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Ok folks I know there are some wood workers out there, I admit I have a addiction, I LOVE TUNG OIL !
I just got done completing my middle daughters Christmas present , she said her spice cabinet was out of control and disorganized and asked me if I could build her a spice rack that hung on the wall ? I said sure a project to keep me out of the fat mans chair, so I created a spice station a place for 15 round spice jars, a towel hanger and two shelves. and a place to hang the new copper measuring cups and measuring spoons I got her.I stained it with a very dark coffee colored stain, I was going to finish up with a poly-urathane but instead I went with my old favorite Tung oil (actually a tung oil blend made by Minwax ) here is why I prefer tung oil. 1. application with a rag, no drips, no brush marks, no overspray very easy and forgiving 2. total control of the sheen the more applications the glossier it gets (but never artificial phony glossy) I find about 3 applications is perfect. 3. it actually penetrates the wood instead of just coating or laying on the surface. 4. it brings out the grain for a nice richness. I prefer the hand rubbed look it reminds me of turn of the century pie cases etc..
So is there anyone else out there that prefers Tung oil or maybe Danish oil or even boiled linseed oil ??
or has somebody found something else? I'd like to know (I know its off the wall but my honey do's are done and I'm a little bored) P.S. I have used this on multiple projects with great results seems to work great on all woods, oak. maple, and soft pines as well the softer more open grain woods may require a extra application.
Last edited by solly; December 15th, 2020 at 08:41 PM.
I'm an Industrial Arts graduate and one of the courses was wood finishing. We learned all of the ways to apply different finishes and stains and tung oil was one of the easiest to apply. The instructor was really into all kinds of finish processes.
Check out Rubio monocoat. I have used it in some solid walnut tables and it’s easy to apply and really holds up well. It uses an activator and can be tinted for color.
I like both tung oil & linseed oil (derived from flaxseed - you know [or maybe do not know] - the same stuff you make linen from and/or bedsheets, underwear, etc.). Both tung oil and linseed oil penetrate deeper than most other oils will penetrate into wood. Boiled linseed oil is preferred over non-boiled linseed oil in terms of most woods. Tung oil takes longer to dry, both will darken over time (not too much), but I think linseed oil darkens more so than tung oil. In my numerous wood finishing projects, I generally apply about 5 - 6 coats of either tung oil or linseed oil. In between each coat I sand, vacuum & apply a tack cloth. Finishes are outstanding. I have used both on many woods and prefer these oils over urethane unless the wood is exterior and receives UV light in which case I would not use tung oil or linseed oil if you're interested in protection. For any indoor woods, especially mahogany, teak, and many of the hardwoods maple, walnut, oak, etc. either are exceptional.
I have a Western Field model 30 16GA shotgun circa 1916 its not a terribly collectable gun but it is a very cool Browning design take down shot gun the bluing is what you would expect for a 104 year old gun the stock and forearm had been refinished by a previous owner (Crappy job) so I decided to refinish them, I was originally going to use Birchwood-Casey Tru-oil for gun stocks but decided what would they have most likely used in 1916 ? so I used boiled linseed oil it turned out excellent and was worth the effort the gun functions flawlessly however I don't shoot it much these days because even the 16 GA kicks a little to much for these old shoulders
here's a before and after of the Western Field model, the before pics are not to great but you can see the failing finish on the stock, before re-finish peeling finish after re-finish I love this 104 year old gun !!Mose was a genius his designs were great this old girl is smooth as silk
Don't get me started with pictures of firearms or I'll fill the page but Tung oil works fine for what it is, kind of soft but does look similar to the old hand rubbed linseed. Originally it was a China invented thing made from the Tung nut and used on junks (boats). For us it's quick and easy to use and a good finish for most anything that doesn't get abused. As I remember it's a long oil product and one has to be careful not to leave your rags wadded up after use as they will combust on there own heat from drying. Clear finishes are like the blond and redhead thing, which is better, I kinda think they all are pretty good but your mileage may differ.... Tedd
December 15th, 2020, 08:35 PM
