Finish with Danish oil

[Joe Mcclaran]

Hi all, I am building a cabinet using oak wood. I am thing of finishing it with Danish oil. First of all is this a good finish on oak and can I use poly on top of Danish oil for protection. Thanks Joe

[Howard Acheson]

Danish oil is generally nothing more than a mixture of linseed oil, varnish and mineral spirits. It's an OK treatment for Oak but like all large pored woods, the oil/varnish mixture will bleed-back for a period of time after application. You need to keep wiping for 12 to 24 hours depending on the temperature.

That said, if you plan to apply an oil based poly top coat, you can forget about the Danish Oil. Oil based poly contains a high proportion of linseed oil and will color the wood close to the same color as applying the initial coats of Danish Oil. Using both the Danish Oil and the oil based poly is redundant.

[Joe Mcclaran]

Thanks Howie, I have never used Danish oil before so I didn't know about the poly oil being the same. Iam just trying to bring out the grain of the oak wood.

[Jim Becker]

Joe, what we typically refer to as oil based "poly" is just varnish...made with polyurethane resin in the recipe...something originally designed to use on floors because of abrasion resistance. Howie is spot on that for your oak, you'll be best served to just use the oil based varnish. In fact, it will help avoid some of those issues that he also mentioned.