Watco Danish Oil

[Ross Lowry]

What are your thoughts on Watco Danish Oil?

[Jim Becker]

It's not unique...'just one brand of a very common wiping finish formula. Good, however. You can even make your own similar products by mixing your choice of oil based varnish 50/50 with mineral spirits for a wiping varnish and 33/33/33 with BLO, Varnish and mineral spirits for an oil-varnish.

[Thomas Pender]

I have used Watco for more than 25 years. If used according to the instructions, especially the flooding and wiping part, it produces consistent results. (The instuction about soaking the wiping cloths is also critical - the stuff will spontaneously combust). It also goes on great with old t-shirts, rubber applicators, whatever. In addition, it is important to sand properly (220 or even 320) and get as much of the dust off as you can - vacuum and tac cloth work well in combination. I also do not think it blotches much.

After is dries (at least two full days under good conditions), you can cover it with tung oil, poly, wax, you name it.

Another aspect of Watco stain is that it changes (cures?) as the wood ages - looks richer, etc. I have used it on red and white oak and occasionally ash with nice results - the medium walnut stain is very effective and common.

I have used dyes and prefer it to dyes. Fuming oak works differently, but I am not sure I do not like the Watco better. You also can mix it and it looks nice. (I also use gel stains, Rockler's mission oak, etc.)

Bottom line, I have bought lots of Watco and intend to continue buying it.

[Dennis Peacock]

I use it for my turnings and like it a great deal. However, I tend to bounce to various finishes for my turnings and always stick to shellac or lacquer for my furniture pieces. I like Watco...easy to apply and easy to fix.

[Howard Acheson]

Watco is one of many of the finishes called oil/varnish mixtures. These finishes are mixtures of varnish (resin), a drying oil (almost always linseed oil) and a thinner. Each manufacturer has his own recipe of different quantities of the three items. The more oil, the softer and more penetrating the finish. Increase the amount of resin and the finish is more durable but not as well absorbed. These finishes make a nice, in-the-wood finish and should not be overcoated with a film finish if you want the look and feel of the wood.

I think it is best and cheaper just to make your own. It's easy. Just mix equal parts of your favorite varnish or poly varnish, boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits. No need to buy a pre-mixed product.

Oil/varnish products have lots of marketing names. Danish oil, tung oil finish, Scandinavian oil, etc. Theres not much difference between them.

[Ross Lowry]

Thanks for your responses!
A cabinet maker told me he likes to put on about 7 coats, then finish it off with butchers wax.

[Prashun Patel]

Lotsa people say it's cheaper to make yr own finish oil. However, if you're an occasional finisher and don't have a huge project to do, then you'll have to buy more linseed and varnish and solvent than you'll need to finish the project. It's often just simpler to buy the premixed watco.

I've been using waterlox recently and really like it. I believe it has a tung oil (instead of linseed oil) base. It seems to have a higher varnish content, which means it builds and dries quicker than D-oil. But it's more expensive. It also doesn't come in 'colors'.

Another application tip: I like to apply the coats with successively finer grits of wet-dry sandpaper (320 up to 600). The slurry seems to fill pores.

[Steve Schoene]

Waterlox is a very good product, but it is entirely different from Watco. As was mentioned Watco is a mixture of oil and varnish, thinned to make it apply easier and to increase the profit. It must be thoroughly wiped off after having a short time to penetrate.

Waterlox is not a mixture. It is a varnish pure and simple. It can be applied in thin coats and be allowed to build a film. So it's applied differently, and gives quite a different look in the end.

[Prashun Patel]

Waterlox is not a mixture. It is a varnish pure and simple. It can be applied in thin coats and be allowed to build a film. So it's applied differently, and gives quite a different look in the end.

I believe that while it's applied like a wiping or brushing varnish - it's not a pure varnish. I believe it contains a certain amount of tung oil. I'm not an expert, but I've wiped/brushed both waterlox and 'varnish pure and simple'. The oil makes the wl flow, feel, and level differently from varnish (IMHO). I find it to be very forgiving bkz it takes a little longer to dry than poly or straight varnish. You can wipe it any which way, brush it back and forth, and it just levels up beautifully. In that way, I find it to apply like Danish oil.

Watco, also contains varnish-esque resins, but the high ratio of oil prevents it from building hard like Waterlox.

[Howard Acheson]

>> I believe that while it's applied like a wiping or brushing varnish - it's not a pure varnish. I believe it contains a certain amount of tung oil.

No, it's a varnish. It's a varnish made with phenolic resin and tung oil. All varnishes are a made with a resin and a drying oil. The two are mixed and then heated until the mixture changes into a new compound called varnish. At that point the two components are no longer identifiable but they do leave some of their unique characteristics in the new compound.

Manufacturers also vary the ratio of resin to oil to change the hardness and/or flexibility of the varnish. The more resin, the harder the finish. The more oil, the more flexible the finish. Waterlox Original Gloss and Satin are relatively hard finishes while the Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish is formulated to be soft and flexible.

[Prashun Patel]

I learn something every day here. Thanks. I still love Waterlox!