Thick Danish oil

[Amateur]

I always give my Danish oil a good shake up in the can to distribute the solids before applying.
This is usually applied by pouring some into a container first.
For some reason this last can has thickened somewhat as it reaches the last 1/5th.
A bit like GTX oil or slightly thicker.
I wans't sure if the cold weather affects it?
Although it's never happened before.
Any ideas?
It's Rustins Danish oil.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It deteriorates with age. Ditch it or find an unimportant use for it.

 

[Fitzroy]

Discovered my big tin was lumpy last year, filtered it but then the remaining started to gel. Ended up binning the last litre, I'd had it nearly 5 years. By smaller tins now that I'm likely to use over the next 12-24 months.

 

[Amateur]

Brought it inside and placed it in a warm place overnight. It actually became more fluid but still very sticky.
Having another unopened tin to hand I used that.
It's less than six months old so was surprised at the degradation over that time period.

 

[Argus]

I've found that some finishing oils tend to get thicker toward the bottom of the can.

Instead of stiring a screw-cap tin, I usually put half a dozen old screws in to disperse any sedimentary settlement with a good rotary shake.

Add to that the fact that fugitive solvent loss over time can reduce the consistency, which is one of then reasons that It has a shelf-life, I think.
I always dilute Danish Oil with white spirit on the first coat to satisfy the thirst of bare wood, so the older stuff gets used for this, subsequent coats are the fresh, undiluted stuff.

 

[Richard_C]

I keep mine indoors now, unheated garage doesn't help. You can thin it a bit with white spirit, but if its got lots of waxy granules it's beyond hope. A day or two warming on a radiator didn't help my last part can.

My understanding is there is no single formula or standard for danish oil so it can vary a lot between brands. Rustins are good at putting product data (including foodsafe) and usage safety data on their website for their products, but many don't.

Argus - excellent screw idea, thanks.

 

[Ttrees]

This is very interesting, I certainly won't be buying any Danish oil now, well unless I need a full tin/bottle which will get used fast.
But is there some original or specific version which doesn't go off and takes an age to dry as a consequence?

Presuming the suggestion will be linseed, boiled or original, on it's own.
It's hard to get an impression what the difference will be between them all.

What other oils will go off, I wonder...
Can I expect an easily found tung oil with blended additives to do the same?
Stumpy nubs (James Hamilton) has recently posted a pretty good video on the subject.

Likewise with teak oil mixes, I presume?

Will my glass bottle of boiled linseed do the same in time?
I've never read the bottle.

Anything else that lasts, and might be considered, I don't mind drying times.

Thanks
Tom

 

[Phil Russell]

Try thinning it back down with some white spirit. I have found this works very well.
Cheers, Phil