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Anyone have experience with a Danish Oil finish on maple?

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I've got a 12 inch tall ambrosia maple HF that I want to put an oil finish on. I've done walnut oil and tung oil and Odie's oil before, but never tried Danish oil (the natural color one...not a dark variety). Anybody ever try it on maple? I get the impression it might leave a bit more sheen than other oils. I think (possibly wrong) that it has a small amount of resin in it, similar to poly or old school varnish.

Thanks,
Grey
 
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I've not used any of the commercial "Danish Oil" brands, I just make my own. Equal parts of oil, gloss poly and mineral spirits. I use tung oil in the mix as it will impart a little less color than boiled linseed oil (BLO), but either will work fine in the mix. Many will suggest using low odor mineral spirits in the mix, but I've tried it and hate the low odor formulation. Just doesn't perform like the standard.

In the February 2018 issue of American Woodturner, Tom Wirsing wrote an article on using the oil/poly mix. Simple process, but takes a longer time to complete the finish because of drying time and the number of coats needed.

Be aware that it will impart more of an amber tone to the wood than walnut oil or tung oil alone. I'd definitely try it on a piece of scrap before using it on your project to make sure it doesn't darken the maple more than you'd like.
 

hockenbery

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The danish oil will likely darken maple quite a bit more than Waterlox.
Ambrosia has a lot of color variations if it is mostly brown the darkening may not be an issue.
If it is lighter whitish background Waterlox would be my preference for minimal color change.

Also I usually put a thin shellac on as sealer with maple. This let’s the Waterlox build up quicker and prevents the blotchy appearance when more oil soaks into different areas.
 
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I use a Danish oil most of the time on my work. It's called Bush Oil and is made not far from me. I have used it for many years with excellent results. It does darken most woods and will give Maple a yellowish tinge. What I use has a high level of solids and will build slowly with more coats. I often buff it when completely cured to give it a nice soft luster. It's also food safe when cured and I use it on food contact pieces with no concern. It penetrates rather deeply into the wood and will wick all the way through end grain on bowls. I hope this helps .
 

Bill Boehme

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I've got a 12 inch tall ambrosia maple HF that I want to put an oil finish on. I've done walnut oil and tung oil and Odie's oil before, but never tried Danish oil (the natural color one...not a dark variety). Anybody ever try it on maple? I get the impression it might leave a bit more sheen than other oils. I think (possibly wrong) that it has a small amount of resin in it, similar to poly or old school varnish.

Thanks,
Grey

I have used Watco Natural Danish Oil finish on hard sugar maple. Basically, the Watco Danish Oil is linseed oil, polyurethane varnish, and mineral spirits. There wasn't much color change and the sheen was very soft. There might be a bit more yellowing with soft maple. You might consider bleaching the wood before finishing.
 
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Having monitored this forum for quite a while, I know from user comments that Danish Oil isn't just one recipe--different brands contain different components or amounts. If you have one in particular in mind, you might want to ask specifically about that one, or ask for a recommendation on which one folks would suggest.

Does anybody know what exactly is in Waterlox, other than the promised tung oil? It too is a mix of ingredients. Does anybody know why it's so expensive?
 
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Watco Danish Oil is 75% solvent. They do list raw linseed oil, vegetable oil, and resin at quantities that exceed 3% of content. I guess with that much solvent they get away with using raw linseed oil instead of boiled linseed oil. Boiled means it most often has chemical driers added for faster curing. That's why it is easy to apply, incredibly thin film. Emphasis on "small amount of resin" in your comment! If you want a sheen, not the product to use. https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/msds/watco-danish-oil-MSDS.pdf
I used a lot of oils when I first started. The one thing I found was that it became dull over the years and had to have a coat of oil added to brighten it back up. Now I only use film finishes. Even if I want very little sheen or build, I still use a film finish and manipulate the finish after it is cured.
 

Bill Boehme

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Be aware bleaching will take some of the color out of the ambrosia streaks.
It turns the ambrosia to a greenish color, I prefer the brown.

I missed the ambrosia part and focused on just the soft maple part of the question. Thanks for the information about the ambrosia streaks turning green. This leads me to wonder about bleaching other brown wood. Maybe I'll do some experimenting when the weather gets warmer.
 
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The danish oil will likely darken maple quite a bit more than Waterlox.
Ambrosia has a lot of color variations if it is mostly brown the darkening may not be an issue.
If it is lighter whitish background Waterlox would be my preference for minimal color change.

Also I usually put a thin shellac on as sealer with maple. This let’s the Waterlox build up quicker and prevents the blotchy appearance when more oil soaks into different areas.

Are you referring to the Waterlox Gloss Topcoat?

Also, have you ever tried General Finish's Arm-R-Seal? I was watching a youtube video from the Wood Whisperer, testing out 4 different wipe on finishes, and that Arm-R-Seal looked pretty good, but I've never tried it.

Grey
 
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Arm-R-Seal is a great finish. It is my go to finish for furniture, but I've not used it on any turnings. It is more expensive than the "standard" polyurethanes, but worth it. Easy to apply and a great looking finish. As it is a oil based urethane it will darken/add an amber tint to woods. It is formulated thin and is ready to wipe on directly from the can.
 
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I'm going to go with Arm-R-Seal Gloss for this HF and see how it comes out...maybe 3 coats and a polishing at the end. I'll update the post with a pic when I finish it, though it may be a few weeks. I've got research how much time to give between coats and then for curing before a final sand and polish. I've also got a large end grain cherry HF I'm going to do right along side the maple.

Thanks for all your suggestions,
Grey
 
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A couple of hints on the ARS. Use thin coats and don't overwork it. Wiping it over and over will leave streaks. Wipe it on and leave it. If you miss a small spot, leave it and get it with the next coat. Don't worry if you see an air bubble or two, they will disappear on their own as long as you apply a thin coat.

I use Scott blue shop (paper) towels to apply. I usually just apply one coat a day, but you could probably do more if you have good drying conditions. I've never rubbed out ARS, I just rub it after a couple of days with brown paper to remove any dust nibs. Lube the brown paper with mineral spirits.

Good luck, and post some pics when done.
 

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Looks like the OP has already made a decision, and I'm late to this party.......but.......I've been using Watco Danish Oil Natural for many years. It's hard to get poor results, but like any finish, surface preparations cannot be over emphasized......if your turning and sanding skills aren't 1st class, there really isn't anything you can do with a finish that'll change that! The Watco DO penetrates well, and seals the wood decently. For most bowls, a single coat is sufficient. I've done multiple coats, but never felt there was much advantage to it. Just use liberally, and keep soaking the surface until it doesn't soak below the surface anymore. I use cotton shotgun cleaning patches for application, and toss them out afterwards. Wait about a half hour, and wipe the surface dry with a rag.....done! :D

It's so easy, that some woodturners probably feel it just MUST be more difficult, in order to get good results! :eek:

On the very lightest of woods, there is a little bit of yellowing......but, even so, the finished bowl looks very good, so is not of consequence. Those who worry about that, are worrying about a non-issue, IMHO. Not once, ever, has any of my customers complained, or even commented......if your turning looks good, they are happy! ;)

I started using the Beall 3-step buffing method early this century, and I'm a believer in that, too! Like any traditional buff and wax methods, the sheen does dull slightly with time, and needs to be re-buffed occasionally.......about 6 month intervals.

-----odie-----

.
 
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I ended up putting 5 coats of Arm-R-Seal Gloss on this maple HF (12" by 9") as well as a black cherry piece (13.5" by 10.5"). I didn't sand back the final coat, but did use a polishing compound to get rid of any dust nibs and give it some extra shine. I'm very pleased with the results and will most likely stick with this finish.

Here's a short video clip showing the 2 pieces:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2zQ9OGA5UE


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHxAfr5P3kI


Thanks for everyone's help and opinions,
Grey
 
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