# Does Danish oil.....



## dicktimber (11 Sep 2009)

realy turn yellow when applied as a finish?
I have given up on spray finishing, and am back to the easy to apply Danish.
Will I still be alive when the furniture I have already made goes yellow??
Is there an alternative I can apply with a cloth? (excluding wax)

Mike


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## wizer (11 Sep 2009)

Osmo Poly X Hard Wax Oil. (Clear Matt)


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## dicktimber (11 Sep 2009)

wizer
Is it that good?
I know you are a fan of it.
Will it apply with a cloth?
Mike


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## wizer (11 Sep 2009)

Yes, you can put it on with a cloth. For larger areas I use a brush, but cloth is fine. Leave it on for 5-10mins and then wipe it off. 

It's better than Danish oil in that it's clearer and harder wearing. I'm a fan.


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## Boz62 (12 Sep 2009)

I agree with Wizer on this. I use the equivalent Fiddes Hard Wax Oil and find it very easy to use and a good finish. 

Boz


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## Steve Maskery (12 Sep 2009)

Yes, the Hard Wax Oils make Danish obsolete - much better colour characteristics.

Cheers
Steve


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## seanybaby (12 Sep 2009)

With the Osmo it's really quite a matt finish. Is it possible to get more of a sheen?


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## Steve Maskery (12 Sep 2009)

Osmi is available in Satin, too. It's a nice sheen, not a high gloss.
S


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## Boz62 (12 Sep 2009)

I've only used the Fiddes in Clear Satin as well. You can then buff it if you need it less sheeny and/or wax it if required. 

Boz


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## MIGNAL (12 Sep 2009)

Is it really harder wearing? As far as I know most Danish Oil contains some type of resin - probably some type of synthetic resin. I'd be surprised if a wax based finish turned out to be harder wearing. I suppose a lot depends on the respective final film thickness.
The fact that a finish such as Danish Oil gives a yellow cast is only a disadvantage if you don't require that cast. On certain timbers such as Maple I can see it as being a distinct advantage.


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## Derek Willis. (12 Sep 2009)

Do you have to use Danish Oil?
What's wrong with Rustin's Plastic Coating?
Derek.


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## wizer (12 Sep 2009)

Osmo _feels _harder when finished, somehow. I've found you can build up the sheen with more coats but will try the silk version next time.


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## dicktimber (12 Sep 2009)

Derek
Can you tell us a bit more about it please
Why you use it, what on.
Has it to be brushed, or can you use a rag.
Is the gloss finish like glass?
I am always afraid of spoiling a piece by applying a finish with a brush and ending up with brush marks, or runs.
I am sure Danish oil took off because of it's low price and ease of use.
The problem is that some of these new finishes at £20 plus a pop you want to make sure what you are buying works.
I have enough tins of paint that the wife thought was a good colour to paint the living room wall!!!!

Just to throw another spanner in the works has anyone tried 'Finney's special polish', which he says the best on the market to finish wood with?

Mike

Mike


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## MIGNAL (13 Sep 2009)

An absolute ridiculous claim. So what exactly makes it the best? and why?
From a brief look at Finney's it appears that it's just a type of Shellac. No big deal.
Your choice of finish ultimately depends on a number of factors: Wear/toughness, water/heat resistance (if needed). colour, ease of application, gloss (or not) and aesthetics. 
i've done a decent amount of French polishing. I've also done side by side comparisons with French Polish and an oil Varnish. I prefer the oil varnish because IMO it produces a superior effect on the grain of the wood. The colours seem to be more vibrant and the grain 'lively'. That's all because it's index of refraction is close to that of wood. French polish produces the greater feeling of 'depth'. That doesn't make an oil varnish superior in a general sense, it simply means that I think it's superior in the way it displays the natural grain of the wood. If I wanted a finish that was easy to retouch then Wax or French polish is way ahead of an oil varnish.


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## yetloh (13 Sep 2009)

I have to agreee with Mignal's general sentiments about finishes. No one finish is right for everything and personal taste is valid.

I must, though, take issue with Steve about Polyx making Danish obsolete. It may be tougher but it lacks the clarity of Danish and takes the edge off the "life" and "depth" which Mignal clearly agrees are such vital elements of the appeal of wood.

Jim


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## Steve Maskery (13 Sep 2009)

Do you think so, Jim?
Next time I do some finishing (I've got SWMBO nagging for some more big picture frames) I'll do a comparative sample and see if I agree with you 

S


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## EdK (14 Sep 2009)

How do tung or boiled linseed compare to Danish ? Is Danish a composite of these two (or one of them) oils ? What does 'Danish' actually consist of ?

I've used tung extensively but haven't used boiled linseed.

I've heard that the drying time of tung can be improved with the addition of boiled linseed.

I'm sure each oil has different tones so perhaps you could blend a tone to suit ?

Have yet to try Fiddes / Osmo as hard to get shipped over here... (Ax. will ship some liquids/waxes but not others... guess it depends on flamability - but it's a pita really...)
Ed


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## MIGNAL (14 Sep 2009)

Danish will probably vary dependent on who manufactures the stuff. My understanding is that it is an oil Varnish ie. some type of drying oil with synthetic resin added. Copious amounts of solvents are added to get the water like consistency.
Pure Tung oil and Linseed are just what their names suggest. They are drying oils but without any added resins. 
It's the resins that impart toughness and resist wear in the finished film. The higher the resin content the harder/tougher the film becomes.


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## dicktimber (14 Sep 2009)

Mignal
When you talk about oil varnish, I presume you do mean Danish oil?

Your reply about depth and refracted light was an very interesting observation and one I had never considered.
How long does it take Danish oil to yellow, as this would I presume affect the depth and refracted light characteristics?
Infact would I notice, or would a friend walk in the room and go,'Crikey that's yellow mate, you must have used Danish oil!!!!'
Or are we really splitting hairs here?

As a side question can I ask which oil varnish you would recommend?
I have always used the cheapest I could find, and being a 'bit thick', had not thought that there could be a quality vrs price issue?

I have ordered a sample osmo to try which I will report back on.

Very interesting subject IMO?
Thanks

Mike


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## MIGNAL (14 Sep 2009)

I think that Danish Oil is a certain type of oil varnish - of which there are a huge variety. Old style Oil varnishes usually consisted of one of the drying oils (eg. Linseed, Walnut) cooked at high temperature with one of the natural resins such as pine resin, gum mastic, dammar etc. Usually applied by brush and to a much thicker consistency than Danish oil. These types are hard to come by now and are little used except by violin makers (who really do obsess about them) and other specialist finishers. The modern equivalent is oil based Alkyd varnishes. Danish Oil is probably based on such but with a very high solvent content that allows you to wipe on wipe off. The final film thickness of Danish is very, very thin - usually because it's applied in 2 or 3 coats. There's nothing to stop someone applying 15 coats or more - in which case the film will be much thicker and it can then be polished to a high gloss - not unlike a French Polished surface.
Linseed or pure Tung oil (nothing added) is what I term an 'oil finish' ie. does not contain a resin.
Any oil varnish/finish will display some Yellowing on light coloured woods, right from the start. If you rub some Linseed onto a scrap piece that is (roughly) what you will end up with.
Of course in 5 or 10 years time it will appear darker because in that time the wood will oxidize - even under a finish. That applies to ANY finish, you can only slow the process down but you won't stop it. Eventually that piece of light coloured Maple or Holly is going to Yellow - irrespective of the type of finish that you apply.


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## Woodfinish Man (15 Sep 2009)

Mignal is spot on, the properties of Danish Oil are entirely dependent on who the manufacturer is. Our brand is urethane based and therefore far more resilient against standard household chemicals than Hardwax Oils. We sell quite a bit of OSMO so it's not in our interset to critcise it but we were very dissapointed at how it performed when tested against such substances as ketchup, vinegar, 40% alcohol, domestos ....

In our opinion a nice looking finish which needs regular maintenance.

Ian McAslan


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## wizer (15 Sep 2009)

would be interested to do a side by side test actually. What sizes do you do the danish oil in Ian?


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## Woodfinish Man (15 Sep 2009)

That would be great Tom, it would be really good to get a independent opinion. We sell Danish Oil in 1L , 2.5L & 5L.

If you give me your address I'll happily send out a 100ml sample for you to test.

Ian


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## dicktimber (15 Sep 2009)

I sent an e mail to Osmo Germany asking what is so special with the product as when you look at the composition it isn't much different than Danish oil.
The reply back stated that Osmo does yellow, and that the only way to stop this was to prep the wood with a base coat of another product with a white pigment...but then I suppose there is a downsude to doing that as we have discussed.

I also asked Liberon why there Danish oil was Special and what made it special, and was told everything that was on the data sheet, and also received a copy of the data sheet confirming what they had told me in the reply!!!!!!!!!!!!

I suspect there is little difference between either product, especially if like me you wax Danish oil with wire wool after the final coat.
As a side note I was surprised to note how long Osmo has been going as aproduct, and that it was only brought into the UK when someone saw a potential to market it here.


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## Harbo (21 Sep 2009)

Why don't you give Sam Maloof's mixture a try:
1/3 Boiled Linseed or Tung, 1/3 Polyurethane varnish, 1/3 White Spirit.
Apply like Osmo - rag or brush, leave for 20 mins then wipe off.
Two or three coats gives a durable finish that can be enhanced with a coat of wax.
Mix as needed but it seems to last for ages - I use 1/2 jam jar for measuring and mix and store in a coffee jar!







Sycamore kitchen table made for younger daughter and young family - still in good nick after 5 years!

Rod


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