Danish oil application

[Tiger]

I"d like to go for a hi-gloss danish oil application on an laminated blackwood and Tas Oak platter. Is there an optimal way of applying this so that it works properly? Interested in knowing how many coats etc.

[RETIRED]

You won't get a really "high gloss" finish with DO. It is about 60-70%,

That is after a few coats over a few days,

If Tim the Timber Turner sees this, he is the expert and will probably reply.

[blackwoods]

I used EEE over a few coats of Danish Oil on a Blackwood piece and the gloss was very good. I used the U-Beaut instructions found in Neil's Handbook.

[rsser]

Feast Watson Scandinavian Oil finishes with the highest gloss out of three oil mixes that I've used. At a guess that's because it has a higher proportion of resins.

The gloss level can be lifted by increasing the number of coats and maybe finishing up with ubeaut Trad Wax and some buffing.

The result I would describe as 'gloss' but not high gloss.

[TTIT]

Feast Watson Scandinavian Oil finishes with the highest gloss out of three oil mixes that I've used. At a guess that's because it has a higher proportion of resins.

The gloss level can be lifted by increasing the number of coats and maybe finishing up with ubeaut Trad Wax and some buffing.

The result I would describe as 'gloss' but not high gloss.Just happens to be my oil of choice Ern. I thought the extra gloss might be from the dash of polyurethane they've got in it - or is that the resins you speak of :? - - -or are all oils polyurethanes - - crikey :2tsup: - - I've given meself a headache now :C

[rsser]

Yes, by resins I meant poly or similar.

[Allen Neighbors]

I put a piece in a bucket filled with Danish Oil, weighted down, and leave it over night. I take it out in the morning, and let it drip dry, then wipe it off with paper towels. That evening, I go over it with 0000 steel wool, and put it back into the bucket. The next morning I take it out and let it drip dry, then wipe it off with paper towels. That evening....
I repeat those actions until it's spent at least 4 nights in the DO, then allow it to sit on a shelf for at least a week, so it gets it's chance to polymerize. Then I go over it again with 0000.
Then I buff it with Tripoli, White Diamond, and Carnauba. I get a really nice, high gloss. Not quite as glossy as with pure Lacquer, but a very high gloss, nevertheless.
The more coats of Danish you put on it, the higher the gloss will be. It will also make the grain really "pop" more than clear lacquer.

[rsser]

Hmm, thorough, but expensive downunder for the oil in sufficient quantity.

Tiger, IIRC I put 3 coats of FW SO on a blackwood platter. If your Tassie Oak is open grained you may need more.

It goes without saying that the degree of gloss is affected by other factors as well such as how fine you sand to or whether you wet sand to fill the grain. I've no idea how wet sanding goes with any oil other than Organoil Hard Burnishing oil. Of course the more 'solids' in the product itself the more readily it'll fill an open grain.

[brendan stemp]

I think the finish one gets with D/O depends on the wood. Hard close grained timbers build up a good finish quite quickly whereas softer timbers will need more coats. As for the gloss level; I once put about 8 coats on a red gum bowl and would liken the finish to that which I get with a semi-gloss lacquer.

For my first coat I have been known to use wet and dry sandpaper to sand the wet oil on the wood which creates a slurry of wood dust and oil. This helps to fill the pores of the wood and builds the sheen quicker.

Another tip is to buff the piece when you have let your final coat dry sufficiently to get hard. THis can be up to 48 hours later. A tip from Tim Skilton is to use a lambs wool buffing pad because the cotton ones are too hard and can strip the coatings back. I use a U Beaut swansdown mop which works well.

[Allen Neighbors]

Hmm, thorough, but expensive downunder for the oil in sufficient quantity.

Tiger, IIRC I put 3 coats of FW SO on a blackwood platter. If your Tassie Oak is open grained you may need more.

It goes without saying that the degree of gloss is affected by other factors as well such as how fine you sand to or whether you wet sand to fill the grain. I've no idea how wet sanding goes with any oil other than Organoil Hard Burnishing oil. Of course the more 'solids' in the product itself the more readily it'll fill an open grain.

Yer right, there. I bought 8 or 9 pints on sale at the borg for $5 ea. I think they're going to something water based... darned EPA... has ruined a lot of good things...:((
Then I made the mistake of asking the manager of a building center here in town, if he could order some Watco Danish Oil for me. He said he thought so, and the next thing I knew, he called and said my Oil had come in. I went to pick it up and there were eight quarts of it, IIRC. :oo: He had to order two gallons of it to get it. I bought them all for 10.98 per. So I've got a pretty nice stock of it for now. Don't know what I'll do when I run out. By then they may have discontinued it... I don't know.

And yer also right about the wet sanding... I try to do that with the oil, if the piece has open pores. Using DO to wet sand surely makes a difference.

Isn't Organoil about the same thing?

[rsser]

We pay something like 10.98 per 10 fl oz for Rustins DO.

Yeah Organoil hard burnishing oil is meant to be wet sanded. No mention on their DO which dries flat as a pancake.

Yes to buffing with a lambswool bonnet on a 5" sanding disc and to raise the lustre use it with a very thin layer of wax else you get build-up.

[Allen Neighbors]

We pay something like 10.98 per 10 fl oz for Rustins DO.



Holy Mackerel !! :oo: That' over a buck an ounce!! Wonder why it's so costly down under....:?

[46150]

Ern, in your post above you mention "the three"....what was that referring to....DO,Scandinavian Oil,and.....? Regards.......AL

[Willy Nelson]

Is my main finish these days. I buy mine from 22 Services (in WA) for a litre of Smart Coatings for approx $11. This coats quite a few bowls and burl platters.

I sand to 600 grit, then seal with cellulose sealer cut 40/60 with thinners, then cut back with abrasive mesh, recoat and then final cut back with white abrasive. I then apply the Danish Oil with 000 steel wool and buff off the excess. I generally give all my items 10 coats of Danish oil
Regards
Willy
Jarrahland


We pay something like 10.98 per 10 fl oz for Rustins DO.

Yeah Organoil hard burnishing oil is meant to be wet sanded. No mention on their DO which dries flat as a pancake.

Yes to buffing with a lambswool bonnet on a 5" sanding disc and to raise the lustre use it with a very thin layer of wax else you get build-up.

[Manuka Jock]

We pay something like 10.98 per 10 fl oz for Rustins DO.


'struth, thats cheap , we pay twice that :~

[Claw Hama]

I mix my own danish and adjust the mix depending on the timber or the finish I want. Sam Maloof always used a 1/3 of each mix, Polyurethane, Tung oil and boiled linseed. My standard mix is this with (for a litre) 60ml of terabine added to realy set it. On a first coat I sometimes add some turps to make it thiner so it soaks right in. The more poly you add the more it will sit on the surface and give a thicker look with higher gloss. Lots of combinations. And as said above it depends a lot on the timber/grain, open or close. The leaf table in "the Leaf" thread has my standard mix on it (2coats at the moment).

[rsser]

Ern, in your post above you mention "the three"....what was that referring to....DO,Scandinavian Oil,and.....? Regards.......AL

Organoil DO, Rustins DO, and the FW SO.

[rsser]

PS A gloss or high gloss finish is IMO a waste of a bit of figured wood cos mostly what you see is reflections, not the figure.

[Claw Hama]

exactly Ern, deep petina and low lustre is the look, bubble gum gloss is old hat

[rsser]

And Tiger's item is a platter presumably for use rather than decoration and that will show every scratch with a high gloss finish.

There ya go Tiger; we've solved your problem ;-}

[Manuka Jock]

PS A gloss or high gloss finish is IMO a waste of a bit of figured wood cos mostly what you see is reflections, not the figure.
Yep , I agree

[Tiger]

Thanks to Ern and others. There's more to Danish Oil than meets the eye!

On the high gloss issue I have seen some impressive work but it is very well applied and I haven't reached that stage yet. Bit worried about the scratches showing through with the high gloss, don't you keep sanding until there are no more scratches?

[Manuka Jock]

Thanks to Ern and others. There's more to Danish Oil than meets the eye!

On the high gloss issue I have seen some impressive work but it is very well applied and I haven't reached that stage yet. Bit worried about the scratches showing through with the high gloss, don't you keep sanding until there are no more scratches?

Yes .
The higher/deeper the gloss finish , the more the scratches 'magnify'
Work through the grades , the finer the better.

[Rattrap]

How long roughly do these type of oil finishes & in particular the home custom finishes such as the Maloof mix last in liquid form in the jar once mixed up?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I don't mix my own Danish, preferring to use either Rustin's or 100% pure Tung Oil. But either way, I've found there's only one way to get a real gloss finish with em.

"One coat a day for a week. One coat a week for a month. One coat a month for a year..."

And I'm not being as tongue in cheek as some may suspect. :;

[rsser]

That's an oldie and a goodie Skew but I'd say that the advent of driers and resins in commercial products has thankfully made it redundant.

Rattrap, the Organoil DO is said not to go off in the tin. My FW SO has been open for a couple of years and is still usable; the last Rustins however has started to get sticky only after a few months (which is shorter than usual). If the product has driers and there's air in the tin ..... Folk have posted here about using a concertina jar as for photo chemicals to reduce the air inside, or topping up with marbles. My approach is to buy in small quantities.

As for dealing with scratches in a gloss finish, I don't regard them as repairable. However the big plus about oil finishes as that you can whack the item back on the lathe, sand back and redo the whole thing.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

That's an oldie and a goodie Skew but I'd say that the advent of driers and resins in commercial products has thankfully made it redundant.

I wouldn't go so far as to say "redundant."

The driers, etc. have made it possible to get an acceptable finish with minimum coats, which many people will settle for.

However, if they follow the "one coat per..." method the end result is still superior. Even if only marginally and it takes one of us more anal folk to pick the difference. :D

Purely IMHO, of course.

[rsser]

I meant the frequency.

With fresh Rustins you could easily get to the max build say one coat every two days ... averaging winter and summer temps.

[Claw Hama]

With my home brews I usually only mix enough to do the job I'm doing. Sometimes I will mix 500ml other times a litre. But I also use it all the time so it doesn't get a chance to go off. A large batch would be lucky to last a month and I've used it all.