Blue Gum, Post Box Finish?

[HappyHammer]

I'm making a new post box out of the bits and pieces I have in the garage and amongst the scraps I have are all the off-cuts from when we installed a blue gum floor in the house. I've decided to clad the post box in the off cuts and wanted to know the best finish for exterior that will not fade or crack but at the same time will show the colour of the timber.

HH

[Mick4412]

HH,
Recently did a similar job using scrap Jarrah.
Finished mine with Raw Linseed oil.
Mick

[Bunyip]

HH,

I would go for a durable exterior polyurethane varnish.

Over time, it will begin to look crappy, but maintenance will be less than other clear finishes. In my view, it is one of the few things PolyU is good for :)

If you have still got some of the two pack floor varnish left, why not use that.

[glenn k]

Blue gum has interlocking spiral grain so is very unstable. Seal all sides and it may stay straight.

[HappyHammer]

HH,
Recently did a similar job using scrap Jarrah.
Finished mine with Raw Linseed oil.
Mick
Mick,

Almost ready for the finish now....Is Raw Linseed oil OK outside? Is boiled linseed oil no good?

HH.

[Mick4412]

HH,
Did a Google search to find answer to your question
""Raw" linseed oil is just that... linseed oil mercilessly squeezed from flax seed and packaged with no additional additives or preservatives. Raw linseed oil dries very slowly, taking weeks to fully cure. You should limit its use to the insides of wood gutters, chopping blocks, sawhorses, and other items exposed to the elements where drying time is not a consideration.

Slow drying is a mixed blessing. For oil-based paints, slow drying is a benefit, since this allows the paint to "level" itself, giving a smoother finish with fewer brush marks. The best looking paint jobs are invariably oil paint jobs, without question. However, when used as a wood preservative for items that are handled or walked on, such as tool handles, furniture, or wood decks, long drying times are undesirable. Enter boiled linseed oil...

"Boiled" linseed oil, though, is not boiled. The actual boiling of some oils changes their drying characteristics, true. With linseed oil, though, it is the addition of certain solvents that causes linseed oil to dry more quickly, acting as if it were boiled. This makes it a better product for preserving tool handles, decks, and furniture. I suppose they should have named it "sort-of-boiled linseed oil", or "kinda-like-boiled-but-not-really-boiled linseed oil". You know... to make it less confusing. Uh huh."

I've used RLO on the mail-box, and on redgum outside furniture.
With the furniture, I made sure it was not applied the day before a BBQ - I found a week or so was necessary before people sat on the benches without worrying about stains on their clothes
mick

[HappyHammer]

Thanks Mick, some more stupid questions....

It just so happens I have some boiled Linseed Oil but not Raw, what is my compromise if I use the boiled, is the finish better with Raw?

Also do you apply it with a brush and not a brush and rag due it being thicker than other finishes?

HH.

[Mick4412]

HH,
Go ahead & use the BLO. If it's OK for deckings etc as suggested in the info I got , it'll be fine on your mail box. Use a brush, especially if the timber is a bit rough.
mick