Motor oil for new wood bed floor

[Skilsaw]

Have new red oak kit for 66 fleetside. I have read where people use used motor oil on their beds but I don’t want the darker look. I put a couple coats of new conventional oil on a scrap piece of oak, several days between coats to soak and dry. I like the look, kind of like a satin clear coat. It is smooth and dry feeling, don’t transfer when you rub on it. My worry is will it get tacky and messy if it sits out in the hot sun for awhile? If anyone has done this how did it hold up and would you do it again? Would I be better off to get linseed or tung oil or something else?

Also I was thinking of painting the underside and edges that don’t show. Is that a good idea or just oil the whole thing?

Thanks

[AcampoDave]

Welcome. I personally would leave the motor oil for motors and use a product made for the job. The product description on the container would eliminate a lot of guessing about the results.
I used paint myself and did the underside and edges too. No reason not too since I had plenty of product to go around.

[Arne]

I plan to use a sealer/conditioner on my oak, and then clear polyurethane, probably in a satin finish. Can't imagine using motor oil for this.

[SkinnyG]

I've heard that used motor oil can be an acceptable wood preservative. Back in the day, folks would soak posts in oil before building a fence.

I have found a number of references to people using motor oil on bed wood. I have also heard that you have to keep re-oiling the wood, as it's not a permanent sort of thing. I imagine clean ATF might give it a nice "red" hue, vs the yellow or motor oil.

I'm not sure it's all bad, but I'm not sure it's the best. I did seriously consider soaking bed wood in motor oil, but in the end did not.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out!

[Steeveedee]

Used motor oil? People did a lot of things in the past that were polluting. Back in the '60s a magazine (Popular Mechanics or Mechanics Illustrated) had an article about digging a pit, filling it with gravel, and dumping your old drain oil into it. Use linseed oil or some such. But just know that you'll have to renew it every year...and it won't have toxins from the old engine oil in it.

[Bears63]

If you are going to oil the wood, use Linseed oil. Linseed oil will darken the wood some as well. Going that route is tedious to get it sealed and to keep it that way. General rule on oiling wood is to coat it once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and then once a year thereafter.

[Moarplease]

If you use linseed oil, don't through the used rags in the trash. Burn them to be safe.

Adam

[Skilsaw]

Thanks for the replies, I’ll probably get some linseed oil but a couple more questions.

Should I use raw or boiled linseed?

Is painting the underside ok? I don’t mind oiling once in a while but getting the bottom would be impossible without disassembling the whole thing.

[Steeveedee]

Boiled linseed oil has chemicals added as driers to make it cure sooner. Raw linseed oil does not. If you apply either, the oil will eventually work its way around the wood to the bottom, but I wouldn't expect it to protect the wood on the bottom in that way, though.

Point taken about the rags. There are many oils (and other substances) that will spontaneously combust in the right conditions. Some are kind of surprising, to say the least.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_combustion

[vince1]

I don't think the motor oil would preserve the wood for long.

Used motor oil and Rustoleum or Tremclad makes a good rust preservative for the underside. Messy but effective. I don't know why people in the rust belt don't use it more.

[slepysal]

I use diesel and motor oil on my bed wood and it works well. I will snap a picture when I get home