Danish oil vs boiled linseed oil
Watco Danish Oil goes on in one session, wet-on-wet, and is ready for use in 8–10 hours. Finico’s linseed oil is wiped off after 15–20 minutes, then needs 12 hours before the second coat and 24 before each one after, and 2 days before use.
Watco prints 220–300 sq ft per gallon and says not to thin; Finico prints 120–230 sq ft per litre (about 450–870 per gallon) and thins with 30 % oil thinner. Finico warns that oily rags can catch fire by themselves: soak them in water or lay them flat to dry.
Side by side
| Property | Danish oil | Boiled linseed oil |
|---|---|---|
| Touch-dry | Not printed by the maker we read | Not printed by the makers we read |
| Recoat | Not printed by the maker we read | Finico Linseed Oil: 12–24 h |
| Ready for use | Watco Danish Oil: 8–10 h (ready for use) | Finico Linseed Oil: 48 h (use (first damp cleaning after 14 days)) |
| Full cure | Not printed by the maker we read | Not printed by the makers we read |
| Coverage | Watco Danish Oil: 220–300 sq ft per gallon | Finico Linseed Oil: 120–230 sq ft per litre |
| Thinning | Watco Danish Oil: Do not thin | Finico Linseed Oil: Dilute with 30 % oil thinnerSunnyside Boiled Linseed Oil: Up to 2:1 with mineral spirits |
| Makers say it is for | Not printed by the maker we read | Not printed by the makers we read |
| Makers say not for | Not printed by the maker we read | Not printed by the makers we read |
The products behind it
| Product | Touch-dry | Recoat | Use | Full cure | Coverage | Thinning and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watco Danish Oil One source: Rust-Oleum (Watco), the maker of that product | — | —let it soak in 30 minutes, reapply and wait 15 more, then wipe completely dry | 8–10 hready for use | — | 220–300 sq ft per gallon | Thinning: Do not thin.Conditions: Apply at 60–90 °F, RH under 85 %.Wait 72 hours before a polyurethane topcoat; natural drying oils and rosin ester. |
| Finico Linseed Oil One source: Finico (Tembi), the maker of that product | — | 12–24 hwipe off the excess after 15–20 minutes | 48 huse (first damp cleaning after 14 days) | — | 120–230 sq ft per litre | Thinning: Dilute with 30 % oil thinner.First coat 12 hours, later coats 24 hours. Rags can catch fire by themselves: soak them in water or lay them flat to dry. |
| Sunnyside Boiled Linseed Oil One source: Sunnyside Corporation, the maker of that product | — | — | — | — | — | Thinning: Up to 2:1 with mineral spirits.Flax oil with additives to shorten its drying time; the sheet gives no dry times. |
Related
Work it out for your project
Times are the makers' own at the temperature and humidity they name, and several of them say cooler, damper conditions slow their finishes. For how much to buy, the finish coverage calculator uses these same coverage figures. Every finish side by side: the finish dry time chart. What the federal rules say about finishes and food: food-contact finishes.
Elsewhere in finishing: shellac and the shellac cut calculator; for repairs before the finish, wood filler vs wood putty; and for the glue-up, wood glue types.