How To Use Danish Oil To Correctly Oil Wood Worktops
Oiling your wooden worktop will not only help it better stand up to the challenges of your kitchen; it’ll keep it looking good for longer. A great way to stop your worktop from warping or bowing, the application of Danish Oil to your worktop will also make it water resistant. With a truly natural look, Danish Oil won’t make your worktop shiny like varnish; it’ll simply enhance its natural good looks.
Danish Oil, which is based on Tung oil, is sometimes called Chinese Wood oil. It is extracted from nuts, then processed and blended with synthetic resins and other oils to make it easy to apply, at the same time as making it particularly enriching for wood. Once Danish Oil has been applied to wood in its liquid form, it subsequently dries to a hard, durable and water resistant seal, serving to protect your wood against the trials and tribulations that life throws at it. Unlike many other oils, Danish Oil dries quickly which means that it doesn’t attract dust. One of the other great things about Danish Oil is that it’s so easy to apply. In fact, using Danish Oil on worktops couldn’t be simpler.
Applying Danish Oil to a new wooden worktop
If you’re installing a brand new wooden worktop, it’s essential that you treat it with Danish Oil before installation, otherwise the areas that are difficult (or even impossible) to access afterwards will remain untreated, leaving them at risk of damage. So, before you install your new wood worktop you should make sure you oil absolutely every surface to protect it. When you’re preparing your worktop for installation, it’s important that you apply 3 to 4 coats of oil to both surfaces and the edges to make sure your worktop is fully protected for it’s journey ahead. If you’d rather not do this job yourself, your worktop supplier may well offer to deliver your worktop already treated and ready to install. At Wood and Beyond, we offer a Danish Oiling service as part of our bespoke services, enabling you to take delivery of your worktop in a ready to install condition.
Once your worktop is in place, it’s important that you oil it a couple of times a week for the first two to three weeks.
Applying Danish Oil to a worktop that’s already in place
When it comes to maintaining your wooden worktop, it’s essential that you make sure you oil your worktop on a regular basis. Three or four times a year should suffice, but if you’re in any doubt, it’s worth topping up the coating.
How to apply Danish Oil
As we’ve already mentioned, one of the great things about Danish Oil is that you don’t need to be any sort of expert to apply it successfully. The best way to apply oil to your wooden worktop is to pour it straight on to the wood. Try to always work in the direction of the grain and work the oil outwards with a clean, dry, soft cotton cloth. Aim to achieve a thin, even covering across the whole area of your worktop. Each time you apply a coat, leave it for about ten minutes and rework it with your cloth to get a nice, even coating. If you find that the worktop looks a bit patchy at the start, don’t worry because this will even out as you build up more coats of oil. The final finish should have a nice even sheen to it.
Thanks for the comment. If the worktop surface was not treated well, then the best way forward is to sand the top and then oil it with at least 3 coats of Danish oil.
You don't seem to have answered Wendy Nealon's question about the tacky, smeared finish that gets worse if you rub it. I have been applying Rustins Danish oil for years and now, all of a sudden, it has done exactly what Wendy says. I did what I always do: a light sanding to a achieve a smooth finish and to remove any wax and then applied the oil evenly with clean cloths, but this time it is tacky and smears easily after over 36 hours since application. Rubbing it makes it worse. What are we doing wrong, please?
We have forward your comments to Rustin (maker of Danish Oil in the UK) and will advise shortly once we hear back.
Thanks for your patience.
Regards,
Jonathan
Could you please advise if you have an update on the last item as I too am having the same problem.
Kind Regards
Rob
We are chasing them again for an answer on why it has stayed tacky and how to resolve the issue. I will post their answer the moment it comes in.
I have had my Iroko worktops for 13 years and for the first few years I oiled it as directed with a perfect finish & it looked amazing. It was so easy to keep in perfect condition and I loved it. Then suddenly a few years ago it just stopped doing the job! It was always really tacky and just wouldn't dry to a hard finish even though I wiped off excess oil. I've always used Ruskins Danish oil and I've tried sanding it down, cleaning with white spirit and then oiling following the instructions but it just feels really tacky which is horrible to work on in your kitchen. Please help. I really hope Ruskins can help as serious advise is required.
rubed down with bleach and now have white patch !
what to do?
Simply sand it down using sanding paper or hand buffer (easier). The process is quick and does not require special skills.
1. How old is your danish oil? The dryers in danish oil eventually go off in the tin so it is always best to buy a new tin everytime as old danish oil will not dry and will go tacky.
2. Did you leave enough time between coats? If you apply another coat on top of one that has not sufficiently dried this will result in a tacky finish because the layer beneath is trapped by the top layer as it dries.
3 always apply thin coats and leave 12 hours between coats. It is better to apply 6 thin coats that are perfectly dry than 3 coats that are rushed and struggle to dry properly.
4. If you find a tacky finish simply rub methylated spirits over the surface this should remove the oil sufficiently without raising the grain of the wood. Then reapply the oil in thin layers.
I use rustins on my walnut worktops using this method and have never had an issue.
Ps. If you're doing a top up coat always rub meths onto existing surface before application.
Pps someone mentioned black marks: never try to sand these out - apply lighter fluid to offending marks and light them - the heat brings marks out, no problem!
Hope this is helpful!