Osmo or Danish oil?

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I am soon to order my oak worktops, just finalising the last few details. A local company will be cutting to size and can also pre-oil with Danish oil. However I have been reading a lot about osmo oil and how it is much more durable than Danish oil, yet you have to apply it to 'raw' wood or sand any other oil off. So my question is do you think I should just get the wood delivered without pre-oiling and go for osmo oiling it myself? Can't seem to make these big decisions on my own!!

I would. I haven't tried Danish oil, just osmo which is really good and from my research doesn't seem to need redone as often as Danish oil.

Osmo is the best treatment for wooden worktops I have come across.

So if I get the worktops delivered un-oiled, is it easy just to paint it on once? Or do you have to do a few coats and how long does it take to dry? Bit worried about ruining my posh new worktops but want to do the best thing! Thanks for any advise!

Danish oil is just oil mixed with white spirit to thin it, so it soaks in easier and dries quicker. It is considered adequate for furniture.

When using an oil, apply no more than will soak in, and polish off any excess with a soft cloth* after 20 minutes or so. If you leave any excess oil lying on the surface it will oxidise into gum which is very very hard to remove (think of a sticky old cooking oil bottle).

Indoors you will need a few coats. If you apply it once a day, so each previous coat has soaked in and dried, maybe four. But follow the Osmo instructions. I also use linseed oil on outdoor hardwoods, which needs much more treatment. If the colour of the wood is not to your liking, you can colour it with Colron before you start to oil it (clean the surface with white spirit first).

Your worktop will be damaged or darkened by water penetration, so pay extra attention around the sink and especially taps, and the kettle.

*oily rags can spontaneously combust (I have seen it) so dampen them with water and tie into a plastic bag so they can't dry out. Or you can use them to light bonfires or barbies.

Osmo - two thin coats, (brush on and wipe off excess), dries overnight. So do the underneath, turn over (propped on blocks) and do the tops. You can put on an extra coat round the wet areas once it's installed. When you have it right you get a soft sheen on the surface.

I realise it would say this on the tin/tub, but so I can plan when to order my worktops for, do you have to wait overnight between the coats?

With Osmo oil? I think best to allow to although it will be dry to touch in a few hours. You only get one go at the underneath before installing. The odd corner won't matter but under the sink etc needs good coverage.

Osmo Top Oil but I understand Polyx oil is exactly the same stuff and slightly wider range of sizes/finishes.

I left the osmo overnight to dry then did a second coat and left till the following day. You can download instructions online. You can either brush it on or use a cloth.

you do have to let it soak fully in before coats, and feel dry, or it might lie on the surface and go gummy. I made that mistake once, thinking I was being generous with the oil, and it was a pig to clean off.

Osmo really is the best stuff. We have black walnut worktops which look fantastic two years on. I had danish oil on the previous worktops and the two are not comparable.

I just hand sanded with a very fine grit paper and gave it a coat two mornings running - look like new despite our clumsy existence.

Our local handmade posh kitchen companies use Osmo.

I used their floor oil (which is the Polyx oil) on our new oak floorboards which we had throughout the upstairs of the house about 18 months ago and that is great too.

You can re-coat without ever sanding on the floor stuff which appealed greatly. We are just about to sand the downstairs floorboards which are oak but old and have something else on them and re-finish with Polyx. The thought of not having to sand ever again is fantastic.

Osmo even smells nice - kind of toffee-ish. Once you've got a tin on the go you'll be looking for other things to finish with it. I've got my eye on our old Ikea birch block dining table with all the laquer flaking off.

I used osmo 1101, it seems to kind of sit on top of the worktop and not take to the timber. It is a walnut bench I sanded it down with medium then fine sandpaper put one coat on, left it for half n hour and wiped it down. Left it agin for 24hours and when I went back it was dried in places but in other spots it was sticky, so I've rubbed it very lightly again and recoated and rubbed down again after half an hour seems to be drying out the same. Dry n sticky in spots

I would ring osmo customer service. Or see the FAQs. here seems to answer question

link hopefully

If it's sticky it sounds as though the previous treatment wasn't removed. Did you wipe down with meths after sanding? Is the room it is in very cold?

I sanded down previous Danish oiled worktops and used Osmo - the one sold for floors is the same as the one sold for worktops only cheaper. Just a thin coat and left it for 12 hours and applied another thin coat. No removing the excess as there wasn't any.

I've had an absolute nightmare using Osmo oil with UV protection outside. It has been on for weeks and weeks and is still tacky. It us supposed to be suitable for application in temperatures agove 5 C, but it absolutely refuses to dry. Some samples that were coated and kept in a cool workshop are also still not dry. I would seriously avoid using this stuff in any cool place.