Danish oil is used for finishing wood crafts like furniture, cabinets and home décor. And Birch plywood is a type of veneer that is used in projects like tables, counter tops and also cabinets. So, surely this plywood type and oil finish are a match made in heaven…right?
Well, the short answer is yes. You can pair Danish oil with birch plywood. But, it’s not really the best choice of oil finish for Birch. Let me quickly explain why.
Applying Danish oil to Birch Plywood will give that ply sheet a decent amount of protection. However, it is not an ideal finish for Birch Plywood. A Hard Wax Oil, on the other hand, offers the most durable protection for Birch ply.
Virtually any oil based, all natural finish will do the job of protecting wood. And if you are building furniture that needs that natural wood appearance then Danish Oil is probably what you want.
But the big question here is, is it a durable enough finish when applied to those Birch plywood veneers?…
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Do You Need To Seal Birch Plywood?
Birch plywood, (like with almost any piece of wood), needs to be sealed to protect it from wear and tear.
This is even more important when it comes to Birch as this lumber in its natural form has little to no moisture resistance.
Even Birch plywood that has been glued together using water-resistant adhesive (i.e. Birch Exterior Graded Plywood) will still need to be sealed to prevent it from rotting away.
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So, What Is The Best Surface Treatment For Birch Plywood?
The answer to this is pretty simple: you need a good quality hard wax oil. Hard wax oil finishes aren’t as naturally good looking as a Danish Oil finish. However, wax oils will do a much better job at protecting wood from dents, scrapes, and scratches.
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This is because while both Danish Oil and Hard Wax oil will sink into the surface of wood – filling those exposed pores – Hard Wax oil goes one step further.
The wax inside Hard Wax will make quick work of trapping oil in place as it cures and hardens. And this is how you end up with that extra level of protection from Hard Wax (when compared to Danish Oil).
A good hard wax oil product, such as Polyx-Oil Original by Osmo is perfect at giving you a durable finish. You can check out the latest prices for the product over on Osmouk.com.
So, Can You Really Use Danish Oil On Birch Ply?
Sure you can. Danish Oil will do a perfectly reasonable job at covering that plywood in a natural appearing satin coat. But, if you want to get the best results, you are going to have to take extra time and care to really rub that oil into the surface of plywood.
And remember to apply just a little at a time (don’t drench the ply surface with it). For the best results a Danish oil finish has to be applied one thin coat at a time.
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What Other Oil Can You Use For Birch Plywood (Besides Danish Oil and Hard Wax Oil)?
You can use Linseed Oil or Tung Oil on Birch Ply. In fact, most Danish Oil finishes are often made from a blend of Linseed Oil and Tung Oil (with some varnish thrown into the mix).
Linseed Oil (also known as Flaxseed oil) is a slow drying yet all natural finish. While Tung Oil (sourced from the nut of the Tung Tree) is another organic top coat option.
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However, both of these oils offer a similar level of protection to Birch plywood that Danish oil does. In other words, they aren’t as hard and long-lasting as Hard Wax Oil.
To Sum Things Up…
Danish Oil is a very popular finish. And why wouldn’t it be… it does a good job of protecting wood from moisture and decay.
But Danish Oil fails to give a very high degree of protection from scraps and scratches. Which is one of the reasons why hard wax oil is a better option for birch plywood.
A hard wax oil offers an almost hardwood-like protection for your plywood sheets by coating it in a tough outer shell. Which is why it’s considered one of the most hard-wearing oil coats out of all the other oil-based alternatives.
Now, this doesn’t mean it will completely stop future damage to your Birch plywood, but it will definitely offer more protection than Danish oil.
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