Danish oil nightmare

[drzaius]

 

14 hours ago, Denette said:

What, if anything, could be done to speed the evaporation and polymerization phases?

Tent it with cardboard, poly, blankets, whatever & put a heater & a fan under there. Make sure you do this safely though. If you raise the temp to 120 or so & keep the air moving, it'll probably cut the curing time by 75% or more. I've used this with finishes that take 48 hours to cure & had them done in 5 or 6 hours. Too long in that kind of environment may cause wood movement issues though.

Even so, you're still going to have a turd there. And even 30 heavy coats of poly aren't going to help out with the fact that it's pine. It'll still damage very easily & that heavy coating will just crack & peel around each dent.

[Eric.]

Buttered Lemon Olivewood

[BonPacific]

Embrace the pine. If you're using it, you need to treat it like it is, an extremely soft, light-colored wood. Danish oil does impart a nice color to pine, but it's not going to darken that much, and if you build too high with it, you are very likely to end up with spots that remain sticky-tacky forever. Give it two coats at most, wait for it to cure (smell test) and top it with a film finish (probably poly). When you deliver the piece, include a spare can of whatever film finish you used, and explain that it will have to be re-coated every year at least, to seal the dents.

Modern pine furniture is expensive to maintain, there's no way around that.

[estesbubba]

3 hours ago, Eric. said:

Nope.  That was BLO.

And BLO sucks even more than DO! At least DO is good for a bench but BLO is good for nothing - unless you like muddied grain. 

[xxdabroxx]

I like BLO for tool handles. 

[Eric.]

BLO on walnut is about as naturally beautiful as it gets. No protection but beautiful.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Denette]

BLO is what Marc used for his Not-So-Rustic Outdoor Table.  It's a nice gentle outdoor finish.

[Denette]

Just an update, I've had a fan on the piece for 24 hours and it's now dry to the touch.  Thanks for the tip!

[Spandi]

I have a danish oil question.  I used tried and true danish oil on a walnut mantle.   I ve applied 3 coats to the side and bottom(24 hrs between) and 2 coats on the face and top(48 hrs apart).  For some reason the top is gummy/crystalized.  I noticed it when i was wiping.  Its finish when i wipe in one direction and whitish when i wipe in the oposite.  It did this on the first coat also but i didnt think it was a problem.  What can i do??

 

[wtnhighlander]

@spandi was there any previuos finish or color treatment applied to the wood?

[Spandi]

Nothing.  Bare walnut

[wtnhighlander]

Was the surface clean and new, or is this an older piece being restored?

[Spandi]

It is a new project.  It was sanded and wiped down

[JohnG]

1 minute ago, Spandi said:

It was sanded and wiped down

What was it wiped down with? And how long before applying the danish oil to the top side?

[Spandi]

I wiped down the entire matle wirh a clothe and vacuumed it and coated the entire mantle at the same time

[wtnhighlander]

Is the mantle installed? Perhaps exposed to some contaminant from the environment?

[Spandi]

I havent installed it yet.  I was going to install in tomorrow and do a final coat on the face and top

[Spandi]

I need to screw it on and plug it so i wanted to finish the top and face after that

[Coop]

Probably not a good idea to install it until you get the problem resolved, obviously. 

[Spandi]

Yes...i agree...any suggestions?   It only appears when i wipe in one direction.  Its like its coming out of the flecks.  Not sure if the top just needs more time to cure...does it need a good buff?

[Bmac]

I'd buff the heck out of it, maybe multiple times and reevaluate to see if you should finish with something else, like a hardwax finish.

I've used that finish a couple of times and I can't say it is a favorite of mine. The first time I used it was on my oak workbench and it seemed to not dry correctly. I didn't see flake or white crystals but I did have the wood seemingly "sweat" out oil. In hindsight I think I applied to much and did not wipe down adequately. The problem resolved itself after I vigorously wiped the bench down a few days straight. Since it is a workbench I was fine with the result in the end but frustrated with the product. Since my first use, I've used it on a few smell things, mainly boxes and such, I've been very specific with wiping of the piece after I applied and let it sit. I've wiped vigorously and left no excess residue between coats and that has helped tremendously with this finish. Still is not my favorite, only use it occasionally, mainly because I bought it and I am trying to use it up. 

[wtnhighlander]

One thing I've done with danish oil is to sand it in. Flood the surface, the go over it with 400+ grit wet/dry paper to form a slurry that helps fill pores. Then do as @Bmac suggested, and aggressively wipe away any residue. Danish oil is a slow curing finish, and under some circumstances, 48 hours may not be enough. To be certain, let it cure until the smell is gone.

[Spandi]

Thank you for the feedback.  I did check this morning and it was not as bad.   I think its taking a while to cure in the flecks.  The rest of it is has less flex so i am assuming thats why the top is taking longer.  I will give it a couple more days before i install.  One other question for you....do you add paste wax after the danish oil?

[Bmac]

I would think that should not be a problem, but it has to be fully cured. I went to their website and the instructions don't say anything about a wax topcoat. Looking at the directions it's clear the problem I had was I applied too much and didn't wipe it down enough. It says specifically on their site you need to briskly rub down after application until the surface is completely dry. My guess this was your issue also.

Here's the instructions for Tried and True Danish Oil (from their website);

Danish Oil

A superior penetrating linseed oil finish that is polymerized for fast and easy application on interior woodwork and furniture. It is also ideal for wood paneling, cabinets, salad bowls, wood utensils, butcher blocks and surfaces that come in contact with food. Danish Oil Finish is commonly used by woodworking professionals for application to bare wood or overtop an already-stained piece. Danish Oil will darken the wood slightly and can be combined with oil-based pigments to create wood stains.

Danish Oil Application Instructions

For all INTERIOR woodworking

• Apply a very thin coat across entire piece with a lint-free cloth at room temperature. DO NOT USE A BRUSH! A dry to wet color change in the wood should occur, but at no point should there be any puddling. A little bit of finish will go a long way!
• Allow Danish Oil to penetrate the wood for a minimum of 5 minutes.
• Rub in briskly with a lint-free cloth until the surface is completely dry. DO THIS BEFORE YOU LET THE PIECE CURE! Drying/curing issues will occur if this step is ignored! If little or no residue comes up on the clean cloth during this step, then you have used the correct amount of finish.
• Allow the piece to cure for a minimum of 8 hours.
• Burnish with a soft cloth or 0000 steel wool BEFORE EVERY COAT (even the first and last.) The more you rub the surface, the better the sheen will look.
• Additional coats will deepen the sheen and increase protection.
• Care & Maintenance: Use a shammy cloth to polish any dull areas. Clean surface using Murphy’s Oil Soap or other wood safe cleaners.
• To repair any scratches, nicks, or water marks: Use 0000 grade steel wool to buff out as much of the affected area as possible. Then, use a lint-free cloth to apply a small amount of the Danish Oil to the damage wood. Follow the normal recommended application directions. For watermarks — if damage is severe, sand water mark away using fine grit sand paper until it is smooth and even with the surrounding surface. Reapply the Danish Oil to the water mark by following the normal recommended application directions. Remember to always protect the wood surface using coasters or anti-scalding devices.

.

[Spandi]

Thats great thank you.  I think you are right i must have put it on too thick on the top.  I will let it cure a couple more days and keep buffing it.  Thank you for all your input and the info.  Its nice to have feedback...im pretty new at using Danish oil.