Kalep Posted July 25, 2024 Report Posted July 25, 2024 Hi. I’m working on a hand carved sign wedding gift and am having finishing issues with Danish oil. Highly figured western maple. Sanded to 220, applied 3 coats of Danish oil (flood first, 2 thinner coats), am letting it dry for several days before applying dewaxed shellac. Tried shellac for the first time on the back (non carved) side and it looks great. Actual show side has developed gray blotchy spots. Looks terrible. Seems like getting worse as days go by. Not sure if I can upload photos here… Any ideas on what to do on the blotchy side? Wet sand with thin coat of Danish oil? I’d hate to have to wait another week for oil to dry before I can try to apply shellac. Thanks Ken Quote 1 Quote
wtnhighlander Posted July 25, 2024 Report Posted July 25, 2024 Go reply to a couple other posts, that will earn you the privilege to attach photos. My experience with Danish oil is somewhat limited, but as I recall, it cures rather slowly. My guess is that the oil wasn't fully cured. Good news is that unless you used tinted Danish oil, you should be able to wet sand with mineral spirits, and may not need to add any more oil. 1 Quote
Kalep Posted July 25, 2024 Author Report Posted July 25, 2024 Thanks. I will try to sand and put on a coat of shellac and see. Much appreciated. Quote
gee-dub Posted July 25, 2024 Report Posted July 25, 2024 What is the brand or shop-blend ratio of the oil please? there are oils that take many days or even weeks to fully cure before a topcoat can be applied. Your problems began once both surfaces were sealed, which is what triggered that suspicion. Quote
Chet Posted July 25, 2024 Report Posted July 25, 2024 On 7/25/2024 at 9:02 AM, gee-dub said: there are oils that take many days or even weeks to fully cure before a topcoat can be applied. This can be a real challenge, making sure the danish oil is cured properly. I used Watco danish oil on a dining table to mach it with some chairs we had for it. it sat in the shop for about 8 days and I sprayed the top coat and got an orange peal texture that I had to sand back down. Fortunately it was the underside. I let the whole project sit for another week. That was in California, I would imagine in someplace with humidity it would take even longer. Quote
Kalep Posted July 25, 2024 Author Report Posted July 25, 2024 Thanks all. The oil has been on for about a week. I’m in the northeast, so definitely plenty of humidity. It was Watco Danish oil. Note that the graying/blotchiness is happening with just the oil being applied (nothing on top of the oil yet). The graying didn’t happen on the back side, so I went ahead and applied shellac and it looks fine. Quote
gee-dub Posted July 25, 2024 Report Posted July 25, 2024 On 7/25/2024 at 10:07 AM, Kalep said: Note that the graying/blotchiness is happening with just the oil being applied (nothing on top of the oil yet). The graying didn’t happen on the back side, so I went ahead and applied shellac and it looks fine. Thanks for clarifying that Kalep. I misunderstood or was in a hurry. Sorry about that. The blotching I get because that is just a challenge with some woods and oils. The discoloration has me stumped. Hopefully you will be able to post pics soon. I know that when I am asking questions it seems like no matter how specific I try to be . . . when I post a picture people go "Oh, now I see what you are talking about" Quote
wtnhighlander Posted July 25, 2024 Report Posted July 25, 2024 I read into the original post, that you had already applied shellac, and then the blotches appeared. Pics will surely help,as soon as you can add some. FWIW, I have a box finished with Watco Danish oil. Sanded to 320 before first application, and wet-sanded each subsequent application with 600 grit before wiping back the excess. 24 to 36 hours between coats, 6 coats total, and let it sit for a week before use. The think still feels like a stick of butter in my hands...smoooth. 1 Quote
Popular Post Kalep Posted August 1, 2024 Author Popular Post Report Posted August 1, 2024 Thanks for the insight, all. I was able to sand a bit, then apply the shellac. Still a bit of cloudiness, but much better now. Good enough. 3 Quote
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