Oiling oak worktops

Soldato
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I've got 14m of oak worktop to oil which I'm not looking forward to. Which is the recommended oil and does anyone have any idea how much I'll need in total?
 
Kitchen? You almost certainly want Danish Oil.
How much depends, if its done often you wont need much as it will already be well soaked.. If its first time then it will need quite a bit. If its been done before but not for ages and needs surface taking back some then again it will use quite a bit (but not as much as new).

Either contact whoever supplied it, or pick a reputable supplier and ring for a chat.. They can advise and they may even offer a service where you pay and they come and do the work (far preferable imo, its a horrible job. Hard work, sticky and very smelly).

I use:
http://www.worktop-express.co.uk/worktop_accessories/rustins_danish_oil_5l.html
 
Danish Oil. Depends on the condition to how much you need to apply.

We have to do ours funnily enough :) I will be cleaning it first with fine wirewool with a bit of oil, to scrub out the dirt.
 
Osmo worktop oil would be my recommendation. Doesn't smell anywhere near as strong as Danish oil, gives a much more durable and stain resistant finish, easier to apply and dries faster. It does cost a bit more, but if you're going to the expense of buying Oak worktops over laminate then its probably worth an extra tenner or so to get the best finish possible.

I also much prefer the sheen that Osmo worktop oil gives and it doesn't yellow the oak as much as danish. If you want the oak a tad darker to get the same sort of colour as Oak furniture, theres a version called Acacia that has some dark pigment added.
 
I used the IKEA worktop oil on mine, but I've never been happy with it. Now it's a bit tacky/damp feeling, so I'm thinking of sanding it back a bit and going for a different oil. The Osmo TopOil looks good, so I might get some of that.

Might even do a proper job and take the sink out...
 
Osmo will definitely be an improvement, it leaves a nice smooth feeling finish and never goes tacky like Danish oil can. You'll need to sand it right back to bare wood if you switch to Osmo though. A bit of a pain, but the upside is that you shouldn't need to touch it again for years with the Osmo oil.
 
Osmo will definitely be an improvement, it leaves a nice smooth feeling finish and never goes tacky like Danish oil can. You'll need to sand it right back to bare wood if you switch to Osmo though. A bit of a pain, but the upside is that you shouldn't need to touch it again for years with the Osmo oil.

Good job I don't have any plans for the weekend then...
 
I used the IKEA worktop oil on mine, but I've never been happy with it. Now it's a bit tacky/damp feeling

Welcome to my world... The other half insists on using anti bacterial spray on the worktop and it ALWAYS plays havoc with the oils, making them stay tacky.

Tempted to give Osmo a try myself. :)
 
Treatex hardwax oil here. Used it on my oak island 3 years ago, still looks good. Nice and smooth, not tacky at all. Didnt smell too bad either.
 
Danish oil, applied with a foam brush and then wiped off with a clean cloth after 15 mins. That way the oil soaks into the wood but there's not enough left to go sticky. Leave 24 hrs between coats.
 
Lived in a shared rented house with wooden worktops. I'll never make that mistake again... poor landlord must have spent a fortune and they were wrecked.
 
Don’t use too much oil. Specially if it runs into the front when you oil the back.

I have two pieces of iroko and used danish then read about Osmo so did one side in that after sanding it down. The danish oil seems to have held up more consistenly as the side with osmo has a few greasy marks (but it is used a lot more ).

Water proof wise they are similar. Osmo is a liqufied wax (candelilla) where as danish has a lot of tung oil in.

I plan to try a few more option as the worktop looks great when I wipe it down so want more sheen.

Tldr: Osmo didnt wow me on iroko. Although it is food safe
 
It might be due to iroko being an oily hardwood. I think they do an extra thin version for dense, oily woods, so maybe the normal top oil didnt soak in properly.
 
I wouldn't recommend Danish oil purely for the smell. What I used to do on the high end chopping boards I made was 2-3 coats of mineral oil and then a final coat of 4:1 mineral oil and beeswax heated together till the beeswax melts then applied and finished with buffing
 
I wouldn't recommend Danish oil purely for the smell. What I used to do on the high end chopping boards I made was 2-3 coats of mineral oil and then a final coat of 4:1 mineral oil and beeswax heated together till the beeswax melts then applied and finished with buffing

Do you apply when liquid or let it cool? And can you store the mixture in a jar for future treatments? Does the finish last long? I've used Ikea chopping board oil in the past, and it seems to last about a week...
 
Apply the beeswax and mineral oil while warm then buff. You can make more than need then just keep it in a jar. Reapply when needed
 
My kitchen has an old neglected wood work top that I am thinking about trying to restore. Previous owner has tried to seal the butt joints where the work top meets the wall with a silicone sealant as there are some gaps. This has created a bad finish which it would be nice to rectify. Will the right oil help with this sealing sufficiently or should I try to find a colour matched acrylic sealant?
 
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