How long should oil dry before buffing?

[Patrick Taylor]

I've applied watco danish oil to a few pieces, but how long should I wait before buffing? The oil can says "ready in 8-10 hours" but, for example, watco wipe-on poly says to wait 72 hours after applying oil. If they conflict within their own products, is there really a "right" answer? :confused:

How long do you wait before buffing?

[Bernie Weishapl]

Good question Patrick. I buffed one today that had oil finish and I think I should have let it set longer than 24 hrs. I also would like to know?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The one bowl I've done using Watco Antique Oil....I buffed after it sat overnight............It turned out well...........I don't think you can go wrong by letting it set for a longer period of time.....

[George Tokarev]

Depends on the heat and humidity and the amount of resin and siccative in the oil vehicle. Cool and damp takes forever to cure, oils without resins to toughen the finish need to be for sure fully cured, which means more time, and even those with siccatives ("dryers") may be slow or low in volume to give a softer film.

You want to buff with as little heat as possible, of course. A poorly cured finish will flow and gum and there's nothing but sandpaper for a solution, because after the heating it cures hard as a rock.

Warm dry place with circulation. Week's time for me. Probably more than I need.

[Mike Ramsey]

Like others have said, depends mostly on the humidity, here in
south Texas anyway. Sometimes it takes a couple of weeks for
a turning with danish oil on it to completely dry.

[Ken LaSota]

I usually wait at least 24 hours but most times I wait 48 hrs.
Ken

[Jim Becker]

I wait a week for buffing...

[Frank Kobilsek]

Patrick

I think the answer to your question is at least a week. I took a class a while back that the instructor suggested a very long period of time between the first several coats of oil and the final. He talked about following directions on the can for 8 to 10 coats over the course of a couple days then waiting several weeks before applying a finish coat then another several weeks before buffing. I ain't that patient but I do wait a week for a final coat and at least another week before buffing.

Frank

[Mark Pruitt]

72 hours minimum for danish oil before buffing. If you buff it prematurely you will wind up with a sticky surface and will have to do it all again. DAMHIKT!

[Patrick Taylor]

Thanks everybody!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Patrick - you mentioned two different products, danish oil and poly. I find the oil takes a minimum of 72 hours to dry under ideal conditions. Simple way to judge if it cured or not is to smell it. If you can smell the oil - wait! Poly drys fairly fast - depending on humidity and temp but I usually wait 3 days after the last coat of poly just to be sure I don't create a mess when buffing.