# Staining and Danish Oil



## Argus (29 Mar 2012)

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I Need some advice, please.

Normally I use European Oak and Danish Oil is my finish of first choice.

This time around I’m adding some bits to an existing ‘mahogany’ piece and I need to do a little staining to get a match. The original item was made by me some years ago and I used Danish Oil on it at that time.

Before I get experimenting, is it feasible to mix a little oil/solvent based wood dye to Danish Oil?

Are there any pitfalls with this approach?

Advice from the learned is always welcome.


Best regards


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## Hudson Carpentry (29 Mar 2012)

Not tried it my self as I have always stained then oiled but mix a little and use it on a test piece.


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## SeanJ (30 Mar 2012)

I've mixed oil based stains (diy colron stains mainly) with Danish Oil on oak furniture to blend old and new parts and the results were ok ish, it took on the colour but you have to watch for darkness in the grain as small pigment or dye puddles can occur with the oil carrying unabsorbed colour, esp with darker stains. 
The first coat of your oil/stain mix would be reasonably uniform but after a 2nd or 3rd colour/oil coat you could drag up colour. Obviously this wouldn't be the case if you applied stain, allowed to dry and then went on to apply your finish, you know that though. Oak to Mahog sounds interesting, don't know if your heading for a brown or red colour, good luck if it's to the red end


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## Argus (30 Mar 2012)

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Thanks for the replies.

As ever I had intended a test piece. 

I should also point out that Oak is my wood of choice - in this case the timber in quetsion is one of these commercial 'mahogany' look-alikes that I am using to match an existing piece in something similar. It has had several years of use and exposure to light that I have to match.

This new stuff is quite pink when cut and my first thought was to get a basic match with a coat of stain, then to adjust the colour as it dries with colour added to successive coats of Danish Oil, finishing with a clear coating to both pieces.... that's the idea, anyway.

Experimentation is the next course.....


Thanks again.


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## Dodge (30 Mar 2012)

Argus,

the problem is that you are combining timbers with quite different finishing characteristics - oak and mahogany 

In the past i have tried mixing oil based stain with Danish Oil but all it does is lay the colour onto the surface rather than the depth of colour you get by staining the timber first then finishing. Personally though I would recommend the use of a spirit stain prior to applying danish oil though.

Hope it works out ok for you.


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