Your approach of scraping off the old paint and cleaning the cracks is a meticulous but effective way to prepare the surface for repainting. The linseed oil paint is known for its durability and can be quite challenging to remove once fully cured, but it seems you've found a good technique with the linseed oil application to bind the dust.

I appreciate your detailed description of the process and the challenges you've encountered. Home improvement projects like this can be satisfying as you see the transformation unfold. Best of luck with the rest of your project, and I hope the final results meet your expectations!