oiling wood

hammer n nails · 9 Nov 2011

2 days ago i oiled some oak with danish oil normally it drys overnight but it is still tacky although i did brush it on insted of rubbing on with a cloth and i think the weather may have something to do with it not drying(damp) so have moved the work to a warm place hope this works

bobscarle · 9 Nov 2011

Danish Oil needs to be wiped over to remove any excess about 10 minutes after aplication otherwise it can stay tacky. Quite easy to apply a lot when using a brush. Could easily be the weather though.

Bob

hammer n nails · 9 Nov 2011

hi bob thanks for your reply if it does not dry should i wipe over with white spirit to remove the oil or last resort sand it down?

Racers · 9 Nov 2011

Hi,

I have found danish oil slow to dry recently, I am near the end of the can and its cold so its taking some time to dry, I wiped it down with white sprits in the end.

Pete

Chems · 9 Nov 2011

If you put it on too thick it will never dry. Bring it somewhere warm and wipe off what you can.

Argus · 10 Nov 2011

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Two things....

Danish oil contains an amount of volatile solvents and these may take longer to evaporate in the relatively higher autumn humidities.
I usually cut the first coat with white spirtit, 4 parts oil to 1 part white spirit. New wood will drink this, especially end grain, but best to rag off any excess after a while.

Danish oil tends to settle out in the bottom of the tin over time, even with vigorous shaking. If it's an old tin, you may have settled out stock in the bottom with more oil and disolved solids and less solvents. You end up with a thicker soup at the bottom.

Tip: Put a few screws or small bolts in the tin when it's first opened. The rattling effect when you shake the tin breaks up any thick accumulations at the bottom.

If it's still tacky, I suggest ragging it all over with white spirit to disolve anything that isn't going to dry and chuck the tin you are using. Start again with fresh oil..... and a few screws.

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