Does Danish oil age?

[Anonymous]

Today I had a small piece of work which I wanted to finish in Danish oil. When I opened an old part used tin the contents were distinctly brown and almost opaque. This made me worry that it might not work properly, so I opened a couple of other part used tins of unknown vintage and these seemed to be similar but not quite so bad. A new tin was opened and the new oil was clear with a bluish tinge. Does this condition harm the oil or is it still usable?

 

[Nick W]

Fred,

It is still usable. Some of the waxes inDanish Oil will start solidifying out if it gets too cold, but you can use it just the same - no need to warm it up, just give it a good shake so you get a representative sample on your work before rubbing it in.

If you leave it exposed to air for too long then it will eventually set properly, and you will spot this by the skin on top, like an old can of paint, though you can still use the liquid part underneath (if any).

 

[jasonB]

I find that once the solids have started to settle in the bottom and it has gone from the greyish colour to brown that you do not get the same lustre, you tend to be just applying the solvent.

For that reason I nolonger buy large tins, just enough for the job in hand each time.

Jason