sbarton22 Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 I turned a small bowl out of mahogany. To finish it, I wanted a penetrating oil before I buffed it. Upon further review, I'm not sure how successful my decision was. My mentor said that's how he finished his, so I went right along. I understand that danish oil will cure in the wood and strengthen the final product. I also know that most oils will add a warm tone and generally pop the wood grain. The reason I started to question it was because no matter how much I flooded the surface, the mahogany just sucked it right up. I must have 6-8 coats on a thin bowl (less than 1/4" thick). (FYI, I would flood the surface for 30+ minutes and wiped off any excess and let dry for 18-24 hours). I guess I am expecting the wood to stop absorbing it at some point and, more or less, begin to seal the surface. Maybe I am thinking incorrectly about what the danish oil is actually going to do?? Should I be simply looking for the oil to imbue a warmth on the wood and cure inside the wood, but my buffing is going to do the final aesthetic work? I feel like I am missing something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewoodwhisperer Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 Honestly, if you want a film, try a couple coats of a wiping poly. Danish oil is an oil/varnish blend and can be used to build a light film. But it sounds like your wood is particularly "thirsty" and it isn't giving you the opportunity to build one. So I say give it a day or two to cure and then wipe on a couple light coats of Minwax Wiping Poly or Arm-R-Seal. That should give you the aesthetic you are going for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbarton22 Posted January 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 Thanks for the advice. Was I correct in my initial assumption of what the danish oil should have been doing...warming the color, popping the grain, and stregnthing the bowl from the inside out? A light film is about all I really wanted at the most I just used the Arm-R-Seal for the first time on an a Xmas present and I REALLY, REALLY liked the result. I might try that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewoodwhisperer Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 danish oil will do those things but so will wiping varnish. unless i want a low-lustre natural looking finish, i just go with the wiping poly. much simpler and faster. (null) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbarton22 Posted January 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 I stand corrected. I was using the GF High Performance water based poly and it dries clear. I specifically bought it because it dries clear. I wasn't remembering that a regular poly will imbue the wood with a warm color as well. Ok, now I think about how to finish this next piece. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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