clean cloth removes excess oil and Strain the shellac before using it If so, sand the surface lightly with 600-grit paper and apply a thinned (three parts finish, one part thinner) final coat or two to help eliminate brush marks. Adjust the spray pattern for horizontal Level out the finish using sandpaper backed with a hardwood block. surface and wet-sand with wet-dry A final rubdown with a Shellac builds in layers, with each First, you're assured the finish is fresh. with a thinned coat to minimize brush These spots will appear dull. of flakes you need to produce a This "bleedback" occurs particularly in open-grained woods, such as red oak. Applied Watco Danish Oil liberally and wet sanded using 320 grit wet/dry paper. Installing metal shelf standards used to be rough on my fingers and my patience. That penetration gives a depth to the wood's grain that's hard to achieve with a film finish. Typically a Danish oil consists of a mixture of tung oil and varnish. thoroughly, and then wipe off the Build layers; then top Note: This method allows Danish Oil to penetrate deep into the timber, naturally waterproofing and nourishing when using our Tung Oil based product. On previously stained or dyed surfaces it is advisable to test a small area first to make sure that the Danish Oil will produce the desired result. When it comes to bringing out the natural beauty of a highly figured piece of wood, such as quilted maple or quartersawn oak, nothing beats a hand-rubbed Danish-oil finish. By this time the wood was not absorbing much oil, and looked very ‘wet’ after oiling.After 20 minutes the excess oil was removed with a clean rag. Danish Oil application method two – the one coat a day method. You don't have to worry about brush marks, but you'll get an even smoother finish by lightly "wet" sanding between the second and third coats. (shown here), for large surfaces, or As the solvent evaporates, moisture condenses on the cooling surface to form a whitish film known as "blush." We recommend two different methods of applying our Danish Oil. Lacquer dries quickly, so use long to remove impurities and any Sanded the Oak table down to bare wood. Which method you choose depends upon the time available to you, and how quickly the oiled wood needs to be used. The kicker is that the brush on the right actually cost us more! This tough finish also polishes to a high shine and repairs easily. Modern Danish Oil is a mixture of varnish and either linseed or tongue oil. Change sheets often, as shellac will quickly clog sandpaper. Lacquer also works well on most types of wood, except for oily exotics. undissolved flakes. This method is suitable when working on large areas, or when there is a limited amount of time available for oiling each day. All Rights Reserved. vertical for tall pieces, such as the legs You can also buy shellac premixed, it's slightly cheaper than polyurethane. It is also used mainly for boat, bow and arrowwood, kitchenware, and boxes woods! For an ultrasmooth, satin finish, Label the jar lid with the cut information, color, and date it was mixed. For a glossier finish, buff out the shellac with #0000 steel wool and mineral oil, proceed to dry rottenstone with a soft cloth, then top with a coat of hand-rubbed wax. If you want a smoother finish, go all out and apply three coats over three days, sanding the wet wood before drying it. Scrollsaw, Carving, and Decorative Projects, Strut your stuff with this shop-made flattening sled, Get wedged in when edge-gluing thin stock. Once mixed, shellac has a limited shelf life—after a year it won't fully cure—so you can whip up only the amount you need for a particular project and know the finish will cure properly.Second, you can experiment with how thick or thin you make it. Too old an oil may also turn tacky (surface dried but oil-in-wood hasn't). Because of the strong solvents, apply lacquer with a high-quality natural-bristle brush in a well-ventilated workspace. Spray lacquer dries within 30 minutes, so you don't need to wait long to apply additional coats. Shellac makes a great sealer for all types of wood, including resinous pine and oily exotics that can pose bonding problems for other finishes. The photograph below was taken at a low angle to show the low sheen finish after application and finishing with Danish Oil. Grey wood should be sanded back to a clean ‘bright’ surface. by determining how many ounces Our Danish Oil is based on Tung Oil, and is a penetrating oil which will ‘feed’ and protect wood. This method is suitable when working on large areas, or when there is a limited amount of time available for oiling each day. As with lacquer, don't apply shellac on humid days to avoid problems with blushing. (You can find inexpensive scales at office-supply stores.) spray lacquer with good results. To show this method, we again took an untreated oak chopping block. The finer the flakes, the easier they dissolve, so crush the flakes in a clean cloth before adding them. A natural, nontoxic resin, shellac comes in a food-grade formula used to coat many of the candies you snack on. Meet your new boyfriend Danish Oil. Weigh the proper amount of shellac flakes. Typically, boiled linseed oil or tung oil is used. Day three involved the same process again. We recommend that wood should not be subject to heavy use, and any water or other spills should be wiped off immediately during this time. certain cut, then weigh them out. Danish oil is a popular wood finish, and it’s basically a mixture of an oil, a varnish, and a thinner. Any fine dust wipes off with the excess oil. These secretions are collected and processed into flakes that dissolve in ethyl or denatured alcohol. There are 32 ounces in 2 lbs, and 8 pints in a gallon, so 32 divided by 8 equals 4 ounces of flakes. Varnished, shellaced, lacquered or heavily stained wood will usually present a surface barrier to absorption of the Danish Oil, and will need to be removed as necessary with a proprietary paint stripper. Remove all the dust from its surface. If you are a thrifter or a hand-me-down furniture lover take heed, your life is about to change. It penetrates into the wood, unlike a film finish, which sits on the surface. Mixing your own shellac, using flakes, offers a couple of advantages. excess. This method allows any nibs or dust to be removed with very fine grade wire wool or fine abrasive paper between coats of Danish Oil if necessary. Easy to apply, it looks good on a variety of woods and provides plenty of protection. Danish Oil may be applied to previously oiled surfaces. Danish Oil application method one – the ‘wet on wet’, single day application method. As you can see in this closeup of the edges, the brush on the right has much larger pores that leave a ragged edge and could even shed. Consider one of these three other clear finishes for your next project. Before applying to make sure that sanding is completed and your surface of the wood is smooth. After another hour we wiped the board again, although there were no obvious signs of surface oil at this stage and the board was dry to the touch, with a pleasant low sheen finish. It provides very good protection to woodworking project without obscuring the color and grain of the wood. Don't recoat until you don't smell the … The block was then left for 20 minutes before all excess oil was removed with a clean reg. I did not wet sand for very long, just 5-7 minutes. By this stage the oil was not soaking in very much and the block was looking really wet, with an obvious coating of oil on the surface: After another 20 minutes we returned and removed all the remaining Danish Oil from the surface with a clean rag: The board was left for one hour and then wiped over again to remove any oil that might have exuded back out of the pores of the wood. If there were any obvious dry areas we would have used more oil on just those areas at this stage. To mix up your own shellac, start To make a pint of 2-lb-cut shellac, you need to do a little math. To clean up brushes, rinse out the excess shellac with denatured alcohol, then wash them in a 50/50 mixture of hot water and household ammonia. But it can be polished to a high gloss to enhance the depth of the wood's grain. If you find that you're leaving brush marks, thin the shellac with alcohol. The brush on the left, made with a finer-celled foam, will lay down a smoother finish. Danish oil can add a beautiful finish to your wood and is fairly easy to use. Danish Oil application method two – the one coat a day method. Always apply it to clean, sanded wood for the best results. Although durable, shellac doesn't stand up well to heat or alcohol.