Deks Ojle question

[esingleman]

I am building a Wee Rob canoe of 4mm Okoume plywood, and Mr. Oughtred suggests finishing the inside with Deks Ojle or other such oil finish. I understand from a previous forum thread a few years ago that Deks Ojle was discontinued by the mfg, and quite a few people we upset and scurrying around to find the last cans on the shelves. Apparently it is back on the market as I just ordered some from Hamilton Marine.

So my question is.... What exactly is Deks Ojle D1 and what applications is the stuff best suited for? Why is it different than say raw linseed oil? Deks Oje D2 appears to be more like a varnish, so what advantages or disadvantages does it have over a varnish? I am not planning to use the D2.

Thanks, Erick

[Canoeyawl]

It is a great product. I was startled when it went off the market and quickly stockpiled several cases.
It is not a build finish like varnish so once the pores are full, you are done. No sanding. With new construction it can take quite a bit more than you might suspect but once the wood is filled (when it wont take any more without a build on the surface) it is just a wipe down once or twice a season. But - think in gallons if it is a boat of any size.
Very low follow-up maintenance as it acts as a solvent for previous coats. Basically just wipe it on and forget it. No sanding.

I like it and use it on furniture that I have made, interior trim in my house and of course boats.


For interior work I often mix #1 and #2 together 50-50 for a bit more gloss in the final coats.
Did I say No sanding?

[esingleman]

The D1 appears to be a penetrating oil, but the D2 seems like it would be a surface build coating, in order to get the gloss.

Not sure why the combination would be any better than using raw linseed to saturate the wood, and then varnishing over, other than the fact that raw linseed takes forever to dry.

[Ed Armstrong]

I've been using #1 for a few years on my Cape Dory, which has a lot of wood trim around the cockpit. It looks similar to the teak oil that I used to use, but lasts much longer. I've just been applying a couple of coats in the spring, and it still looks reasonably nice when I pull the boat from the water in the fall. A touch-up in June or July would probably be welcome, but I just don't seem to get around to it.

Ed

[Canoeyawl]

The D1 appears to be a penetrating oil, but the D2 seems like it would be a surface build coating, in order to get the gloss.

A trial run is in order. Build a couple of boats and slather one them up with the goo of your choice and try the D.O. on the other.

After a few years in a small boatshop watching every kind of finish imaginable I have seen dissapointments with the D.O., but only because there was not enough applied initially to effectively seal the wood against a winter outside in the dooryard with the boat half full of rain water and leaves.
(a smiley face here to indicate that this post is a poorly crafted attempt at humor)

*My Opinion - Raw linseed oil is food for bugs that eat wooden boats. Gives them a good toe hold on the wood. It quickly turns black and sticky and it is worthless as a finish or an additive. Used motor oil or butter might be better.
Boiled linseed oil has some merit as a paint additive or perhaps as a precoat for paint and varnish but thinned out paint (or varnish, or shellac) is better.

[Bobcat]

About 30 years ago I used DO on a house railing made of cedar. I put it on wet on wet for what seemed like about 30 coats. The wood sucked it up until it was saturated. It worked quite well

[esingleman]

Okay, call me silly, but if Deks Ojle really absorbs into the wood and doesn't take forever to dry, or discolor like raw linseed oil, then why wouldn't you use it to bulk up fibers of wood in a boat to prevent rot prior to finishing with varnish, red lead, or paint or whatever? Are there compatibility issues?

[Thorne]

As an alternative to DO (if you can't find any), consider Le Tonk. It is a old-school traditional long-oil varnish, usually doesn't need sanding between coats, and usually can be recoated fairly quickly. You could coat the wood with it, then sand back for a satin finish.

[Canoeyawl]

Okay, call me silly, but if Deks Ojle really absorbs into the wood and doesn't take forever to dry, or discolor like raw linseed oil, then why wouldn't you use it to bulk up fibers of wood in a boat to prevent rot prior to finishing with varnish, red lead, or paint or whatever? Are there compatibility issues?

There might be a compatibilty issue for a while but I think it might work well for that. I have accidentally gotten paint onto it (the oil was applied over a year before ) and the paint adhered very well.
It is a "flexible" finish and takes a while to completely cure (maybe two months) and won't sand well enough to create a tooth for the final finish coatings without breaking back into the wood, so it might be a very expensive primer for a relatively rigid finish like paint or varnish.
(Any penetrating finish is unlikely to go more than a 1/64th" into the wood)

[chainyank]

I use D1 and D2 on both hull and deck. Le Tonk on the mast. The previous owner did the hard work of loading on the D1 and started with D2, and I have just continued. I am alittle fussy and wet-sand with 180grit (i think it's 180...) and D1, wipe dry and coat a few times with D2 every spring. This is recommended on the can. I see at as filling and scratches or bumps with alittle D1 to keep all the fibers filled. The result is that every year the finish just gets better and better. The little sanding also keeps it from building, which is minimal anyway. Here is how it looks mid season:


My naigbor in the boat shed uses Le Tonk on the hull of his motor boat. He is there RO sanding the whole hull and it looks much more like a "real" varnish. = hard.

[Peacefuljourney]

It look great... Put a bit of water on that varnished deck with no life stanchion... And it's a real contest how long you can stay on it before going for the deep!

[skaraborgcraft]

DO is a good product,but i dont use it unless someone else is buying it. I only use boiled linseed oil to feed wood that is going under paint. Otherwise im using Tung oil,which does not appear to go black like linseed, and is an easy maintenance item, very much like LeTonk,another great product. I do have a 25ft boat that will be going through a strip and bright finish,at present its under 7 coats of schooners varnish(international),and will probably go for Le tonk final coats.

[jak3b]

Looks like its still available http://www.deksolje.com/

[Woxbox]

I'd pick DO before varnish any day of the week. I used to use it on a 16' lapstrake row/sailboat, and was very pleased. I put D2 on the decks and centerboard trunk only. It's not as flashy as varnish, but on good wood brings out the best, and is, as everyone says, very easy to maintain. You really don't want to have to scrape old varnish out of the inside of any lapstrake boat.

[Pateplumaboat]

Used D1 and D2 for my Patpluma. Amberjack (Swampscott) Dory constructed using sapeli marine ply. Just started to build Spike (Skiff) and I will use D1 and D2 again.

I think it is good product, easy to work with and it is available here in Europe from Internet-Sailing-shops. The only disadvantage is that one has to apply it several times (the first time) to allow the oil penetrating the wood. About 5 times painiting is required to get good finish.

Link for pictures see below.

Regards from Austria
Christian

[akitchen]

Seven years ago, I used DO #1 on the whole hull and the spars of the Oughtred J II Yawl (predecessor of the Arctic Tern)
I was building. Followed the instructions, applied it continuously for 6 hours until the wood could absorb no more.
For the paintwork I used Kirby's semi-gloss oil paint, and the brightwork I finished with DO #2. I've never had
any problems with compatibility. I don't remember how long I waited between applying the DO #1 and the paint,
probably a least a week, as I finished the brightwork first and let it dry before beginning to paint. I've done some
touch-up in the intervening years and maintenance is ridiculously easy (just sand lightly with paper wetted with DO #1
and apply a little DO #2 if necessary).

My boat is kept outside summer and winter (covered of course) and still looks almost as good as new.

I love the stuff (DO #1 is very pungent, so a mask and/or good ventilation is necessary). It is a great product.
I believe that any problems people have with it arise from not taking care with the initial application.

[blschultz]

This is an outstanding product that I used for year on my teak decks. No 1 is a mate finish that applys very easly to a clean deck. On a warm day it drys very fast so you can put a couple of coats on per day. To get the protection and great looks you want you need at least four coats. No2 is a high gloss finish that goes on over the #1. It gives a very high gloss finish and applys very easily also. I have had great wood boats for the last 40 years, and I have never found anything to compare.

[currach]

Hi I share a shipman 28 and after a debate on the wood trim finish it was decided to do some in Sadolin clear cover and some in Deks Olje. After 15 months exposed to hail rain snow and of course lots of UV the Sadolin is untouched except where it has been knocked by hardware while the DO has gently degraded flakely to the point that it will need a thorough sand before new layers can be added.( though not as bad as cheap varnish)

[currach]

Hi just thinking, A wee rob canoe is going to spend 99.9999999999% upside down and on dryland. A slap or rub of any old covering will do. Spend the money and love on the outer hull to achieve longevity and beauty.

[RodB]

I'm curious how DO stands up to a hot sunny climate compared to the North West and the North East.... summers many days over 100 degrees and very long days of harsh sun... just wondered.

RodB

[cookie]

Anyone ever tried this Biopin stuff?

http://shop.biopin.info/shop/index.p...c6_Marine.html

Or Barend Palm perhaps?

http://shop.biopin.info/shop/shop_co...-Palm-Products