I’m finishing a project, and end table, with Danish oil — first time I’ve used it (and yes, I tried it on scraps first!). My question is this: how do you know when you’ve put a sufficient number of coats on?
For this project, after three coats (with light 800-grit sanding between), I’ve got a beautifully smooth, satiny surface that looks very even in tone and coverage. Can I stop? Should I add another coat? …five more coats?
In general, how do you know when you’re done?
It’s not that I don’t enjoy rubbing the oil on, followed by painstaking sanding of every surface after it’s cured, with special attention to all the joints — but…well, OK, I don’t really enjoy it 🙂 On the other hand, I don’t want to quit before it’s really done, if you know what I mean.
-M.
Replies
I think the old saying goes like this:once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and finally once each year. I have never gotten that good of a routine going. The most coats I ever did was about 20 on my wifes jewelry box in a period of about 2 weeks.
Chuck
Chuck that's the rule for old time linseed and tung oil finishes. Danish oil is not that type of oil. It's what is known as an oil/varnish mixture. Oil (usually a boiled linseed oil) and a varnish are mixed together with a mineral spirits thinner. This is the basis for things like Watco Danish Oil, Minwax Tung Oil Finish, etc. The can labels will tell you how to apply it.
Almost always, you apply the first coat heavily, let it set 20-30 minutes, then wipe it as dry as you can. Let it dry overnight and do it again. The second and third coat can be applied with a 4/0 steel wood or rubbed in with 400 grit W&D sandpaper, then wiped dry. This will give a smoother finish but many like the look and feel of the wood grain if you just apply it with a brush.
Most finishers would not recommend more than three coats. The finish is very soft because of the high amount of oil and applying too many coats can cause it to become gummy.
Once the two or three coats are applied, let them fully dry for 5-7 days. If you wish, you can apply a paste wax after 3-4 weeks of curing.
Thanks for the info. I really did put about 20 coats of Watco danish oil on the box I gave my wife. It was California Juniper (Arizona Cypress) that had been cut and dried for about 15 years. The soft wood sucked the oil up quickly. I spent more time on that one box than I ever did on any other. I told my wife it was too pretty for me to keep and she replied "it's mine".
I think I have the name right on the wood. It looks similiar to a big cedar. Here in North Central Texas they live to be 40 or 50 years old and then croak. The drought the last few years may have something to do with that too. The grain near the crotch of the limbs has really nice figure. I would post a picture, but my scanner died.
Chuck
Mark,
I'm definitely not a finish guru, but...
I'd say you're done. Unless you want to wait a few days for the finish to cure, and then buff it with a good wax. Danish oil hardens IN the wood, so I'd think that once it has soaked in as much as it's going to and hardens, you'd basically be spinning your wheels by adding more coats than you already have. Maybe some of the finish experts'll chime in here.
Now, I suppose you COULD wait a week or so and then apply a poly top coat, depending on how much use/abuse the table will see. But some, myself included, would consider that heresy...I'm not gonna go there...
Sounds like you're extremely pleased with the results you've gotten; might not want to mess w/it.
"Now, I suppose you COULD wait a week or so and then apply a poly top coat, depending on how much use/abuse the table will see. But some, myself included, would consider that heresy...I'm not gonna go there... "
Richard,
Wouldn't suggest you try that - the smooth-sanded oil finish won't have sufficient "tooth" for the poly to grab onto - I'm afraid it would delaminate rather badly.
If you want to use oil to make the grain "pop" and warm up the appearance of the wood, but plan on applying a surface film for wear resistance, I wouldn't apply more than one coat of the oil finish, with abrasive no finer than 220-grit, and I'd wait at least a week to apply the surface film.
If you've achieved long-term success applying poly over multiple coats of oil finish I'd like to hear about it.
PaulWhether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
Watco is not just an oil--it is an oil varnish mix. Should be no problem topcoating it with varnish.Gretchen
Mark,
I swear, trying to get an answer to that question is like pulling teeth...
I'm on my sixth coat of Watco and have decided I'll go with additional applications until the look when its wet is the look when its dry ( that is an arbitrary standard that I have selected for this piece). I could switch to something harder and get there quicker...but I'm trying to once and for all get an answer to your question...at least with Watco. Once cured I'll rub out and apply some Watco wax.
It will never look wet--it is a dull finish. You are 'way past done. If you want a moderate sheen you need to let this cure and then apply a topcoat of satin varnish.Gretchen
Gretchen,
I have applied 6 coats and it's looking pretty good....not shiney/shiney but a thin hard finish. I'm going to let it dry well and then decide if varnish or just some paste after a rub out. thanks
Thanks for the feedback!
Just due to my delay in reading, I've continued on with a fourth coat, but that will be the last. It's curing now.
How long would you all recommend I let the finish cure before the final rub out? A week? More?
I have to say that I really like the finish produced by the D.O. The brand I used this time was Deftoil "Clear Natural". I see that Watco has a broad line of D.O. finishes as well. Has anybody used both of them and formed any preference for one brand over other? Or are they equivalent?
-M.
I make kitchens in American white ash, and danish oil is my standard finish. Three coats is plenty.
John
The saying above (..."once a day...etc.") refers to finishing with linseed oil. I don't think you'd want to put on so many coat with Danish Oil, the difference being that the DO has varnish in it and is specifically designed to require fewer (far fewer) applications. Sounds to me like it's "done."
Next time, you might want to try a wet-sanding technique -- that way you get the sanding and application done at the same time. Just as much "enjoyment" in less time.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
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