Does Danish oil.....

[dicktimber]

realy turn yellow when applied as a finish?
I have given up on spray finishing, and am back to the easy to apply Danish.
Will I still be alive when the furniture I have already made goes yellow??
Is there an alternative I can apply with a cloth? (excluding wax)

Mike

 

[wizer]

Osmo Poly X Hard Wax Oil. (Clear Matt)

 

[dicktimber]

wizer
Is it that good?
I know you are a fan of it.
Will it apply with a cloth?
Mike

 

[wizer]

Yes, you can put it on with a cloth. For larger areas I use a brush, but cloth is fine. Leave it on for 5-10mins and then wipe it off.

It's better than Danish oil in that it's clearer and harder wearing. I'm a fan.

 

[Boz62]

I agree with Wizer on this. I use the equivalent Fiddes Hard Wax Oil and find it very easy to use and a good finish.

Boz

 

[Steve Maskery]

Yes, the Hard Wax Oils make Danish obsolete - much better colour characteristics.

Cheers
Steve

 

[seanybaby]

With the Osmo it's really quite a matt finish. Is it possible to get more of a sheen?

 

[Steve Maskery]

Osmi is available in Satin, too. It's a nice sheen, not a high gloss.
S

 

[Boz62]

I've only used the Fiddes in Clear Satin as well. You can then buff it if you need it less sheeny and/or wax it if required.

Boz

 

[MIGNAL]

Is it really harder wearing? As far as I know most Danish Oil contains some type of resin - probably some type of synthetic resin. I'd be surprised if a wax based finish turned out to be harder wearing. I suppose a lot depends on the respective final film thickness.
The fact that a finish such as Danish Oil gives a yellow cast is only a disadvantage if you don't require that cast. On certain timbers such as Maple I can see it as being a distinct advantage.

 

[Derek Willis.]

Do you have to use Danish Oil?
What's wrong with Rustin's Plastic Coating?
Derek.

 

[wizer]

Osmo feels harder when finished, somehow. I've found you can build up the sheen with more coats but will try the silk version next time.

 

[dicktimber]

Derek
Can you tell us a bit more about it please
Why you use it, what on.
Has it to be brushed, or can you use a rag.
Is the gloss finish like glass?
I am always afraid of spoiling a piece by applying a finish with a brush and ending up with brush marks, or runs.
I am sure Danish oil took off because of it's low price and ease of use.
The problem is that some of these new finishes at £20 plus a pop you want to make sure what you are buying works.
I have enough tins of paint that the wife thought was a good colour to paint the living room wall!!!!

Just to throw another spanner in the works has anyone tried 'Finney's special polish', which he says the best on the market to finish wood with?

Mike

Mike

 

[MIGNAL]

An absolute ridiculous claim. So what exactly makes it the best? and why?
From a brief look at Finney's it appears that it's just a type of Shellac. No big deal.
Your choice of finish ultimately depends on a number of factors: Wear/toughness, water/heat resistance (if needed). colour, ease of application, gloss (or not) and aesthetics.
i've done a decent amount of French polishing. I've also done side by side comparisons with French Polish and an oil Varnish. I prefer the oil varnish because IMO it produces a superior effect on the grain of the wood. The colours seem to be more vibrant and the grain 'lively'. That's all because it's index of refraction is close to that of wood. French polish produces the greater feeling of 'depth'. That doesn't make an oil varnish superior in a general sense, it simply means that I think it's superior in the way it displays the natural grain of the wood. If I wanted a finish that was easy to retouch then Wax or French polish is way ahead of an oil varnish.

 

[yetloh]

I have to agreee with Mignal's general sentiments about finishes. No one finish is right for everything and personal taste is valid.

I must, though, take issue with Steve about Polyx making Danish obsolete. It may be tougher but it lacks the clarity of Danish and takes the edge off the "life" and "depth" which Mignal clearly agrees are such vital elements of the appeal of wood.

Jim

 

[Steve Maskery]

Do you think so, Jim?
Next time I do some finishing (I've got SWMBO nagging for some more big picture frames) I'll do a comparative sample and see if I agree with you

S

 

[EdK]

How do tung or boiled linseed compare to Danish ? Is Danish a composite of these two (or one of them) oils ? What does 'Danish' actually consist of ?

I've used tung extensively but haven't used boiled linseed.

I've heard that the drying time of tung can be improved with the addition of boiled linseed.

I'm sure each oil has different tones so perhaps you could blend a tone to suit ?

Have yet to try Fiddes / Osmo as hard to get shipped over here... (Ax. will ship some liquids/waxes but not others... guess it depends on flamability - but it's a pita really...)
Ed

 

[MIGNAL]

Danish will probably vary dependent on who manufactures the stuff. My understanding is that it is an oil Varnish ie. some type of drying oil with synthetic resin added. Copious amounts of solvents are added to get the water like consistency.
Pure Tung oil and Linseed are just what their names suggest. They are drying oils but without any added resins.
It's the resins that impart toughness and resist wear in the finished film. The higher the resin content the harder/tougher the film becomes.

 

[dicktimber]

Mignal
When you talk about oil varnish, I presume you do mean Danish oil?

Your reply about depth and refracted light was an very interesting observation and one I had never considered.
How long does it take Danish oil to yellow, as this would I presume affect the depth and refracted light characteristics?
Infact would I notice, or would a friend walk in the room and go,'Crikey that's yellow mate, you must have used Danish oil!!!!'
Or are we really splitting hairs here?

As a side question can I ask which oil varnish you would recommend?
I have always used the cheapest I could find, and being a 'bit thick', had not thought that there could be a quality vrs price issue?

I have ordered a sample osmo to try which I will report back on.

Very interesting subject IMO?
Thanks

Mike

 

[MIGNAL]

I think that Danish Oil is a certain type of oil varnish - of which there are a huge variety. Old style Oil varnishes usually consisted of one of the drying oils (eg. Linseed, Walnut) cooked at high temperature with one of the natural resins such as pine resin, gum mastic, dammar etc. Usually applied by brush and to a much thicker consistency than Danish oil. These types are hard to come by now and are little used except by violin makers (who really do obsess about them) and other specialist finishers. The modern equivalent is oil based Alkyd varnishes. Danish Oil is probably based on such but with a very high solvent content that allows you to wipe on wipe off. The final film thickness of Danish is very, very thin - usually because it's applied in 2 or 3 coats. There's nothing to stop someone applying 15 coats or more - in which case the film will be much thicker and it can then be polished to a high gloss - not unlike a French Polished surface.
Linseed or pure Tung oil (nothing added) is what I term an 'oil finish' ie. does not contain a resin.
Any oil varnish/finish will display some Yellowing on light coloured woods, right from the start. If you rub some Linseed onto a scrap piece that is (roughly) what you will end up with.
Of course in 5 or 10 years time it will appear darker because in that time the wood will oxidize - even under a finish. That applies to ANY finish, you can only slow the process down but you won't stop it. Eventually that piece of light coloured Maple or Holly is going to Yellow - irrespective of the type of finish that you apply.