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Author Topic: Do I need lead white?  (Read 5286 times)

Offline Rolf

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Do I need lead white?
« on: September 09, 2010, 10:18:27 PM »
I'd like to use boiled linseed oil on the pistols I'm building. Is lead white necessary for making it? Nobody sells lead white in Norway.

Best regards

Rolfkt
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Offline T*O*F

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Re: Do I need lead white?
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2010, 11:41:45 PM »
White lead is added to linseed as a pigment to make white paint.
Lead paint has been banned in most countries because little kids eat it and turn into mentally challenged adults.

No, you don't use it.
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Offline Stophel

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Re: Do I need lead white?
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2010, 11:48:29 PM »
Well, I do!   ;D

You can add a bit of burnt umber to your boiling oil, and it will help (manganese), but not like white lead.

I figure you can order white lead from Kremer Pigmente...  I presume they will ship to Norway.

Now, unless you are actually BOILING your linseed oil, this stuff won't help you.
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Offline Rolf

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Re: Do I need lead white?
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2010, 09:51:58 AM »
Kremer won't ship to Norway. They say "The sale of this product is legally restricted. Please send us the required proofs of professional use together with your order."

Best regards

Rolfkt
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Offline KentSmith

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Re: Do I need lead white?
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2010, 10:41:29 AM »
Email sent.   Assuming you are allowed to shoot lead - you probably have lead balls covered with white lead oxide.  Use some of those in your boiling linseed oil. 

Boy that last sentense did not sound quite family friendly!
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Offline KentSmith

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Re: Do I need lead white?
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2010, 10:51:44 AM »
Lead sulfate, lead oxide, lead carbonate, lead acetate - all are sources of lead for a drying agent.  Again assuming you have a good cold-pressed oil, not the stuff sold as boiled linseed oil, you can go to a good art supply store and get a tube of flake white oil paint.  Mix a small amount with an ounce of oil and add the white paste to your boiling pint of oil.  Don't need much.  The tube of paint will las a long time.  There are better ways to find a souce of lead but sounds like you are desparate.  Scrape the white stuff off the terminals of your car battery, etc.
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Offline Rolf

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Re: Do I need lead white?
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2010, 01:47:16 PM »
All white pigment sold at art stores in Norway is either titanium or zinc salts. Can I make lead acetat by putting lead in jar of vinegar?

Best regards

Rolfkt
« Last Edit: September 10, 2010, 06:25:06 PM by Rolfkt »
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Offline Dphariss

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Re: Do I need lead white?
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2010, 05:42:18 PM »
Quote from: Rolfkt on September 10, 2010, 01:47:16 PM
All white pigment sold at art sores in Norway is either titanium or zinc salts. Can I make lead acetat by putting lead in jar of vinegar?

Best regards

Rolfkt

I would not worry too much about the lead. Its not needed but will help make the oil a little redder and will aid drying in high humidity.
Oil painting colors made with REAL oxides can be an aid. Burnt Sienna and Burt Umber. But they work best if the oil is heated to 300 F plus to combine them.
An electric hot plate will work and a iron pot or even stainless steel. Aluminum may add things to the oil, don't know.
Good stock oil may be coffee colored not really all that red.
The old gunmakers made finish in small batches so it may be possible to find Flaxseed oil (edible linseed) and cook this into stock finish with calcium carbonate, available oxides and driers. It is not necessary to actually boil the oil just heat it to 350-450 degrees.
This will darken the oil and make it thicker depending on how long its cooked.

Dan
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Offline Ryan McNabb

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Re: Do I need lead white?
« Reply #8 on: September 12, 2010, 10:32:11 AM »
Can't you visit another country and bring some home in your luggage?  It seems to me with the rich art and painting and boat building traditions in that part of the world, that white lead (or mixed white lead paint) would be available. 

But if you can get good quality boiled linseed oil from an art supply store (not hardware store BLO) then you're most of the way there.  There are also other thickened/polymerized oils that will accomplish the same thing. 
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Offline Dphariss

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Re: Do I need lead white?
« Reply #9 on: September 13, 2010, 04:01:50 AM »
Quote from: Ryan McNabb on September 12, 2010, 10:32:11 AM
Can't you visit another country and bring some home in your luggage?  It seems to me with the rich art and painting and boat building traditions in that part of the world, that white lead (or mixed white lead paint) would be available.  

But if you can get good quality boiled linseed oil from an art supply store (not hardware store BLO) then you're most of the way there.  There are also other thickened/polymerized oils that will accomplish the same thing.  

Artist oils lack the color, in most cases, that give stock finish much of its character. Its supposed to be a dark oil.
Stock finish and stand oil are made in a different processes.
There is nothing wrong with boiled linseed from the hardware store and I really don't know where the idea it will not work comes from but I think paying 15-20 bucks a pint for falxseed oil from the health food store or a high price for a tiny amount of stand oil that is not stock finish no matter if its thickened is foolish.

Dan
« Last Edit: September 13, 2010, 04:06:21 AM by Dphariss »
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Offline Rolf

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Re: Do I need lead white?
« Reply #10 on: September 13, 2010, 09:52:46 AM »
Linseed oil is made in Norway and Sweden and easy to get in different qualities.
For wood they recommend cold pressed virgin linseed oil. It's supposed to have a higher content of linolen acid. linolen acid oxidizes and polymerizes quicker than the rest of componets in the oil. This is said to give a more water resistant finish that dries quicker and does not haze. Cold pressing only extracts 25% of the seed oil. The rest is extracted with steam under pressure. I've never used linseed oil, so i don't know if this is BS. Pricewise, cold pressed oil costs 18$ a pint, regular costs 12$ a pint. I only need a pint, so I'll try the cold pressed oil.

Best regards
Rolfkt
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keweenaw

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Re: Do I need lead white?
« Reply #11 on: September 13, 2010, 03:59:22 PM »
Rolf,

You can buy siccative from Kremer that is lead free and will greatly speed up the drying of the oil.  It's basically lead free japan drier.

Tom
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