Replies

1. 
   HowardAcheson | Feb 25, 2006 12:45am | #1

   Yes, the two are not incompatable but you must let the tung oil dry completely.  That can take 4-5 days.  At this point, you will probably be OK if you just let it dry for a couple of days.

   Howie.........
2. 
   John_D | Feb 25, 2006 03:33pm | #2

   Like Howard said you have to let the tung oil dry all the way, but sometimes that can take far longer than a week.  If you smell the board and you smell the oil, it's not dry yet.  I did a piece late last year that had to sit about four weeks before the oil was genuinely dry.

   My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
1. 
   balls1299 | Feb 28, 2006 05:46am | #3

   Is the lengthy drying time you're talking about with pure tung oil or a 50/50 cut or both.  I am curious because I did a table top with tung oil, waited 24 hours and sealed it with Shellac and then applied a wipe on poly.  It was very streaky and patchy.  Definitely not the clear deep finish I was looking for.  I originally thought that it was the poly not bonding to the shellac, but now I am thinking it was more a case of the tung oil not drying fully prior to sealing with shellac.

1. 
   John_D | Feb 28, 2006 09:20am | #4

   I did two coats of 50/50 pure tung oil/turpentine.  24 hours between rubbed-in coats.  24 hours later I started thin coats of pure tung oil, several days between coats.  About three coats like this, then wait a week and another coat.  Then wait four to six weeks, and done (the smell was finally gone, far as I could tell).  After all five or so coats, I wiped the piece down after a half hour, and again after a couple hours.  I did not finish over, just wax and done.  Through all the applications, the piece was kept 60° or better, but sometimes during between-coat drying it was cooler (about 50°).  It was warm during the final drying period.

   I'm no finishing expert at all.  I just took others' advice that the oil isn't cured until you don't smell it when you get close.  And for me, that was somewhere between four and six weeks (not entirely sure).  I gave the piece to my dad and he says it looks great.  I can tell you the grain on this curly maple really, really popped with the tung oil.

   I've not seen anyone argue that the smell test isn't good (unless of course your sniffer doesn't), or that finishing earlier is a good idea.My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.

1. 
   balls1299 | Feb 28, 2006 04:41pm | #5

   thanks for the info..

2. 
   HowardAcheson | Mar 01, 2006 08:26pm | #6

   >> Is the lengthy drying time you're talking about with pure tung oil or a 50/50 cut or both

   Basically, thinning has no affect on the drying time of tung oil.  The thinner evaporates rapidly but then you are left with tung oil.  Tung oil takes what it takes to dry.  Just because the thinner evaporated, it does not mean the tung oil is dry.Howie.........

3. 
   forestgirl | Mar 06, 2006 07:07am | #7

   Here's a pretty good web page on Tung Oil finishing:
   http://www.sutherlandwelles.com/finishin.htm

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   

1. 
   ewog | Mar 06, 2006 04:29pm | #8

   Thank you for the link to the info page. While I am using non-polymerized oil, I think that there are many points in the info that apply.

   It seems my biggest problem has been impatience. Damn our society and its expectations of instant gratification! I get caught up in it too.

    

1. 
   forestgirl | Mar 08, 2006 07:49pm | #9

   Oooooo, patience, don't I know it.  Nothing will tax your patience more than using an oil finish, be it home-made tung/BLO or Watco or other Danish Oil concoction.  The thing I keep foremost in my mind when finishing (and I struggle mightily with finishing) is how much work has already gone into the piece!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)