Deks Olje D1

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Ammonite

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I know there have been loads of posts about the relative merits of oils versus varnish but I am looking for advice about a specific problem I'm having with Deks Olje D1. I am trying to apply D1 on a large piece of mahogany (having stripped all the old varnish off and thoroughly sanded / degreased the wood). I have applied about six coats ensuring that it doesn't dry out between coats (at this stage it was looking great) but on leaving it to dry the oil is seeping back out of the wood in small spots. Imagine propping a piece of wood by your cooker while frying an egg -a sort of splattering effect all over the surface.

Should I keep wiping off the oil as it appears, or do I need to put more oil on? Any ideas greatly appreciated!
 
You need to put more oil on. 6 layers isn't enough. 8 should do it, but of course, your mileage may vary.

I've used D1 a LOT on kudu and, the one lessons I keep getting reminded of, is that even though it might look finished, come morning, it'll need another coat.

Try a couple more coats and see how you get on. If you've let it dry completely (i.e. it's been a few days since the last layer) then use some light grain wet and dry dipped in some D1, and give it a light sanding. You should be good to go again then.

I do love this stuff though. It gives the wood a very smart natural look.
 
My understanding is that, if you are getting 'bleed back', then you have got the timber adequately saturated. I think the idea is to wipe away the excess as it emerges, wait for the oil to set up and then go on to the next stage. Mahogany may tend to be more absorbant than other more oily materials though. As always, ask four sailors a question and you will get five different answers!!
 
Not wishing to disagree with the experience or sound advice of the posters above, but my view is that I'm not sure it makes a lot of difference.

Nothing lasts longer than 12 months anyway. Doesn't matter if you put 6 coats, 8 coats, or 15 coats, then 3 coats of varnish - it'll all need doing again in 12 months.

The conclusion I came to was that I just don't have that kind of time to spend every year re-treating my woodwork. 1 coat = 1 day. 8 coats of D1 followed by 3 coats of D2 = 11 days work. Just on that job!

I figured a few coats of varnish, by comparison, and given what I said above, are more time efficient.

I still like D1 and D2 products though, I just don't have the time!
 
My experience of the product is that it works well on timber that has never been treated previously. I have a piece of teak on my pushpit, used for carrying my outboard. It was treated with a large number of coats about 8 years ago and still looks good. Other timber on the boat was treated at the same time but having previously been varnished the Deks Olie didn't last at all well and I stripped the remains off after a year.
 
Trundlebug said:
Not wishing to disagree with the experience or sound advice of the posters above, but my view is that I'm not sure it makes a lot of difference.

Nothing lasts longer than 12 months anyway. Doesn't matter if you put 6 coats, 8 coats, or 15 coats, then 3 coats of varnish - it'll all need doing again in 12 months.

The conclusion I came to was that I just don't have that kind of time to spend every year re-treating my woodwork. 1 coat = 1 day. 8 coats of D1 followed by 3 coats of D2 = 11 days work. Just on that job!

I figured a few coats of varnish, by comparison, and given what I said above, are more time efficient.

I still like D1 and D2 products though, I just don't have the time!
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He speaks against the holy Deks Olje. Witch! Burn him!!!

Fair point, really, although I've not had the same experience, and I find picking bits of flaky varnish off to be far more tedious than painting oil.
 
I've given it another coat of D1...lets see how it works out. It will probably be weeping oil for years! Fully agree with the point about the length of time though, but at least the bits I'm treating now I could bring home with me.

I've made up mind what I'm going to use on the teak and holly sole though - three coats of Ronseal floor varnish! I can't be doing with this 6, 7, 8 + coats nonsense. That can wait until I retire!
 
Thats my experience with Deks Olje. I did my mast with it. Spent hours wiping in D1 (a lot of which ended up on the ground!) then several coats of D2. All a complete waste of time as the film broke down after a year and the D2 mostly fell off. There was no sign of the D1 having "soaked in". I think it just evaporates and leaves the minimal solid content on the surface. If you want a bright finish there is no substitute for traditional varnish. If you want good protection for your external wood then use Sikkens and accept the sheen rather than gloss. At least it wil last long enough to appreciate its value. Agree with Ronseal - I have teak and holly ply for my bathroom floor and in the rear lobby at home. Only re-coated once in mor than 15 years and looks as good as the day I laid it.
 
Trundlebug said:
The conclusion I came to was that I just don't have that kind of time to spend every year re-treating my woodwork. 1 coat = 1 day. 8 coats of D1 followed by 3 coats of D2 = 11 days work. Just on that job!
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Not quite right. The beauty of D1 is you can slap it on wet on wet. I'd probably do half a dozen coats in an afternoon, then a few more the following day.

What you do then, is take the next 10 days to apply 8 coats of varnish. Barring any major knocks and scrapes you then only need apply two coats annually to keep it looking fantastic.

By the by, I use traditional varnish over D1, and plenty of it. Never really played with D2, but my understanding is that it is an easy, effective solution, but needs more regular attention than traditional varnish.
 
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Woodlouse said:
Not quite right. The beauty of D1 is you can slap it on wet on wet. I'd probably do half a dozen coats in an afternoon, then a few more the following day.

What you do then, is take the next 10 days to apply 8 coats of varnish. Barring any major knocks and scrapes you then only need apply two coats annually to keep it looking fantastic.

By the by, I use traditional varnish over D1, and plenty of it. Never really played with D2, but my understanding is that it is an easy, effective solution, but needs more regular attention than traditional varnish.
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Using traditional varnish over D1 seems a good idea, I think I might try that.:)
I was concerned about compatibility issues, i.e. whether the varnish would stick / adhere properly, get diluted or react with the D1.

It's good to hear it works, especially if it provides a longer lasting finish than D1 followed by D2.

One thing that made me wonder with D2 was that they only recommend 2-3 coats of it, whereas trad varnish should be 8ish. What would happen with say 8 coats of D2, other than it making me very poor?

Although D2 looks OK, I couldn't believe how it just seemed to have washed off after 12 months back to bare wood. Soft or what?
 
Trundlebug said:
Although D2 looks OK, I couldn't believe how it just seemed to have washed off after 12 months back to bare wood. Soft or what?
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Difficult to see with your experience why you are persevering with this coating system when there are much better products on the market.

Suggest you go down the PBO back numbers for Richard Hare's review of bright finishes based on his long term tests of all the major products on the market.
 
I can't argue with the fact that Deks Olje needs annual maintenance om external wood, but the interior of my boat is treated with it and the finish coat is a mix of D1 + D2, giving a warm sheen. It seems to last indefinitely as it is not exposed to significant UV radiation. If anyone knows the ratio for that final coat, it might save me years of experimentation...?

Rob.
 
There shouldn't be any mix ratio with Deks Olje. First apply plenty of D1, then go over it with the D2. As far as I'm aware anyway.


I think the problem most are having with it out doors is the fact they want to leave it for a year without maintenance. Sadly it doesn't work like that, but is easy enough to give a quick rub down and an additional coat or 2 of D2 mid season to keep it looking flash.
 
I know its an endless discussion about oil. varnish, 1c and 2c stuff and so on.
I bought my boat this summer and I still do not know what to apply on the (wooden) spars.
Applying varnish will cost me 8 days for 8 layers. Using D1 will cost me 1 day, but I have to do it every year. This is what I understood from several sources on the web.
In Germany and Holland several people are very enthusiastic about Biopin boat-oil. www.biopin.com
I've been told that Biopin is easier to apply than D1 and that it will last longer.
Any experience with Biopin on this forum?


Zimp
 
zimp58 said:
I know its an endless discussion about oil. varnish, 1c and 2c stuff and so on.
I bought my boat this summer and I still do not know what to apply on the (wooden) spars.
Applying varnish will cost me 8 days for 8 layers. Using D1 will cost me 1 day, but I have to do it every year. This is what I understood from several sources on the web.
In Germany and Holland several people are very enthusiastic about Biopin boat-oil. www.biopin.com
I've been told that Biopin is easier to apply than D1 and that it will last longer.
Any experience with Biopin on this forum?


Zimp
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There is no choice if you want durability, low cost and easy application - it has to be Sikkens Novatech/Novatop. I have been the keeper of a hollow Douglas Fir mast for over 30 years and now would not use anything else. Lasts a minimum of 5 years and then only needs a light rub down and re-coat. Only drawback is it does not have a high gloss - but who cares unless you are treating it like a piece of furniture!
 
Tranona said:
There is no choice if you want durability, low cost and easy application - it has to be Sikkens Novatech/Novatop.
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There is another choice that I have suggested previously:
Wood Impreg 120 ( a clear epoxy primer) followed by
a good 2 part polyurethane varnish.
High gloss finish that lasts years with minimal maintainance.
Can be hot-coated without sanding ( within limits) so is fast to use.
Or you can build up with Epifanes PP ( a 2 part build up varnish)
and overcoat with normal Epifanes 1 pot for extra UV protection.
Those with bigger budgets will also praise Awlspar HS and Awlbrite.
People should look at the costs over a 5 year period then these higher priced products ( that actually work) seem cheap.
As a pro varnisher I would not use D1/D2 even if the client demanded it. My reputation is too important to me.
Cheers,
Chris
 
Twenty four years ago I did major structural work to the Jouster (no reasonable offer refused) - the keel mounting was beefed up. That meant cutting out the old GRP cockpit sole, part of the inner moulding, and I replaced it with teak/holly faced plywood.

I gave it the works with Deks Olje 1 - basically kept it wet for about three days while working on the boat. It has proved an extremely tough and effective finish. To the best of my recollection it has been topped up twice - once six years ago and then a couple of coats this year when I was smartening her up for selling.

As another poster has said, that's indoors, without UV to worry about. Outside I don't think anything works very well. I even have some evidence to back it up. One of my winter jobs on Jumblie is to scrub down and refinish all the exterior woodwork - capping rail, grab handles, hatchway and so on. They all look scruffy and all a bit different, and I recently found out why. For some years, when Colin Jarman had her, Jumblie did a lot of the gear tests for Sailing Today - a bit like Snooks' Pixie does for IPC mags these days. I was leafing through back numbers at the sailing club and found a 2005 ST in which they tested three or four woodfinishes ... on Jumblie. So now I know what's on her, and that none of the finishes they used last particularly well.

The plan, therefore, is to remove the remains of the other finishes, rub it all down, lightly oil with teak oil and then just leave it. The nicest looking wood on the boat, at the moment, is the teak cockpit grating and that has had no finish of any sort applied.
 
xtiffer said:
There is another choice that I have suggested previously:
Wood Impreg 120 ( a clear epoxy primer) followed by
a good 2 part polyurethane varnish.
High gloss finish that lasts years with minimal maintainance.
Can be hot-coated without sanding ( within limits) so is fast to use.
Or you can build up with Epifanes PP ( a 2 part build up varnish)
and overcoat with normal Epifanes 1 pot for extra UV protection.
Those with bigger budgets will also praise Awlspar HS and Awlbrite.
People should look at the costs over a 5 year period then these higher priced products ( that actually work) seem cheap.
As a pro varnisher I would not use D1/D2 even if the client demanded it. My reputation is too important to me.
Cheers,
Chris
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While I am sure this meets the durability criterion, not sure it meets the other two. For my 10M mast materials were less than £30. One day for the Tech coats and one day for the Top coats! Very tolerant of our **** weather as well.
 
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