Danish oil

[Fumbler]

I am currently finishing a burl bowl with Danish Oil and was curios to know if the temperature affects absorption? I am aware that cooler temps extend drying/curing time but will the cool weather hinder the absorption?

[Euge]

I am not a turner but used Danish Oil a lot on other wood items I made and sold. Looking at it scientifically….Absorption rate IS effected by temperature. The lower the temperature the higher the viscosity and that reduces the flow rate / mobility of the oil into the wood.

Drying rate is less a function of temperature unless there is a solvent involved eg turps. (Lower temps then reduce the loss of solvent from the oil.)
Drying rate of drying oils require oxygen ie less dependent on temperature. Hope helps explain the physics and chemistry

[Fumbler]

Euge, thank you. makes sense.

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Euge, thank you. makes sense.

Hi Fumbler, What Euge said is correct of course, but I have also found that different brands of so called 'Danish Oil' are very different in nature. Some are basically polyurethane while some are mixes of different oils including Tung Oil. I had a lot of trouble getting one brand to dry even in summer (so gave a way the can!) but the Rustins brand Danish oil I prefer polymerises well even in a Queensland winter (though it is slower).

David

[tony_A]

Rustins brand Danish oil I prefer polymerises well even in a Queensland winter (though it is slower).

David

I like Rustins DO also, seems to polymerise fine in our balmy Tassie winters.
Tony

[Euge]

Rustins was what I used and liked also.
But one must concede that product formulations ie compoistion of oils called "Danish Oil" will change and so will viscosity, drying time etc

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

As you can tell from the above replies, it's not a simple yes/no answer any more.

100% Tung Oil's drying time is heavily temperature dependent.

"Traditional" DO's, derived from a Tung Oil base with other oils added to shorten cure time (eg. TO/BLO/Turps blends) to a slightly lesser degree, but still significant.

"Modern" DO's - which are basically a can of PolyU waved over a teaspoon of TO - are significantly less temp dependent, although I wouldn't go apply a coat in single digit weather.

I, for one, am becoming increasingly annoyed at the number of products being marketed as Danish Oil that actually aren't. Mainly because it muddies the issue about what we're actually using when we talk about it, not for any dislike of the individual products.

Bloody marketing...