The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Patina with boiled linseed oil finish.

I like a nicely painted truck as much as anyone. However, some of the rusty and weathered trucks look great too.
My 1963 C10 definitely qualifies as a “patina truck“. Rather than spend thousands of dollars on a total restoration, I decided to keep the patina and make sure everything else was mechanically sound, especially the drivetrain.
I’m sharing some pictures of what has become a very popular and easy way to improve and preserve the look of a patina truck.
I mixed 4 parts boiled linseed oil to 1 part odorless mineral spirits. I had previously used car wax on the panels (some panels only have rust). So before applying the linseed oil mixture with a rag, I wiped down the truck with wax remover.

Wipe the BLO on with a rag and wait 15 minutes. Go back over it with a dry towel. Just like you would if you were washing the truck.
It gives a satin sheen to the rusty areas and brightens the painted areas a little.
Just thought I’d share.

More pics.

Looking good.

X2

There's a popular gunstock finish known as "Lin-Speed" that's almost that exact proportion of BLO and Mineral Spirits. Linseed oil oxidizes and hardens into a durable finish on wood- - - -don't know how it will react to paint, metal, and rust. Be sure to store any leftover linseed oil in an airtight container with NO air space inside. I store my gunstock finishing oil in a tightly capped glass Mason jar, and add marbles to the container as I use the oil to keep the surface of the remaining oil level with the top of the jar.

Precaution #2- - - -soak any rags you use during the job in water, and dispose of them in an airtight zip-lock bag. Linseed oil and open air storage of oily rags can result in oxidation of the oil, heat buildup, and spontaneous combustion.
Jerry

I use straight linseed oil.

Ed

I’m going to apply 3 coats of this stuff over the next week. I’ll let each coat dry before applying the next coat. Maybe it will last longer.

Looks great , I like the finish . I also used 4 parts linseed oil to one part Thompsons water seal ( for wood decks ) on wooden decks and trim on boats over the years
and it wore really well considering the harsh life it had , and was easier to touch up than varnish . Might work well on truck beds .

John

Does it leave an oily or sticky film on the surface, or does it harden off to a dry surface like Jerry described on gun stocks?

It leaves a rainbow oil slick on the highway in rainy weather Motorcyclists beware

What great info. the marbles is nothing more than brilliant. Can't wait to try out mix on a old 51 GMC coming in from Colorado. I have always used BLO on old tools and ax, hammers etc.,etc. Dries hard. Doc.

Follow up. We all get a bit excited over nothing sometimes. So I’m a little excited. Well, I have good news!
The boiled linseed oil I applied 2 weeks ago seems to keep that satin sheen . . . . . and
it seems to be very water repellent too. After all, oil and water don’t mix very well, do they?
I had my truck out in the rain tonight. Didn’t intend to let it get wet, but it was a gulley washer downpour.
See pics. The water beads up just like a brand new wax job.

I'd like to the BLO on my old 51 and keep as much of the original paint/patina as I can. The hood/roof is near bare metal so it would be nice to blend in hear and there, but I probably won't spend the $$.

Anyway, what was your sanding grit/prep technique? Mine has a pretty course scale on it due to sitting for 30-40 years outside.

thanks

Please, if you must coat your oxidized paint and rust, use a flat clear coat. Anything else doesn’t look right. People ask me all the time what I do to protect my “patina”. I tell them that I just throw a car cover over it and drive it. I know this is a little off topic, but here it is.

Chrispy, for my 52 that sat out for years I used a lot of time and elbow grease with rubbing compound to "sand" it. Even took the rusty hood to a beautiful patina finish instead. Why not just use Auto wax? That's what I'm doing, why use BLO instead?