Danish Oil On Dry Scales

The Warrior

The Warrior

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I got these Condors in a few days ago, and had mentioned that the scales were a little on the dry side. I finished applying Watco Danish Oil on them, and here are the results. I used the "natural" oil, which is just clear, no stain. Just a light sanding, and a few coats of oil. Thanks tradewater for telling me about the danish oil, appreciated.

Before. This is the day they came in. You can see how dry they were:

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After:

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Again, before:

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And after:

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Random shot:

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Really satisfied with the way it turned out. Has a slight satiny finish, which is what I wanted.
 
Looks great! :thumbsup:

I used the 'natural' Watco Danish Oil on a Walnut-handled Opinel, after re-shaping and sanding the handle. I like it. :)
 
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Thanks guys, appreciated. Very little work involved for a nice looking finish.
 
Watco Danish oil has been my favorite wood finish for many years. It really makes the grain patters look great.


Ric
 
Phydeaux said:
It really makes the grain patters look great.


Ric
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It sure does. I was worried it would make the grain swell up a bit, but it didn't seem to at all.
 
It's hard to believe that oil alone would make such a difference. It is amazing what just a little of the good stuff will do.
 
Thumper99 said:
It's hard to believe that oil alone would make such a difference. It is amazing what just a little of the good stuff will do.
Click to expand...

It's actually not just oil. So-called 'Danish Oil' is a mix of linseed oil, thinner (or 'mineral spirits' as listed in the Watco MSDS) and varnish. It actually seals the wood, and won't dry up or otherwise degrade over time.
 
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Did you just use the Danish Oil alone or did you finish it with another product?

And how many coats does it take for a nice finish like this?
 
With Danish Oil the old saying goes:

Rub it in,
Once a day for a week, then
Once a week for a month and
Once a month for a year.

That's how I try to do any of mine with Danish Oil.
At the very least give it a few more coats over the next couple weeks and they should be good for anything.
 
With my Opinel, I applied two very thin coats about 30-40 minutes apart. Each took only 10-15 minutes to dry to the touch (I'm in the desert southwest ;)). I then followed with a 3rd light coat a few days later, at least 3 days, maybe 4 or 5. I think this is relatively consistent with the directions on the Watco can, which recommends the 3rd coat not be applied for at least 72 hrs after the first two. Danish oil dries to touch relatively quickly, but still needs more time to fully harden & cure. Too much, too fast will result in sticky, gummy finishes (so I've read, anyway).
 
incaorchid said:
Did you just use the Danish Oil alone or did you finish it with another product?

And how many coats does it take for a nice finish like this?
Click to expand...

I followed the instructions, kind of. Gave it a coat, waited 30 minutes, gave it another, then after 15 minutes one more. The next day, I gave them 2 more coats. TBH, I didn't notice much of a difference with the extra 2. I didn't use anything else. It says to give it at least 72 hours to dry, if you wanted to coat it with polyurethane. I didn't see any reason to do so.
 
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Those handles look great.

The Watco Danish Oil is a nice product, but it's not actually Danish oil in the traditional sense. It is pretty much boiled linseed oil with a bit of thinned varnish added. The varnish content is very low so you can treat it just like it was plain BLO (wipe on, wipe off). It darkens the wood and pops the grain like BLO but has a bit of protection and durability from the varnish. It's a great choice for tool handles. Like BLO it tends to turn light colored woods yellow, and does not handle prolonged UV exposure very well. Also you don't want to apply it very thick at all because the varnish, being mixed with so much oil, will be very soft and sticky. It's a finish you want to leave "in the wood" and not build a surface film.

You can experiment with homemade concoctions, for example substituting tung oil (real tung oil, not Formby's) for BLO, and altering the concentrations of oil, varnish, and thinner. If you need a large amount it's cheaper to do it yourself. It makes a great gunstocks finish, too.
 
The Warrior said:
I followed the instructions, kind of. Gave it a coat, waited 30 minutes, gave it another, then after 15 minutes one more. The next day, I gave them 2 more coats. TBH, I didn't notice much of a difference with the extra 2. I didn't use anything else. It says to give it at least 72 hours to dry, if you wanted to coat it with polyurethane. I didn't see any reason to do so.
Click to expand...

Thanks, TW
 
I try to apply a thin coat of BLO from time to time, just as maintenance. Plus I like the smell of the BLO.

Many years ago, I stripped the varnish off an old Remington 22LR (model 514) and used straight BLO. It sure made the stock (walnut) look good.

Ric
 
Phydeaux said:
I try to apply a thin coat of BLO from time to time, just as maintenance. Plus I like the smell of the BLO.

Many years ago, I stripped the varnish off an old Remington 22LR (model 514) and used straight BLO. It sure made the stock (walnut) look good.

Ric
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I almost went the BLO route, but then heard about the Danish.
 
Added Danish Oil on my Condor Bushcrafter as well:

Before:

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After:

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Before:

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After:

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The Danish oil looks nice. I usually just use Sno-Seal (beeswax) on my wood handles, which doesn’t change the color much, just a little darker
 
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