Danish oil on birch question

[Mike Schmall]

I've never used danish oil before and I thought that I'd try it after seeing some pictures of other projects. I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right decision. I have put on about four coats and it looks very bland. I was expecting to put on better than ten coats but I just don't see anything happenning yet. Could it just be the wood and not the finish? It's a birch gunstock that I stripped and reshaped, then I sprayed it with DNA based dye to get the color I wanted. I know that the danish oil will bring out the grain in a nice piece of wood but should I switch to a wiping varnish like the formsby tung oil finish that I already have, or do I give the danish oil more coats?

Thanks, Mike

[Scott Holmes]

Danish oil is an oil/varnish blend. After about 3 or 4 coats not much else will happen; the wood is sealed and the oil/varnish blend cannot soak in any more and all will be wiped off.

Yes you can use a wiping varnish over it. It will not enhance the grain much but it will build a film finish which the oil/varnish blend cannot.

[Mike Schmall]

I switched to the formsby tung oil finish, and the stock looks much better. I'm thinking that the birch just doesn't finish very well. It looks a lot better than the factory finish, but it's not walnut. I understand why people get frustrated and paint them. On a good note, I learned a lot from evryone here when it comes to finishing. I also refinished a key rack that I made from poplar. I sprayed it with dye then used the formsby. Wow, what a difference. I originally used poly shades on it and it looked like crap. Now it's something that I'm proud to say that I made. Thanks for all the help, I've really enjoyed working on all of these projects lately, very satisfying to have something turn out great looking.

[Scott Holmes]

Mike,

Here's another tip... Buy a quality varnish say Cabot 8000 (old McCloskey) or Pratt & Lambert #38 and mix it 50/50 with mineral spirits (MS). Both are alkyd resin/soya oil varnishes.

You have just made your own "Mike's Tung Oil Finish"

Formby actually thins an alkyd resin/soya oil varnish 80% with MS; so, yours will build fast and cost about 30% of what Formby's charges for "Formby's Tung Oil finish"

Note: neither have any tung oil in them.

[Mike Schmall]

Mike,

Here's another tip... Buy a quality varnish say Cabot 8000 (old McCloskey) or Pratt & Lambert #38 and mix it 50/50 with mineral spirits (MS). Both are alkyd resin/soya oil varnishes.

You have just made your own "Mike's Tung Oil Finish"

Formby actually thins an alkyd resin/soya oil varnish 80% with MS; so, yours will build fast and cost about 30% of what Formby's charges for "Formby's Tung Oil finish"

Note: neither have any tung oil in them.

Thanks Scott, because of you I'm going to have to find another project, since I'll be making my own finish. Maybe I'll refinish all the doors in the house.