What exactly is LINSEED OIL?
I have used linseed oil in a few of its different forms; this versatile
substance, depending upon how it is processed, can be used as a binder and thinner for oil paints, as a varnish for
wood, as a health supplement and in medicines, and those are just the most basic, well-known uses.
Linseed oil is... well... an OIL, a 'plant oil'. It is derived from the FLAX SEED, a
small, usually yellowish-brown seed produced by the FLAX PLANT. We'll get back to the seed in a moment, let's visit
the flax plant because, as the parent of the flax seed and linseed oil, it is worthy of a little fame on this
site.
Flax, grown in many parts of the world now, originated in the general area spreading from
the Mediterranean to India. The plant grows to a little over 3 feet tall, with pretty blue flowers, and can
take over large fields like a weed. It's one of the most versatile plants ever, almost every part of it is widely
used in some kind of industry, but the plant's fibers and seeds are the most utilized. The coarser fibers are
used in making rope and twine, and the finer fibers are used for making high-quality fabrics like lace and linen
paper. Products from the seeds are used in dyes, soaps, medicine, laxatives, food additives and supplements, and
linoleum, to name a few... as well as linseed oil.
Linseed oil is extracted from the flax seeds, and
then it is put through a variety of processes, depending on its end use. It ranges in color from clear to a dull,
or even vivid, yellowish color, and has an (depending on your tastes) agreeable nutty aroma to it. In its
purest, least-processed state it is generally referred to as FLAX SEED OIL, or FLAX OIL, and is becoming
popular and well-studied by science for its possible health benefits. I'll cover a little about that on the
'supplements' page. When the solvents are processed from flax seed oil they become
inedible, even toxic, and the name is changed to linseed oil, the product we are familiar with in oil painting and
wood varnishing.
|