Danish Oil

[robert43]

Hi all I have just bought a Jazz body new no finish ( ash ) which I am going to cover by Danish oil.
I know you put about 8 coats on the body & wet rub with wet & dry paper ie 600 then 800 etc .
What I want to know can I leave the finish just Danish oil ?
or do I have to put a clear coat over it ? ( I know you leave it for a week or too after final oil coat )
At the hard ware shop a person told me to use bees wax as a final finish, has any 1 ever done this ?
How do you keep the oil clean ie clean the bass with natural Danish oil or bees wax ?
Thanks

 

[Daaniac]

We found that if your surface is sanded well enough, and you bring your coats on thin enough, you don't even always have to sand in between or afterwards. Just buff it. You don't need to clear coat it, although we have no experience with the duration yet. The whole process is so simple though that you can refinish without too much effort.

No experience with bees wax yet, although we know a guy who swears by it. It's supposed to be just as easy. "Rub on - Rub off"

 

[62bass]

Multiple coats of Danish Oil will give you decent protection and a satin "close to the wood" look. You don't need to clear coat it. Clear coating will change the look substantially, to more of a standard gloss finish. These modern Danish or Swedish or Scandanavian oil finishes are actually a blend of a drying oil, a varnish and a solvent. They dry quite hard and give decent protection from dirt, water, etc.

You can wax it later, after the last coat has thoroughly dried, with any good furniture paste wax. Beeswax will work too but is softer. Clear shoe polish will work too. The wax won't really add much protection but it will look a bit nicer and doing it makes you feel like you're helping your bass out some so there's nothing wrong with it.

 

[FBB Custom]

The nice thing about wax is that it is easy to "refresh" the finish periodically by re-applying the wax. It also brings out some of the color of the wood if you have knocked down the oil with steel wool, which you may have to do if the coats start getting tacky.

 

[Lonnybass]

Here's what my bass build looked like after six coats of Danish Oil. As you can see, by this point it would have been a perfectly satisfactory, nice professional look. I put about four more coats on to bring out the flame as much as possible, then put about 10 coats of polyurethane over the top for added protection and shine, but that was just my preference as I wanted a higher gloss finish.

Keep in mind that oil may seep from open pores for an hour or so after you apply it, so make sure to periodically check on the body as it dries so you can rub out any spotted areas. Definitely not something to just leave to dry on its own - otherwise your bass will have freckles until you put on the next coat.

Lonnybass

 

[jrfrond]

The key to a Danish Oil finish is to sand it in and work up a slurry on the first couple of coats (friction and heat are the keys), then wipe the slurry off ACROSS the grain. What happens is that you've created your own natural grain filler. After this coat dries, you can burnish it with 4/0 steel wool, and then apply more coats to build a gloss.

You CAN shoot over Danish Oil, but in this case, you just want to wipe it on to accent the grain and wipe it off. Let it dry thoroughly before shooting. If you use a darker color on lighter woods, like quilt or flame maple, it will really make the grain "pop" when you hit it with lacquer, almost a 3D effect.

 

[robert43]

Thanks for the help I am going to go the natural look ie no clear coat
Will post pictures when done

 

[62bass]

Have fun. Buy some scrap hardwood and practice first. To clean your bass, just wipe with a slightly damp cloth when needed. Sometimes you might need to add a drop of dishwashing liquid to the water. That'll keep it clean. You don't need any of the exotic sounding cleaners on the market. Don't use any spray on waxes like Pledge. They contain silicone which you don't want on your finish. Silicone can interfere with future refinishing if you need it. Give your final coat of finish lots of time to harden before you try to buff it out. A couple weeks is good and work in a warm room. Those finishes harden best in temperatures above 70F.

 

[robert43]

Thanks will do

 

[Greenman]

The key to a Danish Oil finish is to sand it in and work up a slurry on the first couple of coats (friction and heat are the keys), then wipe the slurry off ACROSS the grain. What happens is that you've created your own natural grain filler. After this coat dries, you can burnish it with 4/0 steel wool, and then apply more coats to build a gloss.

+1 but I don't care for steel wool because it breaks apart during use. I like using a piece of burlap.