Thread: Danish Oil cure time?

There is a basic trick with danish oil and that is thin coats dry in 24 hours but if you leave it thick it's a sticky mess for a long long time. Things also vary with how warm it is and humidity. First coat I put on with a brush and let that soak into the wood and repeat a few minutes after as the wood soaks it up. Give that about 10 mins then wipe off with a clean rag. Next day a light sand then wipe on another light coat with a rag. Follow that sand and coat each day until happy. It does have to feel dry and not sticky each time before the next coat. If it stays sticky for days and days on end then best to wipe off with turps and start again. After all the coats you want then leave about a week to really harden before polishing with wax. Rags need to be soaked in water after applications as they can self combust. The instructions on the can are a basic guide but keeping the coats light by almost wiping most of it off again is the knack of it with oil finishes.
Regards
John

Thanks John, this is a very informative post you have made. Fortunately, I have done much the same method of application ( WHEW !!) but tend to overdo the sanding before each new coat. What grit do you use?
I have often wondered about wiping it all off after a few minutes, but it seems to work. First coat I actually keep applying oil by brush for about 5 minutes, then give it another 5 minutes then wipe it all off. It tends to get sticky very quickly here in the tropics, hence the shorter time.

After all the coats you want then leave about a week to really harden before polishing with wax

That is the information I was really after, thanks for that. Why do you feel the need to apply wax? I have found the final coat of oil to be nice and silky smooth with a nice low level sheen, especially if I use 0000 steel wool to apply the final coat very thinly.

Thanks again, I appreciate you sharing your experience.

It sounds like you might have applied a little too thick. When I was applying coats of Danish Oil I would normally wait until the next day before applying another coat. It would be dry by the time that I came to do the next coat.

I also wipe off after applying the first coat and wait until the next day before applying the next. I haven't done more than 2 coats on furniture and I find the need for wax varies depending on the timber. I wax after a week or more drying. On softish timber the unwaxed surface seems to continue to dry or soak in and I lose the original buffed sheen that stays longer on a waxed surface and I think gives a somewhat deeper patina. On the other hand I have a Brushbox cabinet that is quite a few years old and the unwaxed finish on that still looks pretty much the same as when it was originally applied.

But why do you wax after applying the Danish Oil? What are the benefits of doing that? I imagine wax would show up finger prints and also need regular maintenance

I think wax gives a different patina with more depth than straight oiled timber. I guess I would describe it as a warmer look. I use Paste or Carnuba wax, often recommended for flooring. It is hard wearing and somewhat water resistant. I've use it on my dining table that is used daily and we haven't got a water glass mark yet, I rewax maybe once a year, more on the basis that I think it probably needs attention rather than it looking like it needs attention.

Here are some pics of the some furniture made with the same timber, both finished with Danish Oil, one waxed the other not.
waxed2.jpgwaxed.jpg

unwaxed2.jpgunwaxed.jpg

ahhhh... thanks for going to this trouble, Franklin, I see what you mean. I will give the waxing a go, after leaving the item for a week to cure. I was thinking of using the UBeaut Traditional Wax