Hello all,
New here and to woodworking but having a great time! I have a client that gave me a can of Varathane Flecto Danish Oil Finish 703 Dark walnut to finish some stereo receiver cases. The test of the walnut veneer worked well. The can looks old but the oil is still good which is a bit of a mystery in itself.
Bit worried that I may run out and I can find no information on this specific product. I am guessing that Watco is the new Flecto? If I need to buy more will Watco match?
Any help is appreciated.
Cheers,
Graham
Replies
I would not mix finishes in the middle of a product. Not for anything.
Many of the finishes that call themselves Danish Oil have little or no oil in it. Most are some kind of varnish. Don't trust the name of the product.
I would tell your client that there is not enough product to do the whole job and ask him/her to provide a new can of Watco or other brand of danish that you have confidence in. You will be on the hook for redoing the project if the finish fails. Or, at best, you will likely lose his/her buisness. Don't mix them or change partway through.
If flecto is watco then it's as old as the hills! Watco Danish Oil Finish has been around a long, long time. I would think that its a whole other brand. Danish Oil is a good amateur finish, almost anyone can a decent result even if they don't have a clue! And it's fast!
The keyword here is " finish". Any of the oils sold if they say "finish" as part of the name means that the oil has been polymerized,has drying agents etc. and as someone mentioned is a varnish. Watco's does go off and I think recently reformulated to meet voc standards -maybe. My newest can turned to mud, less than a year, and the older cans were still good. I write a date on all the paints, glues, stains, varnishes etc when I buy it. If it gets old I toss it or maybe use it on something like a wheelbarrow handle. I'd buy new and a good rule of thumb is figure out what works for you in doing finishes. Finishing is chemistry and when it goes south on you can ruin a project.. Everyone has opinions about products and technics ,they have favorites, from everyones personal perspective they are right and i tend to think probably in most cases dealing with experienced people they all are but the choices are endless...listen to advise but work it out on your own. Different situations require different solutions. Never ,ever allow a client to dictate how you do it! Shiny ,not shiny, dark,light that's all they get!
Great advice and I very much agree about listening but figuring out yourself. The common thread to all the great responses so far is get rid of it and use something that has not expired. I did do a test piece about 6"x4" and it turned out well. But I am still reluctant to use such an old product and one I can find no information on or get more of. Personally I prefer PolyX but the client wants more traditional. So off to get some new Watco. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and ideas!
Just for the sake of science, put some on a piece of glass and see how long it takes to cure, and if it cures like an oil or a varnish.
Flecto is outdoor Danish oil.
Like a Spar type of poly.
It's meant not to crack