Oil Finish Comparison - woodworking

In this video I compare some common Oil Finishes.
How do they look on wood? Can you build a film finish with boiled linseed oil, tung oil, danish oil, tru oil?
Music:
"Corncob" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons...

[@eberp9270]

8 years later and this is still the best comparison video.

[@elska-jo]

I know this is years later, but thank you so much for this video. It was exactly what I was looking for, to the point, and I love that you showed the sheen on the wood after it dried on all the oils. That's something I couldn't find and it made my decision for using Danish Oil so much easier!

[@user-vc5rp7nf8f]

Nice comparison. I like how you painted them side by side, instead of just talking about them like 90% of the other videos

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Cheers! Glad you like it!

[@WilliamClevelandKC]

.m. (

[@dari564]

yeah, no bullshit, very well done and useful!

[@Godzilla2k69]

What about tung oil with beeswax as a finish ?

[@azorin99]

@@Godzilla2k69 I have been considering exactly this. Any luck? Tung oil is quite satin, and I was thinking a bit of bee's wax would buff to a nice sheen

[@philliplbeard1481]

Maybe the best discussion of finishing oils I have seen. The experiment with what the "after three weeks dry" oils look like is brilliant--thanks!

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you :)

[@jesshothersall]

Thanks for the demo. I put two coats of boiled linseed oil on my tumbled marble kitchen floor tiles when we laid them about 15 years ago. Nothing but nothing has ever stained them not even beetroot juice! I also put raw linseed on the old oak block flooring after I moved in, they were covered in builders dust. It produced a deep soft sheen, quite dark, I wash the wooden floor with fairy liquid in hot water, which does not penetrate into the wood past the oil. I've used linseed oil for years to restore old wood, and terracotta tiles. Personally I prefer it to anything else? (Does go dark though)

[@JesusChristIsLord__]

This really helped me with deciding what oil to use. I needed an oil to darken pine to match aged pine (~10 years) and not have a sheen (the aged pine is natural wood, no finish). I decided on Tung oil, which has no/minimal sheen. A BIG THANK YOU!

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

You're welcome!

[@philmcclenaghan7056]

I come back to this video every few years; it really helps me.

[@alexp7016]

This is exactly what I was looking for! Such a professional display, and so much care taken in the consideration of each finish. Thank you!

[@annajohansson3554]

Great comparison for a novice like myself. Was interested especially in Danish Oil and I'm going with that now, it seems to have the qualities I was looking for. Thanks!

[@fordfan3179]

I'm staining a civil war gun I salvaged. I think you showed me the linseed oil is best for what I'm doing and it's what was used in the 1860s

[@rjlchristie]

Danish oils have no standard formulation, linseed and/or tung based they can have other added constituents such as urethanes added purely at the discretion of each particular manufacturer. (Tru oil is exactly one such formulation). Danish oil performances will vary. Cross linking of fatty acids in linseed and tung oils causes these oils to harden and this process is facilitated by oxygen and UV light (also chemical driers and/or modifying the oil by boiling). The spot test used is not indicative of how such oils typically behave on wood: that is, in a very thin film where and oxygen exposure is greater and the hardening is accelerated. You'll need to wait months for those test spots of oil to harden fully.

[@browpetj]

The only standards here are boiled linseed and pure Tung. It is sad that the market has come to this. All of the other oils tested here are subject to economic adjustment (as they call it in the industry) in the next 10 years or so. More than half of the market now is destroyed by manufacturers trying to make formulations that are engineered to fail a year outside or less than 5 years inside. We chemical engineers are given these values to work to for design life unfortunately :( The initial finish is far more important to manufacturers... you never get a second chance to make a first impression! ...The baastuuds! :(

[@browpetj]

There will be no longterm case studies with these proprietary formulations because the manufacturers dont want people to have them. They are designed to be surplus to requirement anyway to save costs. The finish will quickly become unacceptable or worse, start rotting. Companies will typically change formulations as frequently as every year and as infrequently as every 10 years if they survive now. NEVER TRUST THESE MANUFACTURERS.

[@z1522]

No discussion about constituents; oils like linseed and tung slowly polymerize with air exposure (and creating the risk of fires from this heating reaction in rags, etc.), and within wood fibers can become increasingly solid over time. Adding shellac or varnish type materials makes for a fast drying seal that may not penetrate into fibers but just stay on the surface, making no fibers harder but leaving only a superficial coating that is only as strong as that layer. Oils can be re-applied for decades with no need to resurface, sand, or remove prior coats, and eventually become a deep permanent protective melding with the wood. Quality solid woods meant to last decades need nothing other than good hardening oil finishes.

[@polymerasiecondens6857]

So what should i use? Varnish or wood ouil?

[@xaviermontegue5289]

Thank you, that's exactly what I needed to know to select a finish for my guitar neck. You're drying/hardness experiment is priceless!

[@Realcadillacjames]

Dude appreciate the video but what are you saying the 3rd oil from the right is. Are you saying heart oil?

[@unlustig1]

@@Realcadillacjames "Hartöl" = hard oil.

[@darrenswoodworks8695]

That's the kind of comparison we need. Now we can choose what works best for ourselves for the project we are working at that time. There is no one finish for all projects. But knowing how they react will help us choose what we need. Thank you.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Glad you like it :)

[@gavanbourke]

Really useful. It would be interesting how each oil performs on other woods.

[@holohulolo]

This is the most helpful kind of review and product comparisons. Even had his own experiment which actually provides better insight on the difference between the different oil finishes. Concise and insightful.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you very much

[@darrisnelson5223]

This is such a great comparison! Also, I don’t want my teak dining table to darken and would want a bit more protection. Looks like the Danish oil may be the right choice for me. Thanks so much!

[@johnnylove-lace4153]

Nicely done.. liked how you showed the light on each oil finish. Best I've watched on this subject.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you :)

[@Jorduan100]

Excellent video, thanks for the information. I have been hesitant to use my old danish oil for my swamp-ash bass guitar renovation, but now I am quite sold on it.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

+Jordan Shepherd :-)

[@asigari0711]

I truly appreciate the amount care and time you put into this video, very informative and super helpful.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Cheers! Glad you like it!

[@sabinestark1390]

Thank you for taking the time to share these discoveries!

[@magnoliablanche]

Thanks for the last experiment. It changed my decision on which finish to get taking into consideration the strength after it dries!

[@greenpea9412]

Fantastic example and side by side compairson. Showing how each of them dried is helpful to know as well. Thank you for sharing. I am getting ready to try and repair at sun bleached bay window seal at my mothers home. The wood gets a lot of light and has created some hairline cracks and the finish is gone more or less. I think the Danish oil would be a good choice.

[@tonyalways7174]

Fabian is definitely the go-to KZbinr for finishing. Another great video and much appreciated. 👍🏻

[@ken444444]

Graet video. Simple, quick and to the point. Thanks for taking the time to put this together!

[@philip771]

Absolutely brilliant, thank you! Just the comparison between linseed and Danish oil has convinced me to use linseed to re-oil our Oak worktops, as the original Danish oil was too shiny and we want less sheen. Thank you!

[@andrewpearce6082]

Great video, thank you. Short, to the point, and told me exactly what I wanted to know without wasting time doing it. You have a new subscriber.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you! Glad you like it!!

[@ATINKERER]

Great video! You really showed the difference between the finishes and explained film & in-the-wood finishes, Thank you.

[@DerekPetersonLives]

Extremely helpful! Looks like I'll be going with tru oil :)

[@drummosborne]

Thank you. It responded exactly to my choice of which finish to use on a wood slab bar counter.

[@CrazyPetesProjects]

thank you, I've been looking for a comparison like this for abit. probably going with true oil for my gun stock now

[@thebudkellyfiles]

Thanks for the informative video. I am getting ready to finish a walking stick of white oak, and your video has helped me decide on boiled linseed oil.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Appreciate you checking it out! Boiled linseed oil seems to be a good choice for a walking stick.

[@yolandamorphakis3598]

Best video, clear and concise, shows pros and cons...helped me with my chair restoration. Thanks

[@chris_thornborrow]

After watching this I bought tru-oil. This was great information for a beginner looking for solid advice about finishing, It was really great that you also did the hardness after drying test. Really great work. Subscribing.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

+Chris Thornborrow thank you for your words! i really appreciate that!

[@utubetbd]

Thank you, that was a very informative. It was very thoughtful to show the side by side comparison on plastic three weeks later.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thanks for checking it out

[@Samulisami]

This video convinced me to use tru-oil to finish my project guitar! Thanks for the awesome vid!

[@crankydoodle3019]

Nice comparison^^ and I might consider an other oil if I happen to have some woodware I wanna protect, but for tools the linseed oil is just the cheapest and best in my oppinion not only does it protect the wood, but also the metal I use it on axes, spades and all sorts of gardening and woodworking tools so far and it really does a great job

[@bobmcboberson816]

Thank you for this I couldn't decide between Danish or Tung oil

[@azorin99]

Nice video. I like your methodical approach. Tung oil will eventually dry very hard, but it can take up to two months depending on the environment & number of coats etc.

[@bdaboodee3918]

I think a main point was missed by this clip. Oil is used as an easily renewable finish and is meant to be reapplied. Wood is porous and absorbs the oil unlike plastic. Any of these hand rubbed products works well, it should mostly depend the use of the item finished. My personal preference is 4 coats of linseed oil cut with pure turpentine, it dries in about 5 hours between coats. I have renewed several of my pieces over a 25 year period. A light sanding (400 to 1000 grit) is all that is generally required. I prefer not to use paper towel for application, I use a natural hair brush or spray, then wipe with a lint free cloth. The plastic drying comparison is misleading, you will never get those results on wood unless you have misused the product as in the use on plastic.

[@roroflowazoro]

I think I might go with ting oil

[@roroflowazoro]

Tung oil

[@DarkLinkAD]

Turpentine from home depot is fake, Gotta go to an Art supply for the real stuff.

[@mikesansoucy5662]

Thank you! Great experiment! You just saved me so much time experimenting with Tung oil as a potential replacement for more expensive tru-oil... I will continue to use tru-oil. Thanks again!

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

:)

[@thomasraven2024]

Excellent video! I'm debating on oil or varnish for a yacht cabin and am super torn. But it's actually really nice to have this comparison due to the fact that I'm sure True Oil will be great for a nice, hard, smooth sheen with a bit more of a dirt and knock resistant surface. So thank you! :)

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you :)

[@Craz3dApprentice]

Thank you for this video it definitely helped in my decision on which oil to use

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

+Craz3dApprentice you're welcome :)

[@justinlombardo9388]

I have been trying to figure out what finish to use for awhile and this has helped more than anything else. Excellent video, thank you!!!

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Justin Lombardo You're welcome!

[@0j0nn]

Fabian's Tiny Workshop woher bekommt man denn das tru oil in Deutschland?

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

0j0nn www.waffenpflege-shop.de/schaftoel-tru-oil-naturoel.html oder www.birchwoodcasey-deutschland.de/tru-oil-holzoel.html

[@0j0nn]

Danke!

[@BiologistRyan]

Awesome video I've been bouncing back and forth what the heck to use on a cedar project. Building a wood collar for a keezer and was pretty set on danish oil and this solidifies my decision. Thanks!

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

:-)

[@allanstewart2790]

Excellent demonstration ! The examples of different oils separated by masking tape, on the one piece of wood was simple yet remarkably effective; it showed me within moments, the finish I was looking for . AND.............NO STUPID BACKGROUND MUSIC ! ! Well done you ! Give yourself a pat on the back. (. A J. Scotland )

[@greenbudkelly2820]

Excellent video. I need to refinish a gun stock. Linseed oil and Danish oil are the traditional choices.

[@ryanjohnson9838]

Great way to conduct this comparison, thank you!

[@MlnscBoo]

Awesome, you've answered my question. I'm going to sand down and refinish my guitar neck soon and I've been wanting to know which is the darkest and softest oil to use. Darkest for cosmetics and softest for the ease of sliding up and down the guitar neck. So yeah I'm definitely going to use boiled linseed oil. Thank you

[@browpetj]

Great video... so long lasting and easily topped up without removal of surface finish: Boiled linseed and Tung. The rest leave a hard surface residue that must be removed (sanding) before re-treating. Oils that mix synthetically derived resins just require more work in the long run. And of you dont make time to do that work. They end up looking awful and crucially... You end up losing material due to degredation. To retain maximum material we must use linseed or Tung :0)

[@oldjoeclarke.]

Very helpful, I think Danish is going to be my choice here for knife handles. Many thanks.

[@hedegaard8]

What a great informative video with experiments. Helped me to buy Danish oil.

[@kellypearsall4540]

a WOW!!! That was a great video. Thank you so much. Loved the bonus part with comparing at the end.

[@DEMONminipro]

thanks for the video, exactly what I was looking for, I'm going for the local linseed oil

[@MR-zy6bw]

Very clear info- thank you. Now I just need to find Tru Oil in Canada!

[@techbellcs]

Great demonstration! It’s Tung for me.

[@mozempire5096]

Excellent! I really appreciate the second experiment on the plastic for a film finish, and the fact you put on several coats of each on the wood. Well done, thank you! I am building beehives, and the tung oil will be best for my needs. ~M

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

+Moz Empire Thank you I really appreciate it :)

[@Tome4kkkk]

What about drying times of boiled linseed oil vs Danish oil? I can soak a workpiece good in linseed oil the first day, then apply a second later not sooner than the next day (open air), then at least 5 days for it all to be remotely ready on a tool handle. Several weeks for a cabinet or anything that could smell bad in the house.

[@jacksonvillereclaimedwood6709]

Wow!! Great job on the comparison of the oils. The film example on the plastic is also really great!!- don

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you! I really appreciate that!

[@guitarwhores753]

Great video comparison. Thanks. Cheers from Texas.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Guitar Whores Thank you for watching :) Greetings from Germany

[@bezweifeln3959]

Vielen Dank für das Video mit den verschiedenen Beispielen der Holzbearbeitung mit den unterschiedlichsten Holzölen

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Danke für's Anschauen :)

[@waltermorgenroth7872]

thank you for making this video!!!

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Glad you like it!

[@EngineeringFun]

I am jealous of that dog. He seems to have learned quite a bit about oil finishes.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

EngineeringFun A real shop dog :)

[@EngineeringFun]

Which is his favorite oil? It's probably lard.

[@viking90706]

Hey FAB, really cool experiment, it displayed the fundamentals, of each product, like I haven't seen demonstrated anywhere......Smart Man Folks V

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you :)

[@Commander_HW]

Nice video, helped me to chose the correct oil to use.

[@Idoitfortheskonkas]

Fantastic video. Very informative !! Thank you good sir. Greetings from Canada🇨🇦

[@davidzoller9617]

Ich denke dass ein Holz-Oel auf Plastik aufgetragen nicht zu wirklich aussagekraeftigen Schlussfolgerungen fuehrt. Der Vergleich der verschiedenen Oelen auf Holz war aber aufschlussreich. Die Vorbehandlung und die Auftragsweise beeinflusst das Ergebnis auch. In der Praxis werden Oele oft auch gemischt und fuer den finalen Durchgang dann noch eine andere Rezeptur angewendet.

[@TheMissourian]

Outstanding video with great visual results. Thanks for posting.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you! Glad you like it!

[@bilbobaggins2083]

I'm in the business and we call this a P.K. or Produxct Knowledge course. You do them very well.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you

[@soob3095]

Excellent demonstration.

[@chuckbowie5833]

Great comparison! Very helpful.

[@JamesPearson]

Wonderful video, very helpful. I think I've finally made up my mind. Thank you very much!

[@peterlam1907]

I'm in the midst of choosing a finish for my newly purchase IKEA unfinished table. This has been very informative, thanks from Los Angeles

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Peter Lam Thank you for watching! Take care Fabian

[@peterpanassow7814]

Fantastic video! Very informative. Thanks for posting 👍

[@zrnki]

Really helpi. I couldn't decide which one to use. This helps alot. Cheers!

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thanks Man! Appreciate it!

[@dalchimsky]

Thank you very much for the exhaustive test

[@DJFalkoHannover]

Using Rustins Danish oil for almost 20 Years now! Building drums and furniture! Best!

[@JulianPaulJonesSfatcu]

Wonderful lessons! Thank you very much for sharing ! I also love your video on Shellac French Polish.Julian

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

I am happy to hear that you liked it :)

[@JulianPaulJonesSfatcu]

You are a very good teacher! Your lessons are clear and I notice how you read the CAUTION ans SAFETY. This is very nice! Thank you! I also watched several times this video on comparing different oils and finishes. This helps us a lot. Julian

[@totalbliss1]

Awesome video and very helpful. A word of friendly advice...I don't know about the other oils but Tung oil, you should definitely with gloves and possibly a mask, it has known carcinogens that's clearly indicated on the can. You don't want it exposed on your skin.

[@DerredmaxTRIAX]

Great video thanks for your demonstration, You should be a Tru Oil rep, You certainly convinced me.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Derredmax ;-)

[@gingerjam2192]

Excellent comparison, thanks 👍

[@ViperPowderCoating]

Excellent comparison! Thank you!!

[@amoskamil6823]

been reading 2 days on what to use on my rosewood guitar fretboard. this has helped alot. linseed oil is a true an tried method but i dont want a soft film.

[@chezruss]

+Amos Kamil On rosewood guitar fretboard I use mineral oil that i bought from the chemist, and am happy with the results.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

+Pete „chezruss“ Russ For fretboards I agree. Mineral oil is a non drying oil and while I don't want a non drying oil as a wood finish for lubricating a dry fretboard it's totally fine.

[@patrickholcomb9628]

excellent tutorial!! you are a well seasoned woodworker, sir. thank you for making this video ;-) also, I dig your pup. excellent brindle, he/she looks very kind and attentive.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you very much :)

[@markyboy1704]

Fabulous review and advice, just what i have been looking for. Thanks. Are you advising that Linseed & Tong oil is not suitable for things such as oak kitchen table and work tops which are heavy wearing? Would you recommend Danish oil for these items? Thanks

[@Loki7430]

Really useful, excellent demonstration.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[@seanknight9898]

Excellent comparison video, thanks.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Sean Knight You're welcome, thank's for watching.

[@Rosie-jb6rv]

This was the most helpful video on the subject, thanks!

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@knownaigm]

Thanks for this! Just the info I was looking for and couldn't find.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

:)

[@jamesdodds3195]

Thanks for this video. You helped me figure out what I want to use.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

:-)

[@edwardx.winston5744]

What a great resource. Thank you for taking the time to put this experiment together and document the results so well. Would it make sense to use tung oil thinned with citrus solvent as a deep-penetrating undercoat, then Tru Oil over the top of it to have a harder, more durable, glossy finish? If yes, how long would you recommend one wait before using Tru Oil over tung?

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

You're welcome!I think it would work. I would wait at least 3 Weeks if you are using pure tung oil, because it dries very slow.But make sure it is pure tung oil and not a "tung oil finish"!

[@hansdegroot8549]

Good comparison test and well explained. Thanks for sharing. What kind of wood did you use for this test?

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you! It was pear.

[@markymark2558]

Thank You for making this Video, It has helped Me to decide how to finish my guitar, Tru-Oil.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

+markymark2558 ;-)

[@Mr.Steve-O]

how did the tru oil work on the guitar ? I am interested in trying to darken a very light maple neck and fret board to have a more vintage amber shade. Let me know if you have any ideas, thanks

[@donovan846]

Thanks for the time & trouble in making this video, the information was really useful for a couple of projects I have. Best wishes

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

***** Thank you :)

[@michaelbielecki3228]

Great stuff. Nice to see it all clearly.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you for watching :)

[@genp6337]

Brilliant! Thanks, just what I was looking for! :)

[@GrzegorzWitkowski]

Great comparison. Really helpful. Thanks a lot for taking the effort!

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

You are welcome :)

[@aaghlenney]

Very helpful! Thank you for taking the time to put this together.

[@kelly-bo-belly]

Great video. 👍 Lots of good information here.

[@nyczumazooma]

Great Job! Thanks for doing this. Me; I'm a Danish man myself.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

:)