# What to do after final coat of Danish Oil



## ultravi01 (Mar 19, 2014)

I have just applied a final coat of Danish Oil to my walnut tables. It's been drying for a couple of days. What would you recommend to do after this? Should I buff it with steel wool and use furniture wax?

Thanks


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

ultravi01 said:


> I have just applied a final coat of Danish Oil to my walnut tables. It's been drying for a couple of days. What would you recommend to do after this? Should I buff it with steel wool and use furniture wax?
> 
> Thanks


What 'Danish Oil' is it? If it's Watco, that can be your finish. If it looks good, don't do anything. I would not use wax.








 







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## ultravi01 (Mar 19, 2014)

Yeah, it's Watco. It's not as smooth as it was before applying the oil, so I figured it made sense to buff it out.


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## Fred Hargis (Apr 28, 2012)

You may have had a small amount of grain raised, you could sand it smooth with some 400 grit, then one more coat of the finish. Or you could just take a piece of kraft paper (brown grocery bag) and burnish it with that....the danish oil should probably sit a few days before you do that. That should smooth it out.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

ultravi01 said:


> Yeah, it's Watco. It's not as smooth as it was before applying the oil, so I figured it made sense to buff it out.


Sometimes with watco it works better if you rub it in with 400 grit sandpaper. The solids from the sanding tend to fill the grain and sanding should make it real smooth. After a month or so if you wish you could use some Johnson paste wax and use any polish after that to dust with. Then annually use the paste wax.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Depending on the finish you want, the look and feel, can be achieved with doing multiple applications of that 'Danish Oil', as it is a varnish/BLO/mineral spirits mix. Use wipe on applications and sand in between applications with 320x. When you get a build (because of the varnish content) it can be wet sanded out and wet sanded to a high grit, and polished with compounds and you'll get a high gloss finish.

Or, you can achieve a smooth more of a matte finish if you like. Using a wax is only a temporary enhancement and will preclude you doing any further finishing. Removing the wax would be a PITA (even if you could get it all off). It isn't needed. The finish you produce would be maintenance free without wax.








 







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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

One of the problems with continued use of the Danish oil even if it's only done annually is eventually you will end up with the look of polyurethane. If the idea is to maintain the oil finish appearance then a heavy wax is the best way. It won't add to the finish, it just moisturizes it.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Steve Neul said:


> One of the problems with continued use of the Danish oil even if it's only done annually is eventually you will end up with the look of polyurethane. If the idea is to maintain the oil finish appearance then a heavy wax is the best way. It won't add to the finish, it just moisturizes it.


Wax doesn't moisturize a film finish. It's a surface application. _"End up with the look of polyurethane"_...whatever that means. Could just use an interior varnish instead. That doesn't need wax either.:laughing:









 








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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

cabinetman said:


> Wax doesn't moisturize a film finish. It's a surface application. _"End up with the look of polyurethane"_...whatever that means. Could just use an interior varnish instead. That doesn't need wax either.:laughing:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wax does moisturize most finishes. It helps prevent a film finish from getting hard enough to crack. On oil finishes it just moisturizes the wood. Most folks that use a oil finish do it to avoid the look of varnish or polyurethane. Repeated use of a Danish oil would build to just that look. 

You might as well get used to it. Furniture polishes and waxes are an age old method of maintaining furnishings. The only thing I don't like to see is someone using wax on a new finish less than a month old. We even use Behold at my house. It's not a problem if you know how to handle it.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Steve Neul said:


> Wax does moisturize most finishes. It helps prevent a film finish from getting hard enough to crack. On oil finishes it just moisturizes the wood. Most folks that use a oil finish do it to avoid the look of varnish or polyurethane. Repeated use of a Danish oil would build to just that look.
> 
> You might as well get used to it. Furniture polishes and waxes are an age old method of maintaining furnishings. The only thing I don't like to see is someone using wax on a new finish less than a month old. We even use Behold at my house. It's not a problem if you know how to handle it.


It's a difference of opinion. So, arguing back and forth isn't necessary. Moisturizes??? As I said, it's only a temporary fix. If a film finish is done properly, it doesn't crack.








 








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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I think you've hijacked the thread enough. Move on.


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## Manuka Jock (Jun 27, 2011)

ultravi01 said:


> I have just applied a final coat of Danish Oil to my walnut tables. It's been drying for a couple of days. What would you recommend to do after this? Should I buff it with steel wool and use furniture wax?
> 
> Thanks


So , anyway , 
do you have a photo of the tables ? 
Just 'cos we like looking at wood p0rn eh :yes:


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## SkySkrape (Oct 8, 2013)

Steve Neul said:


> I think you've hijacked the thread enough. Move on.


Awkward...


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## ultravi01 (Mar 19, 2014)

Thanks for all the tips -- So I've let it sit for a couple of days. It has the look I want, after three coats of the Watco Danish oil. I wiped it off several times.. there is no surface oil that will wipe off. The table is now a little sticky. Will this go away?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

ultravi01 said:


> Thanks for all the tips -- So I've let it sit for a couple of days. It has the look I want, after three coats of the Watco Danish oil. I wiped it off several times.. there is no surface oil that will wipe off. The table is now a little sticky. Will this go away?


You just left some of the finish on the surface. It will eventually dry completely. If you are in a hurry you can wash it down with mineral spirits and it should dry faster but would probably change the appearance a little.


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## ultravi01 (Mar 19, 2014)

No hurry, thanks. I'll post some pictures soon.


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## Manuka Jock (Jun 27, 2011)

How many hours drying time did you give each coat before applying the next ?


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## ultravi01 (Mar 19, 2014)

Probably a day or so between coats


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## wisardd1 (Nov 27, 2013)

I love micro mesh


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## wisardd1 (Nov 27, 2013)

Steve Neul said:


> I think you've hijacked the thread enough. Move on.


I think you are out of line here. "Move on" was a snotty statement and if you are going to be snotty, at least be correct. Just sayin


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

wisardd1 said:


> I think you are out of line here. "Move on" was a snotty statement and if you are going to be snotty, at least be correct. Just sayin


Well, this guy repeatedly starts an argument with me and just keeps it going. It's not fair to the original poster to have to put up with it.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Steve Neul said:


> Well, this guy repeatedly starts an argument with me and just keeps it going. It's not fair to the original poster to have to put up with it.


When someone offers an alternative answer to yours, you continue to return to the thread to prove your point. It's usually accompanied by a short story of what happened when the other suggestion was used. Nothing wrong with short stories, but I prefer ones like Charlie's Angels or Baywatch, (with pictures of course).:laughing:








 








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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

cabinetman said:


> When someone offers an alternative answer to yours, you continue to return to the thread to prove your point. It's usually accompanied by a short story of what happened when the other suggestion was used. Nothing wrong with short stories, but I prefer ones like Charlie's Angels or Baywatch, (with pictures of course).:laughing:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Maybe people like my stories. After all I have first hand experience and what I write about works. It's when you say what I'm doing doesn't work, that's not an alternative, that's starting an argument. The arguing is getting very old, not just for me but others here. I'm starting to get a lot of folks coming to me for advise in PM's just to avoid you. That is sad.


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## wisardd1 (Nov 27, 2013)

I may be wrong here, but wax works as a protectant to finishes from oxygen which over time degrades all finishes. We wax wood to protect the finish from drying out. The fact that you can buff it out is a secondary benefit. This is also why we wax cars.


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