Danish oil

Overview

Danish oil is a marketing name for a wipe-on oil finish, not a defined formulation. Wikipedia says it has no set recipe and is often based on tung oil or polymerized linseed oil, giving a hard-drying oil with a satin finish. In practice the can may hold oil with varnish and solvent (Watco's own description is "a unique blend of penetrating oil & varnish"), or an oil with no varnish at all (Tried & True describes its Danish Oil as a polymerized linseed oil). The USDA Wood Handbook lists Danish oil among the popular commercial oil formulations that penetrate rather than form a film. People choose it as the easy first hand-rubbed finish.

Pros

• Simple, forgiving wipe-on application with little skill needed.
• Dries faster than raw or boiled linseed oil; some makers give a recoat time of about 5 hours (Liberon).
• Varnish-containing versions give a slightly harder surface than plain oil.
• Easy to repair and refresh; no film to chip.

Cons

• The name tells you nothing: composition, cure speed, and protection vary by brand, so read the label.
• Thin film. The Wood Handbook says oil finishes soil more easily than film finishes; apply paste wax after two or more coats for protection.
• Watco states indoor use only, not for floors; Liberon says its Danish oil is not suitable for external oak.
• Sticky or gummy if excess is not wiped off.
• Can darken some timbers.

Suitability

A good everyday finish for White oak, European ash, Black cherry and the walnuts (Black walnut, European walnut) on shelves, frames and furniture. Use something else for dining tables that will see spills and heat (consider Wipe-on polyurethane), counters, floors and exterior joinery. For dense, oily woods like Teak test a scrap first.

Coats and application

Sand to 180 to 220 (Sanding schedule). Liberon's schedule: apply by brush or lint-free cloth, let it penetrate 5 to 10 minutes, wipe off the excess, wait at least 5 hours, and apply a minimum of 3 coats indoors (4 or more for damp areas). Tried & True's version: wait 5 minutes, wipe dry, burnish with 0000 steel wool before each coat, cure at least 8 hours between. Example: coat 1 and wipe; coat 2 next day; coat 3 the day after; wait a few days; add paste wax (Paste wax). Coverage is about 10 to 12 m2 per litre for Liberon. See Wipe-on application.

Compatibility

Go over bare wood or over an oil-compatible stain such as Oil-based pigment stain. Do not put it over a film finish. After full cure it can be waxed or overcoated with oil-based varnish; test for adhesion first. Danish oils with varnish can leave a slight film that burnishes with 0000 steel wool. Never apply over oil that is still wet or tacky. Compare Polymerized linseed oil (stand oil), Tung oil and Teak oil.

Care and repair

Wipe with a damp cloth and dry. Re-oil every year or so on heavily used pieces; there is nothing to strip, just clean and add oil. Scratches can be spot-sanded and re-oiled. Rings may need steel wool and re-oiling.

Safety and environment

Oily rags can ignite spontaneously. The USDA Wood Handbook says rags wet with oil, oil-alkyd or urethane finishes are particularly susceptible and recommends immersing them in water and sealing them in a water-filled airtight metal container. Liberon's label says to wet textiles with water and dispose of them in a tightly closed container. See Oily rag safety.

Solvent-based versions are flammable and need ventilation; check the label and SDS. Food-contact claims differ by brand and are the maker's own: Tried & True states its products comply with FDA 21 CFR 175.300 and markets its Danish Oil for salad bowls and butcher blocks, whereas the Watco page makes no such claim and carries an indoor-only warning. Neither is a regulator's certification of the finished article; see Food-safe finishes. Do not assume a varnish-containing Danish oil is suitable for food contact.

Related

• Teak oil: another oil-varnish marketing name.
• Hardwax oil: oil plus wax, slightly more protective.
• Wipe-on polyurethane: harder wiped film.
• Oil and wax blends: oil and wax together.
• Oily rag safety: fire hazard.