Chestnut Products FO1 Finishing Oil – 1 litre

Finishing Oil is our version of Danish Oil* and uses Tung Oil as its base but with the addition of solvents and driers. This aids the drying of the product and speeds it up dramatically, so that it’s dry within eight hours. It has a pale amber colour and dries to a hard yet flexible film which is very hardwearing and water resistant.
Finishing Oil contains UV filters to protect the dried finish, and the colour of the timber beneath.

For a high gloss finish apply several coats with a light rub down between coats; after 5 or 6 coats a good sheen should be visible.

Finishing Oil is normally applied by cloth but on larger areas a brush can be used very successfully.

*Danish Oil was and is a product championed by Rustins. The late, great Ronnie Rustin was very kind and helpful to us in our early years and we didn’t re-use the name as a mark of respect.

Oils

Oil finishes are sometimes described as just being slow-drying varnishes which is technically incorrect on many levels. Oils are usually based on slow drying resins, which means the oil has time to penetrate the timber before it dries. This in turn seals the timber, leaving a hard wearing coating that almost becomes part of the wood itself.

Penetrating the timber helps the oil bind to the surface, and ensures a thin coat. Oils are also quite flexible so if the timber moves slightly (either whilst drying or if damaged) they won’t crack, thus making them chip resistant too.
Being slow drying makes oils very easy to apply and also very forgiving; it’s difficult to go wrong with an oil finish (but not impossible so don’t see that as a challenge!)

The choice of oils can be confusing, they all have different properties for drying, hardness and clarity…

Tung Oil is a pure oil, with no solvents or driers. This makes it quite slow drying but perfect if you want a completely natural finish. It dries to a tough, hard-wearing finish.

Finishing Oil contains tung oil to make it tough , but is modified to dry quicker, in about eight hours.

Hard Wax Oil is a clear, very tough finish and the quickest drying of our oils at around four hours.

Lemon Oil is a clear, matt finish which will protect your work without giving it a discernible coating – but you’ll know it’s there!

And Food Safe Finish is perfect for salad bowls, chopping boards, wooden spoons and the like where a safe-for-food-contact finish is essential.