Colron Danish Oil vs Rustins vs ...

[silm]

All.

Apologies (again) for the newbie question.

I purchased Colron DO over the weekend in order to finish an oak unit I recently had made. I selected Colron purely because it was the only DO available I could find nearby.

I am now having second thoughts.

Should I stick with the Colron, or would I be better to seek out some Rustins (which I have heard a lot of praise for) and use that?

I've never carried out a finish before so I don't want to do anything I would regret.

Many thanks,

Steve.

 

[Philly]

Steve
I've used the Colron one many times in the past - it's a good product. Wipe on a heavy first coat, leave it soak in for five minutes then buff any remaining finish off the surface with rags until the surface is dry. Leave overnight to dry (or longer if its really cold). Then apply a second coat sparingly using a rag and leave to dry. You can apply further coats and build up the shine or let it cure then apply a coat of wax to finish it off.
Hope this helps,
Philly

 

[silm]

Thanks. That really helps, yes.

One more thing (sorry).

Is it okay/correct to oil the entire surface (i.e. legs, top, underside - the whole thing), or do I need to do it in stages?

In particular, if I oil the underside how do I prevent it dripping off?

(the unit is basically a solid coffee table with interior shelves)

Many thanks,

Steve.

 

[Philly]

Get all the surfaces wet with the oil - by the time you've got all areas covered you'll probably be ready to wipe it off, so don't worry too much about drips.
The thing about an oil finish is that it is mainly "inside" the timber, not sat on the surface like lacquer. You get the oil to soak into the timber then remove the excess from the surface - it then cures inside the wood giving a very durable finish that can be easily touched up or revived with another thin coat if needed.
Hope this makes sense - as soon as you start applying the oil I think it will all become obvious.
Best regards
Philly

 

[mickthetree]

Hey Slim

+1 for what Philly says.

Only additional is if there are drawers in the unit I don't think you put any oil inside these. My folks bought a dresser with drawers in that had been oiled inside and they've never been able to get rid of the smell.

Sorry if that is obvious and you only mention shelves, but thought its worth saying.

 

[silm]

Thanks both.

No drawers. Basically a little like this:

http://www.tangkoko.co.uk/home-entertai ... a-unit.htm

(but not this - no divider in the centre)

Thanks,

Steve.

 

[Philly]

Steve - then you're good to go. You'll find you look forward to getting the first coat of finish on - it makes the wood come alive!

Another little tip - as Mick said, if you oil the interior of a drawer or cupboard, due to the air not circulating there is always a smell of the oil drying. Give the interior surfaces a wipe of clear shellac after the oil has dried and it will seal in that smell - makes a huge difference. You can also do this on old pieces that have a musty wiff when you open them.

Hope this helps,
Philly

 

[wizer]

Everyone has their favourite DO, I like Smith & Rodger's Danish Oil. It's very light in colour and quite thin, so you can build up coats.

 

[SP]

I use mostly Rustins Danish oil but have never had a problem with Colron, even when I've run out of one make half way through a finish and used a different make to complete it.

I always apply at least 3 to 4 coats and rub the penultimate one back hard with a grey webrax before applying the final coat. Even then I usually give the final coat a light rub before waxing. Depends how much of a shine you want really.

I tend to use Danish oil exclusively on cherry and maple.

I agree with Philly - that first coat is what makes the thing come alive. Unfortunately it usually also shows up all the glue spots I've missed!

Stephen