Linseed oil, Turpentine, Beeswax and Rosin Floor finish

I am formulating a recipe to use on my floor. I am looking for input for proportions of each ingredient. I am using a true boiled linseed oil, true turpentine, beeswax, and slash pine rosin.
I have used this recipe without rosin. One lasted nearly two years in my tiny <500sqft house. Even with 2 kids and 2 dogs. I figure the addition of rosin will give more durability. Perhaps 2 coats next time also.

Thanks!

I have used raw linseed oil mixed 50:50 with terps, applying multiple coats, until no more will soak into the wood. A coat of your concoction over the top of this would give a longer lasting finish.

Hi Mathew,

Going back...perhaps 35 years now ?? maybe...that blend was a relatively common one I had found amoung "really old" woodworkers and some of the Amish I was in contact with as an apprentice. What I later found was a fellow making a "set formula" that he was selling to Timberwrights for there frames and other wood projects...like floors. To make a...very long story short...we now buy it pre blended already.

I have a dear friend that does this for me, or, if one chooses, they can buy raw (most is food grade) materials themselves and blended anyway they care to experiment with. What Autumn sells preblended is fantastic with a great proportion of beeswax, pine rosin, tung, flax and citrus oil. She is fantastic to talk with and can be reached at:

Heritage Natural Finishes

Good luck, and let us know what you learn...

j

Thank you for the link J. It appears that they have some wonderful products there. Matthew, I hope to see a write up and some pictures of the process.

This is a white pine floor

-Sanded floor to bare, 60 grit 1st pass, 120 second, 180 third. I left tons of imperfections and scratches in because, well 2 kids and 2 dogs on 180sqft of floor.
-vacuumed and tacked clean
-3 coats boiled linseed oil, apply moderately until wood no longer absorbs oil.
-leave over night
-wipe/buff remaining oil in AM
-Wait 1 day or until the floor is not sticky at all
-buff again
-warm mixed over low flame mostly beeswax, a bar of grated bow rosin, a few tablespoons boiled linseed oil and a few tablespoons of turpentine (I think the turp just evaporated out during the melt.
-Tried to apply cool. Very difficult. More oil could have been used to loosen the mix, but I wanted this to be fast drying.
-Warm up and applied liquid with a lint free rag.
-Let set overnight
-tried to buff but too difficult
-scraped up excess with a plastic pot scraper (awesme tool for cast iron skillets BTW)
-buffed to smooth and silky

Socks only for a few days. It gets harder and more slippery every day and I like that. I will follow with one more coat of wax in the very near future as the kids and dogs pound the floor pretty good.

You will notice that the floor does not look like it is under polyurethane (plastic). Some may consider that troublesome, but I like the way the floor feels on my feet. Soft and warm. I understand that there will be more upkeep, but the upkeep is much more simple, and I am still in touch with the wood. Poly puts a barrier between you and the wood. Poly is hard and pine is soft. I don't think the two are a good match.