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Can I Apply Lacquer or Polyurethane Over an Oil Finish?

Can I Apply Lacquer or Polyurethane Over an Oil Finish?

The short answer is “Yes, if it’s the right oil, and you let it dry first.”

Here’s a detailed answer for those interested. 

There are two general classes of oils. Drying Oils, and Non Drying Oils. 

A Drying Oil is one that will harden to form a solid film after exposure to the air over time. The oil hardens through a chemical reaction called cross-linking, or polymerization by intaking oxygen.  So in actuality they “cure” rather than dry. Just like a polyurethane. 

Some examples of drying oils include tung oil, linseed oil, and walnut oil. 

Note: Danish oil is not an oil per se. Rather, it is a combination of two things; a drying oil, and a varnish.  There is no fixed formula for a Danish oil. Each manufacturer creates their own blend. And so can you. The guideline is that it’s typically 1/3 varnish, and 2/3 oil. 

This combination is a drying/curing combination that will leave a hard film finish. 

2nd Note: Varnish is not a specific product. (e.g. polyurethane, lacquer etc.)  Varnish is the term used to talk about the appearance of a finished piece. For example; “that table has a nice varnish,” or “that table has a nice glossy hard finish.”

To be considered a varnish, the products used must be clear or translucent to let the wood grain show through. Paint is not a varnish. 

A varnish (or varnished look) can be achieved with products or combinations of products that include polyurethanes, lacquers, epoxies, etc. 

In short; you CAN apply a lacquer or a polyurethane over a Danish oil. Just as you can over any Drying Oil. The key to success is to make sure the oil has fully dried first. This should make sense, because once dried, the oil has cured to a hard solid film surface, and stuff will now stick to it. 

 

The other general class of oils are Non Drying Oils. These are oils which will not polymerize & harden with exposure to oxygen. And they will stay “wet” or “oily” forever. 

 

The Real Difference Between Drying & Non Drying:

Chemically speaking, (among other things), oils have long chains of carbon-carbon bonds.  The bonds between these carbons are either double bonds, or single bonds.  If all of the bonds are single, we say the compound is fully saturated. If some are double, we say it is unsaturated. 

We can measure just how many double bonds there are. If there is a lot, we can say it is very unsaturated. 

In organic chemistry, we can assign a measure to the compound designating just how many single bonds there are vs double bonds. And we can calculate the degree of unsaturation.  For oils we typically do this by reacting iodine with it. The more iodine that reacts means the more unsaturated it was. 

A compound with a high iodine number has a lot of unsaturation, and is therefore a drying oil. 

A compound with a low iodine number has a low unsaturation and is therefore a non drying oil. 

The guideline is this:

Oils with an iodine number of less than 115 are considered non drying. 

And oils with an iodine number greater than that are considered drying. 

Some examples:

Tung oil - 163-173 - Drying

Walnut oil - 120-155 - Drying

Linseed oil - 136-178 - Drying

Mineral oil - 0 - Non Drying

Coconut oil - 7-10 - Non Drying

Palm oil - 16-19 - Non Drying

A table of some values:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodine_value

 

In summation, just make sure the oil you applied to your piece was a drying oil. Then make sure that it has had the time to fully dry/cure (days to weeks depending on heat & humidity). After that, feel free to add a top coat of lacquer or polyurethane to it. 

In contrast. If you used a non drying oil, such as mineral oil, your piece will not take a topcoat of lacquer or polyurethane in the future, no matter how long you wait. 

Finally, if you don’t know if the oil you used was a drying oil or not, just look up the iodine value on a table. Anything over 115 is a drying oil. 

Can I Apply Lacquer or Polyurethane Over an Oil Finish?

Can I Apply Lacquer or Polyurethane Over an Oil Finish?

Comments (46)

I have an outside table that we used odors oil but over the last year (we have a salt water pool) the finished is not vey good… we‘d like to Polyurethane
It but we can’t get the wood sanded soft
What can we do

Karen Fredricks

Nice chemistry lesson. Thank you. But how am I supposed to know what type of oil is in the stain that I used unless I made the stain myself? I am using Varathane stains in my project, but the bottle does not tell me what type of oil they used. They do not even mention on the can that it is oil based.

The lacqeur can also does not mention what oil.

Kannan

So I purchased a 6" wooden ball made of Paulownia and first used a Danish Oil to bring out the grain and make it look nice. Then added a coat of clear satin Polyurethane. I dont waited 24 hrs and went to check how the coat was drying and it is still super tacky. I think I may have sprayed the polyurethane on too soon after the Danish Oil. The Danish oil said that you can apply a coat of poly in 6-8 hours, but I think it was too soon. Will the polyurethane still dry? Or will it just take a lot longer Please help. If it wont dry what can I do to fix the mess?

Oops, Need Your Help!

Hi a was repair my guitare with a new top and i put minwax on to teint naturel and i want to no

if i can finish with cellulosique laquer

Francois Tremblay

For a hard wax oil stain/finish, can you allow it to fully dry then sand and use an acrylic polyurethane finish? The countertops I’ve purchased have been prefinished with hard wax oil and I planned to add another coat to achieve the ideal stain color, but I would like the more durable finish of a polyurethane. As the wood is a whitewash finish I was hoping to stick to acrylic polyurethane or water based polyurethane. The manufacturer stated both water and oil based polyurethanes would work but I do have concerns as many sources indicate that polyurethane will not stick over a waxed surface.

Kira

Tung oil is beautiful – and is totally waterproof! If after some time it needs to be refreshed, just recoat it following directions on the can. Great stuff. I use it on table tops and wipe on a new coat every 2-3 years.

Donald E Dittmer

To Julie,

I assume you used a Tung oil, or another oil that dries shiny. Get some steel wool and rub it with the grain. Start with 000 grit and see if that’s good. If still too shiny, move to 00 grit and so forth until you’re happy. Note that steel wool can be used two ways, sideways cuts less and perpendicular cuts more. Try sideways first and if not enough turn it the other way. Also, you can “unroll” the pad and gradually roll it up as you use it. Gives you several new surfaces. Good luck!

Gene Dittmer

I treated my butcher block with mineral oil and conditioner. I’m using it for my bathroom vanity top. What else can I use to protect it. Something more durable. It’s been weeks since it’s been treated. We’re still tiling the bathroom walls………..

Genevieve Dew

I just used this oil and finish on a kitchen island. I didn’t realize how shiny it would come out. Will a flat polyurethane take to it? I’m trying to get rid of the shine altogether. Thanks for any advice.

Julie Kendrick

Just finish sanding my oak table. Just the top. Can I use 1/2 mineral oil and 1/2 vera thane, mix together for my table top.

Lise Scheffer

How long should I wait to apply polyurethane coat over hemp oil on raw wood slab? Hemp oil has iodine rating of 150-170

Jack Anderson

I applied boiled linseed oil on my door.Now I wish to apply polyurethane over that.My doubt is whether to apply pu sealer before pu clear coat.

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Your ideas helped me a lot on one of my project Thank you

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Would hemp oil be considered a drying oil if I use it before I spray lacquer on a wood project is that okay?

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