Resin Hardness
Our linseed oil based varnish is abrasion resistant against a fingernail, but can be scratched with most metals, and disintegrates against high pH substances such as goat urine and even soap. Constant exposure to water also wears away our varnish quickly. A harder and more resistant surface would make the floor substantially more appealing and functional to our customers. However, our customers are the poorest people on earth, and therefore, any adaptation to the varnish must be affordable enough that we don’t need to increase the price for our customers too much. We would also like to know whether old flax oil has any difference in performance than fresh flax oil. This project could entail experimenting with adding hardeners and cross-linkers, different base oils, or a different manufacturing process.
