Linseed vs Pam

jrTheSmoker · 06-12-2023, 02:07 PM

I picked up my Workhorse Pits 1975t in February, and it rained constantly from the time I pulled up to the shop, and for 2 weeks after before I got to use it. For the first cook, I put the splits on top of the firebox to warm them, but immediately noticed after the first cook rust start to form where the splits touched the surface of the firebox. I have since got a LSG basket, and there's enough room I can lay two splits on the sides while I cook.

I have a cheap tarp I use to cover the smoker for now until I can get time to measure and get a Sunbrella cover made for it, but the rust on the firebox has gotten to the point I need to do something about it before it does long term damage to the metal.

On my cheap sheet-metal thick Brinkman offset that sat behind my dad's shop for 30+ years, I used a sanding wheel and sprayed it profusely with pam and ran it for hours, and just spray every few cooks with pam, and it's sitting beside where the water runs off the roof and it hasn't had any rust on it even with no cover.

Linseed oil is nowhere around me, so I would have to order it. I do not want to try the boiled linseed oil and would use food grade of some sort. Pam is everywhere, but I do notice it is a little duller color than the linseed when cured, but then again, could be the 30+ years of rust under the pam of my Brinkman.

For those that have the WH pit, have you tried linseed oil and pam and notice any difference? Did you just spray the pam over the original linseed oil finish, or scrub it off first? Can you swap between them if you do not like one or the other? Is there a benefit to one versus the other, or just a color/sheen difference?

Juggy D Beerman · 06-12-2023, 03:20 PM

Jr, You are on the right track about using the food grade safe version for linseed oil instead of the boiled version. The boiled version is not deemed food safe by many experts although there are some who would contend this statement as being incorrect. My main concern is that the rags used for wiping off the excess oil are fire hazards. The old rags containing linseed oil can and will spontaneously combust! I have the melted plastic trash can to prove my point. Dispose of the rags in a safe manner. I usually put them in a pile in my gravel driveway and wait for them to catch fire and burn themselves out.

bschoen · 06-12-2023, 03:54 PM

Boiled linseed oil (BLO) I would think to be fine on the outside of the pit where there is no food contact. On the inside of the pit, pam is easy. All of the reading I have done regarding wood finishes, and BLO is one of them, indicate that when fully cured they are all food safe. Fully cured mostly means that all the VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) have fully dissipated. BLO is probably the more durable solution for the exterior of a pit.

As for self igniting BLO soaked rags, it is a real thing, but only if improperly handled. As BLO cures it generates heat, if the rags are left laying flat in a single layer on a non-flammable surface the generated heat simply dissipates. If left in a thick pile the interior heat has no way to dissipate and eventually reaches a high enough temperature to ignite. The rags are safe to dispose of when dry to the touch and stiff like a board, about 10-12 hours.

But don't trust what you read here, call your builder, seems to be a darn good one, and get his recommendation.

Lomey · 06-12-2023, 08:38 PM

If you have access to food grade mineral oil use that. I have used it on my custom offset since I got it and it works great. I usually apply it every other cook while the smoker is still hot.

TheHojo · 06-12-2023, 08:53 PM

This is what I have used the last few times I freshened up my smoker - recommended by some other brethren

https://www.triedandtruewoodfinish.c...cts/danish-oil

It is food grade safe

Here is a thread I posted when I first did the linseed treatment on my smoker

https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/s...d.php?t=297360

bschoen · 06-13-2023, 05:29 AM

Mineral oil will not polymerize which is what you want for a durable finish. Danish oil, whatever the brand is BLO, some mineral spirits and some kind of metallic hardener (japan drier), the better ones may have a small amount of tung oil. Like I said, they all claim to be food safe once fully cured.

Call your builder.

Sheesh...

1MoreFord · 06-13-2023, 11:36 AM

BLO soaked rags can be safely kept in a sealed metal can. Think paint cans like available from big box home improvement stores.

jrTheSmoker · 06-15-2023, 07:53 AM

Soooo, I emailed WH and stated the above questions and concerns about the linseed and boiled linseed oil versus pam. They stated that "we use linseed oil because it cures the best and we've found it lasts the longest." So there's their justification on linseed oil versus other types.

They also stated that they know and see multiple people using food grade oils such as canola, vegetable, and avocado food oils with success, and even sent me a youtube link to someone coating over his new 1975 with avocado oil prior to his first fire. They also stated they have one customer who sprays the grates and shuts the smoker, then sprays the entire outside with canola oil, every cook.

Thus, sounds like there is no right or wrong answer here, so I will probably try the pam or avocado oil now since it's readily available, so I don't have to worry about the new puppy licking the smoker or storing linseed oil.

Now I just have to decide if I want to scrub the entire smoker and redo in food oil, or try and spray/coat over the linseed oil like the youtube video guy did on his new 1975 with avocado oil before his first cook.

SkaterSmoker · 06-15-2023, 08:38 AM

I've had my 1975 for 1 1/2 years and the stock BLO treatment they put on is very durable. The only thing I do is wipe down the firebox every 5th cook with grapeseed oil (the firebox gets so hot it will erode the BLO quicker). Once the BLO finish erodes on the chamber I haven't decided what I'll do next. The BLO is so durable and requires no maintenance on the chamber that I'm inclined to do an application of that every 2 years, and wipe down the firebox every 5th cook with grapeseed oil every 5th cook as I do now.

ttkt57 · 06-15-2023, 10:29 AM

BLO you get at Lowe’s or Home Depot won’t harm anything if you keep it on the outside. If you want total peace of mind, there are several companies making a nasty chemical-free “food grade” BLO.

https://www.amazon.com/PLAZA-Linseed...842741&sr=8-17

jrTheSmoker · 06-15-2023, 02:26 PM

The cook chamber on my 1975t doesn't look bad, it's only 5-6 rust spots about the size of a golf ball on the very top of the firebox, near where the flatbar overlaps the gaps. I noticed it when I put fruit wood splits to warm. Now I have a LSG 24" fire basket that is big enough to lay two splits on each side to warm up. I also noticed the door and that side to be burned off pretty good, so I may take the advice above and just do the cook chamber for now to see how I like it vs the BLO.

Dustin Dorsey · 06-15-2023, 02:40 PM

Pam works fantastically on the firebox because the firebox will get hot enough to polymerize it. It doesn't work as well on the cook chamber. I wouldn't use boiled linseed oil either, but when you think about it, paint isn't food safe either and people use it all the time. Think about those pits made out of propane tanks. They have to have lead paint all over them.

I don't have a workhorse pit. I do have a Franklin pit and from what I understand they used some combination of tallow and flaxseed (which is the non-boiled linseed oil). I've been just hitting it with pam almost every cook and it looks great. I keep it covered and haven't had hardly any rust. The problem areas for me are the wood rack and around the casters where the metal just doesn't get hot. I just hit those with pam too, though.

I think the linseed oil not being food grade issue is overblown, but I do worry more about the rags catching on fire. That's a real safety issue.

ttkt57 · 06-15-2023, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dustin Dorsey

I think the linseed oil not being food grade issue is overblown, but I do worry more about the rags catching on fire. That's a real safety issue.

BLO-soaked rags are indeed a safety issue.

As are motorcycles, lawn mowers, firearms, ladders, table saws, and on and on.

Dispose of them properly, however, and they are nothing to worry about.

ttkt57 · 06-16-2023, 07:26 AM

Another good, safe option

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000I...P3CB9QTY&psc=1

bschoen · 06-16-2023, 07:42 AM

Tung oil is good stuff. Be careful what you buy though, what Bill linked to is 100% pure tung oil, which is what you want. Stay clear of "Tung Oil Finish" products as they are not tung oil, usually blo, thinner and a hardener. Not much, if any, different from danish oil.

06-12-2023, 02:07 PM	#1
jrTheSmoker On the road to being a farker Join Date: 04-08-22 Location: FL Name/Nickname : jrTheSmoker	Linseed vs Pam I picked up my Workhorse Pits 1975t in February, and it rained constantly from the time I pulled up to the shop, and for 2 weeks after before I got to use it. For the first cook, I put the splits on top of the firebox to warm them, but immediately noticed after the first cook rust start to form where the splits touched the surface of the firebox. I have since got a LSG basket, and there's enough room I can lay two splits on the sides while I cook. I have a cheap tarp I use to cover the smoker for now until I can get time to measure and get a Sunbrella cover made for it, but the rust on the firebox has gotten to the point I need to do something about it before it does long term damage to the metal. On my cheap sheet-metal thick Brinkman offset that sat behind my dad's shop for 30+ years, I used a sanding wheel and sprayed it profusely with pam and ran it for hours, and just spray every few cooks with pam, and it's sitting beside where the water runs off the roof and it hasn't had any rust on it even with no cover. Linseed oil is nowhere around me, so I would have to order it. I do not want to try the boiled linseed oil and would use food grade of some sort. Pam is everywhere, but I do notice it is a little duller color than the linseed when cured, but then again, could be the 30+ years of rust under the pam of my Brinkman. For those that have the WH pit, have you tried linseed oil and pam and notice any difference? Did you just spray the pam over the original linseed oil finish, or scrub it off first? Can you swap between them if you do not like one or the other? Is there a benefit to one versus the other, or just a color/sheen difference?

06-12-2023, 03:20 PM	#2
Juggy D Beerman Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 09-18-06 Location: Warrensburg, MO	Safety Warning About Linseed Oil... Jr, You are on the right track about using the food grade safe version for linseed oil instead of the boiled version. The boiled version is not deemed food safe by many experts although there are some who would contend this statement as being incorrect. My main concern is that the rags used for wiping off the excess oil are fire hazards. The old rags containing linseed oil can and will spontaneously combust! I have the melted plastic trash can to prove my point. Dispose of the rags in a safe manner. I usually put them in a pile in my gravel driveway and wait for them to catch fire and burn themselves out.

06-12-2023, 08:53 PM	#5
TheHojo is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 12-24-09 Location: Dallas, Tx Name/Nickname : Ted	This is what I have used the last few times I freshened up my smoker - recommended by some other brethren https://www.triedandtruewoodfinish.c...cts/danish-oil It is food grade safe Here is a thread I posted when I first did the linseed treatment on my smoker https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/s...d.php?t=297360 __________________ [SIZE="2"][/SIZE][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]Blue Collar Smoker by Big Phil Weber Kettle 22'' and Custom Table Direct Heat Smoker by Royale BBQ Fabrication Johnson Smoker Compact Ultimate Patio - retired Brinkmann Stillwater - retired Old Smokey 18'' - retired[/FONT]
	1 members found this post helpful.

06-13-2023, 11:36 AM	#7
1MoreFord Babbling Farker Join Date: 03-14-05 Location: Central Arkansas Name/Nickname : Joe	BLO soaked rags can be safely kept in a sealed metal can. Think paint cans like available from big box home improvement stores. __________________ Joe Falcon MK V gaseous grill w/Grill Grates, OK Joe Longhorn w/ vertical - now gone, Char Griller Akorn, Camp Chef PG24SG, Weber 22" OTG w/SNS components

06-15-2023, 08:38 AM	#9
SkaterSmoker Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 09-07-21 Location: Kenosha, WI Name/Nickname : MJ	I've had my 1975 for 1 1/2 years and the stock BLO treatment they put on is very durable. The only thing I do is wipe down the firebox every 5th cook with grapeseed oil (the firebox gets so hot it will erode the BLO quicker). Once the BLO finish erodes on the chamber I haven't decided what I'll do next. The BLO is so durable and requires no maintenance on the chamber that I'm inclined to do an application of that every 2 years, and wipe down the firebox every 5th cook with grapeseed oil every 5th cook as I do now. __________________ Workhorse Pits 1975 Wagon \| WSM

06-12-2023, 03:54 PM	#3
bschoen Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-27-17 Location: State of Denial Name/Nickname : Bruce	Boiled linseed oil (BLO) I would think to be fine on the outside of the pit where there is no food contact. On the inside of the pit, pam is easy. All of the reading I have done regarding wood finishes, and BLO is one of them, indicate that when fully cured they are all food safe. Fully cured mostly means that all the VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) have fully dissipated. BLO is probably the more durable solution for the exterior of a pit. As for self igniting BLO soaked rags, it is a real thing, but only if improperly handled. As BLO cures it generates heat, if the rags are left laying flat in a single layer on a non-flammable surface the generated heat simply dissipates. If left in a thick pile the interior heat has no way to dissipate and eventually reaches a high enough temperature to ignite. The rags are safe to dispose of when dry to the touch and stiff like a board, about 10-12 hours. But don't trust what you read here, call your builder, seems to be a darn good one, and get his recommendation.

06-12-2023, 08:38 PM	#4
Lomey is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 02-22-17 Location: Merriam, KS Name/Nickname : Mike	If you have access to food grade mineral oil use that. I have used it on my custom offset since I got it and it works great. I usually apply it every other cook while the smoker is still hot.

06-13-2023, 05:29 AM	#6
bschoen Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-27-17 Location: State of Denial Name/Nickname : Bruce	Mineral oil will not polymerize which is what you want for a durable finish. Danish oil, whatever the brand is BLO, some mineral spirits and some kind of metallic hardener (japan drier), the better ones may have a small amount of tung oil. Like I said, they all claim to be food safe once fully cured. Call your builder. Sheesh...

06-15-2023, 07:53 AM	#8
jrTheSmoker On the road to being a farker Join Date: 04-08-22 Location: FL Name/Nickname : jrTheSmoker	Soooo, I emailed WH and stated the above questions and concerns about the linseed and boiled linseed oil versus pam. They stated that "we use linseed oil because it cures the best and we've found it lasts the longest." So there's their justification on linseed oil versus other types. They also stated that they know and see multiple people using food grade oils such as canola, vegetable, and avocado food oils with success, and even sent me a youtube link to someone coating over his new 1975 with avocado oil prior to his first fire. They also stated they have one customer who sprays the grates and shuts the smoker, then sprays the entire outside with canola oil, every cook. Thus, sounds like there is no right or wrong answer here, so I will probably try the pam or avocado oil now since it's readily available, so I don't have to worry about the new puppy licking the smoker or storing linseed oil. Now I just have to decide if I want to scrub the entire smoker and redo in food oil, or try and spray/coat over the linseed oil like the youtube video guy did on his new 1975 with avocado oil before his first cook.

06-15-2023, 10:29 AM	#10
ttkt57 is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 12-06-20 Location: Nampa, Idaho Name/Nickname : Bill Bryant	BLO you get at Lowe’s or Home Depot won’t harm anything if you keep it on the outside. If you want total peace of mind, there are several companies making a nasty chemical-free “food grade” BLO. https://www.amazon.com/PLAZA-Linseed...842741&sr=8-17 __________________ Workhorse Pits 1969 offset \| Broil King 420 gas \| VEVOR food warmer

06-15-2023, 02:26 PM	#11
jrTheSmoker On the road to being a farker Join Date: 04-08-22 Location: FL Name/Nickname : jrTheSmoker	The cook chamber on my 1975t doesn't look bad, it's only 5-6 rust spots about the size of a golf ball on the very top of the firebox, near where the flatbar overlaps the gaps. I noticed it when I put fruit wood splits to warm. Now I have a LSG 24" fire basket that is big enough to lay two splits on each side to warm up. I also noticed the door and that side to be burned off pretty good, so I may take the advice above and just do the cook chamber for now to see how I like it vs the BLO.

06-15-2023, 02:40 PM	#12
Dustin Dorsey Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 08-25-14 Location: Burkburnett, Texas	Pam works fantastically on the firebox because the firebox will get hot enough to polymerize it. It doesn't work as well on the cook chamber. I wouldn't use boiled linseed oil either, but when you think about it, paint isn't food safe either and people use it all the time. Think about those pits made out of propane tanks. They have to have lead paint all over them. I don't have a workhorse pit. I do have a Franklin pit and from what I understand they used some combination of tallow and flaxseed (which is the non-boiled linseed oil). I've been just hitting it with pam almost every cook and it looks great. I keep it covered and haven't had hardly any rust. The problem areas for me are the wood rack and around the casters where the metal just doesn't get hot. I just hit those with pam too, though. I think the linseed oil not being food grade issue is overblown, but I do worry more about the rags catching on fire. That's a real safety issue. __________________ Franklin Pit #138, 22.5 WSM, 22.5 OTS converted to OTG. Weber Genesis 1000.

06-16-2023, 07:26 AM	#14
ttkt57 is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 12-06-20 Location: Nampa, Idaho Name/Nickname : Bill Bryant	Another good, safe option https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000I...P3CB9QTY&psc=1 __________________ Workhorse Pits 1969 offset \| Broil King 420 gas \| VEVOR food warmer

06-16-2023, 07:42 AM	#15
bschoen Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-27-17 Location: State of Denial Name/Nickname : Bruce	Tung oil is good stuff. Be careful what you buy though, what Bill linked to is 100% pure tung oil, which is what you want. Stay clear of "Tung Oil Finish" products as they are not tung oil, usually blo, thinner and a hardener. Not much, if any, different from danish oil.