Odie’s Oil is popular because it gives wood a natural, warm finish that feels rich without building a heavy film. The application is simple once you know the rhythm, and a little product goes a very long way.
The first step is sanding. Your final sanding grit determines the look and feel of the finish. Stopping at 180 grit gives you a softer and more muted sheen while sanding to higher grits like 220 or 320 creates more shine and a smoother surface. Once the sanding is done, prepare a white non-woven finishing pad. It should be slightly finer than your last sanding grit so it can work the oil into the wood without leaving scratches.
Before using the oil, open the jar and stir it well from the bottom. Odie’s tends to settle, so stirring is important. Use a stir stick to transfer a small amount of oil to the pad. Wipe off any excess so you are not applying too much at once. Massage the oil into the pad until it feels evenly saturated. Once the pad is loaded, you will only need a very small amount of product for the rest of the application.
To apply the oil, work it into the wood in slow circular motions. This helps the oil penetrate and ensures even coverage. After you have covered a section, make a final pass with long strokes following the direction of the grain. The goal is to leave a very thin coat. If the surface looks wet, there is too much on the wood.
Let the oil sit for at least fifteen minutes and up to a few hours. You will see a lot of bloggers and YouTubers recommending a max of twenty hours but that is not how Odie’s Oil is designed to work. The manufacturer’s own instructions say no more than twelve hours, and in practice the surface is usually ready to buff well before that. If it sits too long, the oil begins to gum up and becomes harder to remove, which leads to streaks and unnecessary elbow grease. The finish turns out best when you treat the wait time as a short window rather than an overnight soak.
Use clean, one hundred percent cotton terry cloth towels and buff firmly until the wood feels dry to the touch. Change towels if they begin to load up. You should be able to run your fingers across the grain without leaving streaks or seeing any oily residue on your fingertips.
After buffing, leave the piece to cure for at least twenty four hours before regular handling. Try to keep it away from liquids for the first three days. One coat is usually all you need, but you can repeat the process after it has fully cured if you want more depth or glow.