Originally Posted by
Ian Wells
Hi Neil, I'll email you some contacts directly, but for the sake of the forum can I suggest to others reading that most "good" Art shops will sell it as its used for its leveling ability and enamel like gloss in oil painting. I'll try not to go into a mini lecture about drying oils here, but Stand oil is more an additive than a finish on its own, using it straight will guarantee a sticky mess that will attract fluff faster than a fat mans belly button. It needs to have drying agents and solvents added to make it useable.
Stand oil is a commercially made version of sun thickened linseed oil (Polymerized linseed oil), which anyone can make by putting non boiled linseed oil in an airtight jar adding glass marbles to take the top of the oil right to the top of the jar and thus excluding any oil. Seal the jar and place in the sun for a few weeks.
The oil should be clear 'long' and honey like and quite clear. Painters claim that it is less prone to yellowing than pure linseed, but I think this is more a case that it is bleached by the sun.
If you use cold pressed oil its best to wash out the mucilage by shaking it in a jar of clean cold water ie. 1/3 water, 1/3 linseed oil 1/3 airspace then letting it setle for a few hours, the mucilage should be in the water and you can just pour off the oil as it will rise to the top.
hope this gets a few folks thinking.
cheers
Ian