Finishing Cuts

[Insane Dust Maker]

Hi to you all, I have a question and would welcome your suggestions, just bear in mind not everything you use is available in South Africa. I have up until now used Danish Oil as my finishing and protective coat, normal procedure is to soak it in Danish Oil for about five minutes the let it drain off and then a final wipe to remove the excess oil. The thing is that Danish Oil is becoming very expensive here and I need to find a good alternative, it has been suggested on another group that the I should use Boiled Linseed Oil. This available here and a lot cheaper than Danish Oil, my concern is, is it as good as Danish Oil and how would I apply it, I’ve never used it before so I need some advice from the experts out there please.

[Gene Howe]

The Danish oil I use is Watco. The can states it contains petroleum distillates. Pure linseed oil probably doesn't. I've used it in the past but, not lately. IIRC, it was applied in the same manner. It does seem to take longer to fully cure, though. 

[Insane Dust Maker]

Watco is available here but also expensive.

[Gene Howe]

A pint is $14 at Lowes in the US.

[Wichman]

I use BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil) mixed 50/50 with mineral spirits. When I can I use a 1 gallon paint can to mix, dip, and store the BLO. The BLO is good at making the grain "pop", the thinned mixture flows into small crevices better than the regular BLO. The thinned mixture also penetrates better and dries cures faster.  

[Gene Howe]

Thanks Witchita! Gonna have to try that. 

[Ctutor]

Danish oil is a mixture of BLO and mineral spirits.  The percentage varies but pretty much all it is. When I was in Europe that is what they had me finish teak tables with.

[Insane Dust Maker]

So it look like BLO is the way to go thinned with mineral spirits and use it as a dip. I can get both here. 
 

Gene, Danish Oil is $23 for 1/2 pint.

[Bill WIlson]

Products called Danish oil typically are a blend of some type of drying oil (such as boiled linseed or tung oil), varnish (or oil based polyurethane) and mineral spirits.  The proportions vary and product names can be misleading, so one brand of "Danish" oil may be somewhat different from another brand.  If the main ingredients are available, you can readily make your own with MS, BLO and any varnish you like, mixed in roughly equal proportions.

BLO is a drying oil.  I know a lot of people like it as a stand alone finish, but I don't think it is ideally suited for that purpose.  BLO will impart an amber tint to wood, which is attractive, especially when first applied.  However, over time, it can begin to look dull.  BLO can be reapplied periodically, to freshen up the appearance, but the affect will be temporary.  Over time, the build up of many applications of BLO can result in a finish that remains tacky and attracts dust.  

Again, I know many people use BLO by itself and like it.  I think the ease of application is a primary reason for its popularity.  I just want to point out the potential downsides of using BLO as a stand alone finish.

As for alternatives, consider shellac.  A few folks on the forum have stated that they use it as a dipping finish.  I've personally never tried that, but they claim good results.  Shellac dries very quickly, so the process will be somewhat different than dipping in BLO or Danish oil.  I spray my shellac and it's about as easy to apply as any finish out there.  It dries very fast and is easy to clean up, with very little overspray to deal with.

If using a compressor and spray gun aren't feasible, Zinsser makes a shellac in a spray can.  No idea if that is available in South Africa or not, but perhaps there is an alternative.

[Insane Dust Maker]

Thanks all for the feed back, read on the internet that BLO and mineral spirits is not a good mixture to keep mix in quantity in your workshop. I’m also concerned about the long term appearance if the cuts are framed.

[BadBob]

I have a piece finished with boiled linseed oil that still smells after over two months. I have the same issue with Danish oil finishes.

I have been experimenting with dipping in thinned shellac. It works well for some things. Puzzles made from poplar work well.

Generally speaking, I like shellac; however, I don't know if it would be any cheaper, and it has a shelf life. Even if it is cheaper than Danish oil, it will go bad if you don't use it fast enough.

I have experimented with many finishes and don't think a low-cost finish exists anymore. Even mineral oil and wax blends are expensive to make.

 

[Insane Dust Maker]

You right Bob considering I only do Fretwork Complete ( to give it correct name) they are usually dipped in Danish Oil etc. etc I then get a coat or two of clear varnish. All my cuts are then framed and get hung up in my workshop.

[CharleyL]

I have been finishing my smaller work, especially jewelry, with clear lacquer spray. Minwax brand is available in the larger wood supply stores here. It leaves a smooth clear finish and dries quickly. The smell from lacquer is gone in just a few days too. All of the other finishes being discussed take considerable time, like months, to be odor free and poses considerable problems when the jewelry is intended as a gift and production is running late. 

BLO, Tung Oil, Mineral Spirits, Polyethylene, and even Shellac all have long term objectionable odor, though the shellac odor does go away faster than the rest. So I now avoid them in favor of the clear lacquer for jewelry items.

Charley 

[Bill WIlson]

2 hours ago, CharleyL said:

I have been finishing my smaller work, especially jewelry, with clear lacquer spray. Minwax brand is available in the larger wood supply stores here. It leaves a smooth clear finish and dries quickly. The smell from lacquer is gone in just a few days too. All of the other finishes being discussed take considerable time, like months, to be odor free and poses considerable problems when the jewelry is intended as a gift and production is running late. 

BLO, Tung Oil, Mineral Spirits, Polyethylene, and even Shellac all have long term objectionable odor, though the shellac odor does go away faster than the rest. So I now avoid them in favor of the clear lacquer for jewelry items.

Charley 

I have a little different view.  Personally, I can't stand the smell of lacquer, so I never use it.  The smell of shellac is far more pleasant to me than any other solvent based finish and it dissipates much faster, because most of the smell comes from the denatured alcohol and it evaporates quickly.  My wife doesn't even complain about it much, so I know it can't be too bad.  

[BadBob]

I can't smell shellac after about an hour, but it does take longer than that to cure hard. If you thin it with Everclear 90%, you can take a little sip of your solvent. I don't recommend this.

 

[Fish]

321

3oz of mineral spirits, two oz. of polyurethane, one oz of BLO. 

[scrollerpete]

I used Tung oil in the past with fairly good results, now I found walnut oil from Lee Valley and I really like it, it is clear and easy to apply and give a real nice look. It is fully food safe even if allergic to nuts.

[barb.j.enders]

I have used shellac, amoung other finishes.  You can mix your own shellac.  Buy the flakes and dissolve in 99%isopropyl alcohol.   I couldn't find denatured alcohol so the guitar place I bought the shellac flakes recommended the isopropyl alcohol.  That I purchased at the local pharmacy. 

[Gene Howe]

21 minutes ago, barb.j.enders said:

I have used shellac, amoung other finishes.  You can mix your own shellac.  Buy the flakes and dissolve in 99%isopropyl alcohol.   I couldn't find denatured alcohol so the guitar place I bought the shellac flakes recommended the isopropyl alcohol.  That I purchased at the local pharmacy. 

Barb, I buy gallon sized DNA at the hardware store.  It's sold for camp and marine stoves.