Danish vs Chinese Wood Oil

Chinese Wood Oil is an older name for Tung Oil. Danish Oil Finishes often contain Tung Oil as an ingredient but they may substitute Boiled Linseed Oil or variations instead.

- Andrew

Ray, Do ALL Danish oils have the driers and solvents you mention or are there exceptions? The reason I ask is that "Tried and True" "Danish" oil sold by Lee Valley claims not to have those "extra" ingredients. Have I been "shorted"? :-)

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M.J. Orr

As with most industries, the wood finish industry isn't consistent in it's naming conventions. Manufacturers play fast and loose with their names and marketing too. To kept it short ... don't trust what you read on the labels.

A "Danish Oil" is a finish that is an Oil / Varnish mixture in the commercial mixtures. There's some debate over whether a Danish Oil Finish has any Varnish at all in it though. Some do and some don't to all kinds of degrees in my experience. Along the same vein, some manufacturers include driers and solvents to decrease drying times and application properties.

So, the answer to your question is "NO, not all Danish Oil Finishes have the driers and solvents.". How do you know which do and which don't (assuming, of course, you don't automatically believe everything on a label)? For the average consumer, you can guess at it by seeing how fast the finish dries and how thick it is during application. The faster it dries and the thinner it is when applying then the more chance that there are driers and solvents in there.

Is the reason you ask about this because you are wondering about how appropriate a Danish Oil Finish would be for food contact items?

- Andrew

The flash point of Danish or Swedish oil is much lower than pure Tung oil. One night I had left the old Danish oil impregnated rags in one of the basement corner. At about 0300 am the smoke alarms went on. I just had time to place the rags into a steel container and moved them outside and use the garden hose. Every company have their own well guarded secret blend. The following site should give you technical data about the basic Danish/Swedish Oils.

Many oil mixtures are sold under the banner of Tung Oil and Tung Oil mixture. Pure tung oil is expensive and is as thick as molasses and hard to handle and dry. About 90% of Tung Oil and Tung Oil mixture sold only contain from 10% to 50% of pure tung oil. The other ingredients are spirit, natural wax, linseed oil, vanish and many other chemicals to make the product look good and easy to use. Today America have tung tree plantations and are producing their own oil. The following site should give you technical data about tung oil.

Denis

You probably had a Linseed Oil based varnish on the rags - I recently had a paper towel in my trash can that had Boiled Linseed Oil on it - My wife went out in the garage and said - "mmmm I like that smell" I went out and knew immeduiately what it was - the oiled rag was getting hot! So I picked it up and sure enough, it was hot and the paper edges were starting to curl - the Linseed Oil will spontaneously combust if left on a rag.

We have to be careful with the solvents!

Ray

Not at all Andrew. I just wanted to clarify the blanket statement that "Danish oils contain..............." For food items I much prefer Walnut oil...............Hopefully the "walnut oils ur gunna kill ya" crowd don't see this..........:-)

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M.J. Orr

Ahh, ok. My ears (or eyes in this case) always perk up when I see blanket statements too.

I was going to say that I don't use the Danish Oil types of finishes (or any poly/oil mixture for that matter) on my kitchenware. It's mainly because that they're a fairly soft finish for this kind of item but then there's the customer-perception issue of "food safe" finishes as well.

Whether those perceptions are valid or not, if I want to sell my items then I deal with them. The use of Walnut oil is one of them that I have to contend with too. Oh well.

- Andrew

Ray, I think your statement about "Linseed Oil will spontaneously combust if left on a rag." could be true, but only under the right conditions. Linseed oil, like most non-water based finishes have to be treated with due respect when disposing of used rags or paper towels. It has been suggested that they be spread out open, and allowed to dry in the presence of good air circulation. It is when they are crumpled up and or, thrown into a container with a lack of drying air, much like you did, that the chances of a problem increase.

James Barley

Tung, or China oil is also a polymerizing oil, and can produce enough heat to self-ignite if mishandled.

Don't buy the "organic" pressed walnut oil, buy the non-organic stuff extracted with solvent. With no (polar molecule) protein, the allergen, it's the one that's food safe for all. As long as it doesn't go rancid....