raw steel treatments/clear coats

Gonna dredge this up as I did some linseed oiling yesterday.

I'd read some posts on various forums about techniques for using linseed oil and found a few people talking about putting heat into the mix, heating the piece before application and heating or 'smoking' it once the oil is on.

As usual with internet posts, everything was a bit vague so I've no idea if I've done it right or not...time will tell I guess though initial results seem pretty good.

I was doing a handlebar so easy enough to heat the whole thing at once. I used a mapp torch but a propane torch or maybe even an oven(?) could have done the job.

I warmed the bars to a point where they felt warm to the touch but definitely still handle-able then applied a generous coat of oil. It wasn't drippoing off the bars but they were pretty wet and shiny looking.

I then took the torch to them again which dried them and left a pretty dull, matte finish.

I repeated a few times as I wanted to be sure I got in all the nooks and crannies and covered everything adequetely.

By the time I'd torched and oiled and torched and oiled a few times the bars were pretty hot (I had clamped them in a vice) but I never actually observed any smoke, nor any real change in the colour of the oil/finish which was something I'd read would happen.

End result, matte greyish bars that are totally dry to the touch. I thought I might scratch the finish a bit mounting the bars but this did not happen. It doesn't feel like a finish on the metal rather something in it if you know what I mean? A few drops of rain I got on them yesterday seemed to bead up and roll off leaving no mark. I guess time will tell if corrosion forms or not. Will update with how they are holding up in a while.