I’m working with some curupay (Patagonian rosewoood is the name it was sold under) and I’ve discovered after applying my first coat of danish oil that the wood will darken to a rich red if left in the sun for two days.
Will I do any harm to the drying or curing process if I were to leave it on a rack out in the sun?
Replies
Most Danish oil is thinned varnish. It should be fine, but do a sample board. Worst case, you can let it cure for a couple days in the shop, and then put it in the sun. That's what I do sometimes with cherry.
I would not put it outside if it was still wet and sticky, but just because you don't want pollen/leaves/dust/bugs getting trapped in the wet finish.
I recently finished a piece with Tried and True partially polymerized linseed oil. After letting the oil surface sit for a few hours, I wiped off the excess oil three times over to make sure no excess oil on it. Since it was cherry, I let it sunbath to darken it. Did this a total of five times (oil application, wipe down, sun bath). It came out really nice with deep colors in the cherry. Should work well for you.
That’s a very sweet table. Is the black inlay ebony?
Thanks. Black ebony and the white is highly figured maple.
I've done a bunch of finishing outdoors . Too much direct sun on a wet surface can cause the finish to bubble, either because the surface becomes too hot or possibly from trapped air expansion in the grain. Dust can be a problem depending on where you are, wind conditions,time of year etc. but dust can also be a problem in the shop if you dont have a designated finishing area or change your clothes before you start finishing . Where's that dust coming from? Oh, me!
Somehow there is always a bug ,the woodworking muses must send it to guarantee that you don't achieve perfection. The biggest problem one might have with attempting to darken the wood with sunlight is getting it even across or around the whole piece. Depending on the direction and the angle of the sun ,time of year,some parts will get more sun than others, some of the piece may shade other parts causing an uneven appearance. I prefer a bit of shade and north light. I will erect a tarp or even a tent ,I have one for that purpose , but then I'm not trying to darken the wood but for other reasons decide that maybe I should be doing my finishing in the fresh air, like maybe I shouldn't gas the house guests!
I actually rotated the piece reasonably often to avoid sun tan lines. There was one spot on a drawer under a runner that didn't get sun. Left it that way on purpose just to see how much things drarkened. Was considerable difference with just a few days (4 to 6 if I were to guess total) of sun exposure.
Be careful and read the label. A lot of Danish oils have a lot of Tung oil in them. Tung oil will turn silver if exposed to UV before it is cured.