Linseed Oil that's Safe for You and the Environment

Linseed oil seems as if it should be a great product from an environmental and health standpoint. It’s made from flax seed, a renewable agricultural crop; it’s been used for centuries; and it smells good. The problem is that standard “boiled” linseed oil sold as a wood finish contains heavy metal additives to aid drying: lead acetate and cobalt-manganese. These compounds are neither safe for you nor safe for the environment.

Enter Joe Robson of Trumansburg, New York. Robson, a cabinetmaker for over 20 years, has developed a traditional boiled linseed oil finish that is totally free of drying agents. Robson manufactures two linseed oil finishes: Tried & True Varnish Oil, and Tried & True Original Wood Finish. The Varnish Oil is 100% pure linseed oil that is heat-treated to give it drying and performance properties of finishes used a century ago. His Original Wood Finish is a mixture of the Varnish Oil and pure beeswax. “We went back to the carriage varnishes from the mid-1800s,” said Robson, who spent years researching early literature on wood finishes and experimenting with different recipes. Both products are totally non-volatile (zero VOCs), contain no petroleum or petroleum derivatives, contain no heavy metal driers, and are 100% biodegradable.