Danish Oil

Sanding, rusticating, sandblasting, buffing, etc. All here.
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SaltedPlug
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Danish Oil

Post by SaltedPlug »

I bought a beautiful Regina Scarlatta with very well-defined dragon scale ring blast, smoked it twice and put it down as the inner rim discolored from smoke. Unlike smooth pipes, the residue of the smoke won't rub off.

I read that Danish Oil might seal what must be porous, unsealed wood.

Questions:

1) Is Watco Danish Oil a good bet?
2) Is this all I need to do to produce a surface that can be cleaned of the smoke residue? From what I read carnauba wax will deteriorate from the heat.

Thank you in advance for any help.
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sandahlpipe
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Re: Danish Oil

Post by sandahlpipe »

Get and read Bob Flexner's book on wood finishes. It will answer more questions than anybody on the forum can. It's also a great resource.

Danish oil can be used for a pipe finish with good results. Watco is a good brand. Follow the directions and test it on scraps before using it on a pipe.

As for carnauba, it will eventually wear off and need to be buffed again. With good preparation and wax application, you can get a reasonably durable finish with carnauba.

With any finish, the key to a good finish is a good pre-finish. Make sure you have sanded evenly and thoroughly and clean the surface well.
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W.Pastuch
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Re: Danish Oil

Post by W.Pastuch »

Jeremiah, since I started buying a book each month for the shop and you have recommended this book severql times, I want to buy it, can you just clarify which one is it- "Understanding wood finishes" or "wood finishing 101"?
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sandahlpipe
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Re: Danish Oil

Post by sandahlpipe »

Understanding Wood Finishes. Though I'm sure the other one would be good as well.
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scotties22
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Re: Danish Oil

Post by scotties22 »

Watco Danish Oil is a wonderful product. What I like about it is that you can get it tented. The Dark Walnut is a beautiful brown that really adds depth to a brown stained pipe.

Apply a thick coat of Danish Oil and let it sit for 20 minutes. Wipe off the excess. Give the wood at least 24 hours to dry (I prefer 48 hours). Repeat the process at least 3 times (I prefer 4 times). Before you put a topcoat or wax on you should really give the final coat of oil at least 72 hours to dry. If your shop is humid (like mine is) take the pipe in your house in between coats. Try to keep the oil out of the chamber. A bit of bleed through or a drip isn't the end of the world, though. Just make sure the oil if fully cured before you smoke it.

** These instructions came from a woodworker that has over 30 years of woodworking experience and is considered an expert in the field. When I use Danish Oil I follow these instructions explicitly.
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SaltedPlug
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Re: Danish Oil

Post by SaltedPlug »

Thank you for the replies!
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Literaryworkshop
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Re: Danish Oil

Post by Literaryworkshop »

Watco Danish oil works great, though I find it a little too thin for my preferences. I now put together my own Danish oil mix (equal parts odorless mineral spirits, safflower oil, and polyurethane) which builds a finish a little better than the Watco.

Anyhow, when you use the Watco, don't follow the directions to the letter. I believe the directions currently instruct you to wipe off the excess finish after 15-30 minutes, but I've gotten much better results by letting the oil dry for several hours (this on the advice of Bob Flexner's articles, plus my own experience of forgetting that I've got some finish drying) and then wiping off the excess with a clean cloth. At that point, the surface should be a little tacky, but some gentle buffing with a clean cloth will produce a nice, smooth surface. Normally on a piece of furniture you would apply more than one coat, but for pipes I think most of us will apply wax over the Danish oil, so one coat of the oil is generally sufficient to seal everything in.

I usually apply the oil with a cotton swab. Be especially careful around the rim, as you want to keep the oil out of the chamber.
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Jeff_Grivers
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Re: Danish Oil

Post by Jeff_Grivers »

Lest say im doing a contrast stained pipe. I put my darker undercoat on then sand it and then i put my topcoat, let say a medium brown on top which will not be sanded. Then i put the danish oil on? Once the applying of the danish oil coats are completed then you go to you white diamond and carnuba wax? I am just trying to get the order down and find out at what phase the danish oil comes in. I would think the oil goes on once all your staining is done so it seals the stains and then you move on to your buffing process? Is this correct?
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Sasquatch
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Re: Danish Oil

Post by Sasquatch »

Yes, but everyone's process is kinda different too. Top staining, then clear coating, then buffing.... is dangerous, because if you overbuff even a tiny bit you'll make a color change.
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sandahlpipe
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Re: Danish Oil

Post by sandahlpipe »

Try the oil and wipe off the excess, but then make sure it is fully cured before attempting to buff. Go ahead and oversand and overbuff a bit so you know how to fix it and develop a feel for the boundaries. You’ll get better results by trying things and making mistakes than getting the “perfect” finishing process spoon fed. I’ve screwed up a bunch of finishes and had to go back to bare briar, but my smooth finishes are looking halfway decent now.


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Jeff_Grivers
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Re: Danish Oil

Post by Jeff_Grivers »

Thanks for the responses guys much appreciated.

Sandahl thats what i am going to do just get into it and experiment with it. This pipe got messed up a little earlier on in the process with some flaws so this is a good pipe to test it on. I have already done the black under stain in which i heated the wood first and then wet sanded which i had good results with. I just put a topcoat of brown on today and applied the first coat of danish oil. I will continue and hopefully post a pic of the end results in a few days once the oil cures and i can buff. Thanks guys.
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