A customer told me my Danish oil finish felt tacky after 3 months

They were right, I was putting it on too thick and not wiping off the excess enough. Has anyone else had to relearn the basics after a rude awakening like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

ellis.susan23d ago

Oh man, I feel this so much! I did the exact same thing with Danish oil on a walnut table I was so proud of. For weeks I was like, "Why is this still sticky?" Turns out I was basically just slathering it on and leaving a puddle instead of wiping it bone dry between coats. I finally had to sand the whole thing down and start over, which was a huge pain. Now I literally set a timer and buff the heck out of it after like 15 minutes no matter how shiny it looks. Your mileage may vary but that little change saved my sanity.

tyler49223d ago

So is the secret to Danish oil just treating it like a misbehaving child and not letting it sit around doing nothing? It's funny, when I first started woodworking I thought "more oil" meant "better finish." Turns out I was just making a sticky mess that collected every dust particle in a three mile radius. I ended up having to scrub mine with mineral spirits and let it dry for a week before starting over. Now I treat the whole process like I'm trying to get a stubborn stain out of carpet - dab, rub, dab, rub, and don't stop until you see the rag coming up clean.