Danish oil on oak??

[vb-matt-36]

I had finished a project today which was made from oak and I was just about to put some danish oil on it and noticed I had ran out of oil so went to get some more, on my return I was just about to start coating it when I read the back of the can and it said it was suitable for all hardwoods except oak, my question is why is this? I have coated oak with danish oil in the past and had no problems but was wondering if anyone would know the reason why? cheers!!!!

 

[philb]

Heard of BLO not being suitable for Oak, but have no idea why?

 

[ctubbs]

I have found two quick links to your question. One is;
http://www.rustins.eu/web/images/infosheet_DanishOil.pdf
and another is;
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/oil-finishes-their-history-and-use.
From what I have been taught and learned on my own over the past years, most oil/varnish mixes or plain oils can be and are used on Oak. I have used BLO extensively on Red Oak and White Oak through out my home. It makes the grain stand out and once properly setup, takes a finish coat of many other finishes with no problem, including Poly and Lacquer. Just be sure to allow the oil of choice to complete cure before applying lacquer. DAMHIKT! please. as always, with my information, YMMV.
Charles

 

[jttheclockman]

I had finished a project today which was made from oak and I was just about to put some danish oil on it and noticed I had ran out of oil so went to get some more, on my return I was just about to start coating it when I read the back of the can and it said it was suitable for all hardwoods except oak, my question is why is this? I have coated oak with danish oil in the past and had no problems but was wondering if anyone would know the reason why? cheers!!!!

No such thing. Danish oil is used all the time. The characteristic that is associated with using Danish oil on oak is that it bleeds for some time after it is applied thus needs more attention to keeping it from p[ooling around those large pores and forming sticky pockets of oil. This is combated by wiping frequently as it dries. Then it needs to cure. As with all oil products care is needed with the disposal of the rags and also storage.

I use Danish oil as wel as BLO all the time and thousands of pieces over the years. The statement that blo can not be used is also false. !!!

Here are some examples. Makes for a great finish.
The baskets are maple and walnut with a Danish oil. The mirror is red oak with danish oil and the guitar CD racks are finished with blo and topped with a waterbased lacquer.

 

[kovalcik]

" The characteristic that is associated with using Danish oil on oak is that it bleeds for some time after it is applied thus needs more attention to keeping it from pooling around those large pores and forming sticky pockets of oil. "

I can attest to this. I made my mother a drop leaf table from red oak and finished with an oil finish. You have to keep wiping it down until the finish stops beading up. It looks great once done.

 

[low_48]

You can reduce the amount of wiping if you hit the piece with compressed air. Keep the nozzle tight to the wood as you move it along. Follow with a rag. It may take a couple routines, but it will speed up the process. My take on this is that on red oak, the pores are so big that the oil has to displace the air in the pore. The oil tries to soak in and the air bubble pushes the oil back out. You can get a shiny spot of oil if you don't get it wiped off, but that is fixed with a hit of 320 grit. Seems to me that ash and catalpa will be in the same ball game, and white oak does not have much of a problem.