This puzzles me (danish oil)

[John K Jordan]

Watco Danish Oil appears to cost twice as much at woodworking supply stores as it does at HD and the local hardware store. Are they somehow selling a different formulation?

Those who use it, where do you buy it?

JKJ

[David Bassett]

Watco Danish Oil appears to cost twice as much at woodworking supply stores as it does at HD and the local hardware store. Are they somehow selling a different formulation?

Those who use it, where do you buy it?

JKJ

I'm not a big user, so limited data, but I've noticed that too. I don't notice any difference in the product, so I've assumed it is a difference in volume and in accepted margins.

[roger wiegand]

At woodworking stores it is a cult classic, hoarded by those who saw it nearly disappear a few times over the last couple of decades or who fear the next reformulation. It's just another finishing product among many at the Borg.

[Richard Madden]

I've not needed to buy any for a long time so haven't noticed pricing difference. I cashed in years ago. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?129366-Danish-Oil-on-sale&highlight=

[John K Jordan]

I've not needed to buy any for a long time so haven't noticed pricing difference. I cashed in years ago. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?129366-Danish-Oil-on-sale&highlight=

Wow, ten cents a pint! Where's my time machine?

How do the unopened cans hold up over the years? The mfgr web site indicated either a 2-year or 3-year shelf life depending on where I look. Maybe that's for opened cans.

JKJ

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I buy Titebond at the retail giant. I get a gallon for the price of a pint at the woodworking toystore. I'd venture to guess there's no difference in the glue. I did manage to get Watco on clearance for a buck, not a dime.......

[Damon McLaughlin]

John, I use Danish Oil regularly as its one of the few finishes I can use in cold winter temperatures (I heat my shop only to 65 which danish oil is okay in, just takes a bit longer to cure). I've purchased the Watco danish oil from both the big box store and from our local woodworking store and found no difference. And so far its held up fine. The last time I purchased it I bought one gallon from the woodworking supply store with a coupon and free shipping which actually made it cheaper than HD. I transfer the oil to a small pour bottle and keep the gallon container in a cool basement. I actually have two pour bottles, one is danish oil thinned 50/50 which I use like a sealer. In the event I leave the oil on too long and it gets tacky before I wipe it off then I'll wipe it off with the thinned oil, works quite well. To answer your question, I buy it where ever its cheaper.

[John K Jordan]

J...have two pour bottles, one is danish oil thinned 50/50 which I use like a sealer.

That sounds like a good idea. Do you thin with mineral spirits?

I'm thinking of buying a couple of gallons so I can soak the whole piece in the oil since for the first coat I reapply until it quits soaking into the wood. I checked the special order price at WoodCraft and it was higher than HD (and shipping on top of that).

Hey, how much longer does the first coat take to cure at 65? Before it got cold here my shop was 72-76 and I let the first coat cure for a couple of days although overnight it feels dry to the touch. It's below freezing now so I keep my thermostat at 65.

JKJ

[Prashun Patel]

If you are thinking to use it in bulk, John, have you considered making your own?

Mix polyurethane, Boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits in equal parts.

I'm not a fan of oil soaking, though.

[Paul Gilbert]

John -
In general the speed of a chemical reaction doubles for every 10 degrees C (18 F) change in temp. So if something that happened at 75 F was placed in a 65 F room, it should take about 1.5 times as long to occur in the cold room.

12 hrs @ 93
24 hrs @ 75
48 hrs @ 57

[Marvin Hasenak]

That sounds like a good idea. Do you thin with mineral spirits? I'm thinking of buying a couple of gallons so I can soak the whole piece in the oil since for the first coat I reapply until it quits soaking into the wood. Here is an article called Classic Gunstock Finish by Frank Whiton. https://www.firearmsforum.com/firearms/article/3037 I use his method, but modified a little on some of my fancy game calls. The long term soaking got me in trouble because on some wood it can create problems of oil seeping out at a later time. I used to drop the calls in pressure tank and add pressure for an hour or so. But sometimes a week later the oil would start seeping out of the pores. I quit and now I just dumped them in my 50/50 mix and take them out after a few minutes and let them drain. Wipe and let dry over night, this is in west Texas, I have borderline zero humicity and usually hot weather. Add cold or humidity, everything changes.

[John K Jordan]

Here is an article called Classic Gunstock Finish by Frank Whiton. https://www.firearmsforum.com/firearms/article/3037 I use his method, but modified a little on some of my fancy game calls. The long term soaking got me in trouble because on some wood it can create problems of oil seeping out at a later time. I used to drop the calls in pressure tank and add pressure for an hour or so. But sometimes a week later the oil would start seeping out of the pores. I quit and now I just dumped them in my 50/50 mix and take them out after a few minutes and let them drain. Wipe and let dry over night, this is in west Texas, I have borderline zero humicity and usually hot weather. Add cold or humidity, everything changes.

Thanks. I have that article printed in my shop and have used some of the ideas. I've used TruOil successfully with rottenstone as he suggests and got a great finish on a gunstock. The Watco has worked well on several turnings recently two ways, one: apply heavily and keep applying until it quits soaking in or I get tired of it, leave it on a few hours, wipe off, then let dry for 2 days. The other way also worked: soak in the oil for several hours then treat the same as the first way. (Since I didn't have a quantity I put the piece in a large ziplock bag and added oil.) With either method after the first application dries I repeat with very thin coats every day so drying at least overnight until I have several coats, I think 10 or 12 at the most. I wet sand with the oil as I feel like it. This makes a great finish that can be buffed for shine but still looks like wood instead of a thick clear layer on top the wood. I usually go for more of a sheen than a gloss.

I've never had any seep out of pores even soaking wood with relatively large pores.

My shop has heat and air and the humidity has been around 45%. I wonder if very low humidity and hot air might cause oil near the surface to dry too quickly and form a film preventing deeper oil from drying, pushing it out with temperature changes.

JKJ

[Sam Murdoch]

$ 35.00 per gallon on the waterfront. That's the only place I buy it now - no S&H or tax either.

[Marvin Hasenak]

Instead of Tru-Oil, try Minwax Antique Oil. There is a discussion going on about using it on a gun makers forum, but in my opinion it is overpriced paint thinner. According to the MSDS it is 67% mineral spirits, but the pictures of the stocks were amazing. So I am thinking about my own, using either sun bleached flaxseed oil or BLO and McCloskey's Man O'War varnish with mineral spirits.

[Lamar Wright]

I get my Watco Danish Oil at Ace HW. Much cheaper than at woodworking supply stores. Don't know why the higher cost, same ingredient.