cooking your own red lead primer

[ricardo de oliveira]

It's impossible to buy such a poison by mail around here. Red lead powder is lead tetroxide, I guess. That's I can buy around. So, what's the right base to mix with? Any oil based paint? At what rate?
Thanks.

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

Red Lead

To make one gallon:

Dry Red Lead 20 pounds
Raw Linseed oil 5 pints
Turpentine 1/2 pint
Liquid Drier 1/2 pint

[ricardo de oliveira]

Thank you.

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

:DYou're welcome

[JormaS]

I´ve made my own red lead paint for years using always boiled linseed oil. Is there any advantage in using raw oil? I always thought the raw oil would disappear into the wood, leaving the pigment alone on top. What do you think?

[Bob Smalser]

I´ve made my own red lead paint for years using always boiled linseed oil. Is there any advantage in using raw oil? I always thought the raw oil would disappear into the wood, leaving the pigment alone on top. What do you think?

The only difference between "raw" and "boiled" linseed are the heavy metal driers, and the recipe above includes them. I add some Japan Drier when using boiled linseed, too, as the mix seems to set up better with it.

20lbs of lead tetroxide per gallon is a whole lot for use as just a primer. I use as little as 4lbs with good results, thinning the mix some with turps as I go if I'm gonna run out....and your can of red lead primer is a good place to toss the dregs of any leftover copper bottom paint.

I can buy lead tetroxide in large drums from industrial chemical suppliers, but don't need that much, so for small quantities I use fireworks component suppliers:

http://www.firefox-fx.com/

[ricardo de oliveira]

I would go with 10 lbs. 4 lbs sounds even better...
Today I called a local chemical reagent supplier and get no responses for now. How much is OK to pay for the powder? Average.

Edited to add: Oh, I checked the Firefox site. Got the numbers. Thanks.

[Willin']

And while we're on the subject, can anybody comment on whether it would be better to prime my bottom with red lead rather than thinned bottom paint?

[Thorne]

A straight line is a terrible thing to waste!

:)

[JormaS]

The only difference between "raw" and "boiled" linseed are the heavy metal driers

Hm. As far as I know, boiled linseed oil has actually been boiled together with driers at over 100 centigrades for several hours, which makes the oil start polymerizing.

In Scandinavia, oil paints used to have boiled linseed oil as binder. Nowadays it is partly stand-oil, which is linseed oil boiled without the presence of any oxygen. Stand-oil (from the Duch word "standhoudend" for "durable") gives a hard paint film. Moreover, some manufacturers add alkyd resins. The result is that you never really know what you are buying. For this reason many people (like myself) often make their own oil paint.

In the U.S. I believe the tradition has been to use raw oil as binder. I have never done that. Also, I don´t use any solvents in the paint.

Normally Bob, how long does it take for your red lead paint to dry? Mine dries in one day to the touch, two or three days to be over-painted.

[Bob Smalser]

It was my understanding that long ago linseed oil was heated to make it polymerize better than raw oil...hence the term "boiled"...but today it's all done with chemicals.

Raw linseed will polymerize, but it takes a long time and when it was used, it was applied in thin coats for many months to achieve a fine finish:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2080858/139233184.jpg

This walnut gunstock was made in 1913 and finished with raw linseed as I described. It obviously didn't get a lot of use, but what this accomplished stockmaker did to prevent the linseed from turning black is a secret that went to the grave with him.

I use around two ounces of Japan Drier in a gallon of boiled linseed-turpentine-pine tar-lead tetroxide primer mix and it easily dries overnight.

I'd prefer raw linseed, where I'd probably add 4 oz of drier....but it's harder to find around here...and I don't think it matters at all.

[Terry Etapa]

Bob,

Next time your in Seattle, swing by Hardwicks. They normally have raw linseed oil in stock.

Terry