maybe I’m just putting it on too thick

 

[Lomey]

I had my custom smoker finished in boiled linseed oil. Now I use mineral oil after about every other cook while the smoker is still hot. Still looks great. Has a little service rust at times around the hinges, but I think it adds to the look. It usually wipes off with the oil. I keep it covered with a Custom Covers cover and up against the house. I've had it about 16 months now. I love the look!