Smelly finish

[butters]

Hello everybody,
I encountered an embarassing problem and I really don't know how to fix. I had a nice and simple comission a few months ago - oak bookcase finished with oil. I didn't expect any difficulties.
A day after putting the first layer of the oil I sensed an unpleasant smell. I used Rustin's Danish Oil (the had been opened a few weeks earlier and the expiry date was OK). The smell from the can was all right but after drying it started to be nasty.
I decided to provide the client with the bookcase hoping that the smell would evaporate. It wouldn't. The client started complaining and I visited her to wipe the bookcase with the turpentine to remove the wax (that had been put on the oil) to accelerate the process of evaporating but it seemed to be help nothing.
The smell is still there, maybe not that annoying as it was at the beginning. It is compared to the smell of a sheep. Do you have any ideas how to fix my problem? Is planing and refinishing the piece the only solution?

It was the first time I used Rustin's oil. I heard that it has a good opinion however I learned from this lesson one thing: use pure lineseed or tung oil and avoid mixtures with chemical additions.

 

[jasonB]

I've encountered the same thing with new Rustins D.O. but only on walnut veneered board so I put it down to the combination of the two, mine smells more like stale p**s. It does go eventually.

Possibly try Osmo Poly-X over the top.

Jason

 

[Muina]

Might be a reaction between the chemicals and the tannins in the wood? I think both Oak and Walnut are naturally high in tannins.

Anthony

 

[Dodge]

I only use Rustins Danish oil against other brands available - and have never experienced this problem.

Looking at some documentation I have on file there is reference to problems if the oil has "frosted" - i.e. been somewhere cold as this causes a chemical breakdown in the oil which may account for the difference leading to the pong!

Rog

 

[butters]

No, it's not the reactions with the tannins. I tried it on ash and it still smells. I also don't think that it was the frosting problem, because the storage temperature was stable. I hope that it will evaporate eventually.

 

[Dodge]

Using Danish oil on Ash isnt a good idea - causes it to go a grotty yellow colour!

 

[butters]

Dodge: True. I finished that board with danish oil only to see if it smells as oak does.

 

[tekno.mage]

I've been using Rustin's Danish Oil on some turned oak dibbers I've been making and have not noticed any nasty pongs. When dry the things don't really smell of anything (except perhaps a bit oaky!)

My tin of oil is a couple of years old (didn't know it had an expiry date!!!), and hasn't been exposed to cold temperatures. If your tin was recently bought, maybe they have changed the formulation?