Driers in Tung Oil?

[Greg Q]

Greetings all.

I have 2 litres of pure Tung Oil* that I'd like to use on a current project. A mate has used the same product, but has to wait several days for the oil to polymerize. Does anyone have a recommended drier to add to the oil to accelerate the hardening process?

Thanks

Greg

*my spell checker wants to make this 'dung oil'. What does it know that I don't? (Besides spelling)

[PAH1]

Most paint shops carry paint driers, they are soluble salts of heavy metals in oil, mostly cobalt, managanese and zinc. While the mix is mostly safe in non food contact cases it is still not good stuff. Light and heat are two things that aid the drying process that do not require chemical additives. Otherwise try some of the tung oil mixes that have non metallic driers in them, the best known is organoil- although Neil reckons that it does have driers added to it. A quick aside is that modern "boiled" linseed oil is not and contains metallic driers, it is cheaper to do that than "boil" it.

Tung oil is the pressed oil from a tree nut from china, leading to its other common name china oil.

[Greg Q]

Yeah, I understand the chemistry involved, I was looking for a recommended name brand or known product that anyone has had good results with.

I have here an old formula book that advocates many long-banned compounds (lead, mostly). It was written before much was widely known about industrial poisoning, and includes helpful hints on the many uses of asbestos, as well. One thing it does provide is a method for boiling linseed oil to thicken it-I tried it once on the barbeque, and it does work, but is an above average bother.

Getting back to the tung oil...I wanted to use up what I had before I buy any more finishing supplies. The odour and colour of the tung are nicer than the linseed oil, hence the interest.

Greg

[8ball]

I have used formbies hand rubbed "dung" oil on many projects and i love it, dries relativelly fast, in about 8 houres, and its a great finish , you can look at my other posts, the tukey call i posted has this on it.


good luck, 8

[8ball]

forgot to mention , dont try speeding it up with the oven and baking it, makes for a cracked mess and firewood, i tried that

[Baz]

Greg, Feast Watson Terebine is a drying agent should be available at most paint shops, try bunnies. I mucked around a bit with it and Tung Oil but was not happy with it so I went back to my usual oil.
Cheers
Barry

[Greg Q]

Greg, Feast Watson Terebine is a drying agent should be available at most paint shops, try bunnies. I mucked around a bit with it and Tung Oil but was not happy with it so I went back to my usual oil.
Cheers
Barry

Hi Baz...

What didn't you like about it? I have always used linseed until now, and like it, but wanted to give the family a break from the strong smell this time around.

Greg

[Greg Q]

I have used formbies hand rubbed "dung" oil on many projects and i love it, dries relativelly fast, in about 8 houres, and its a great finish , you can look at my other posts, the tukey call i posted has this on it.


good luck, 8

Hi 8Ball...

I used to use Formby's stuff years ago when I lived there. Popular Woodworking had an article on wiping varnish in November. They claim that Formby's has no actual tung oil in it, but is a thinned oil/poly. Whatever it is, it does indeed work well, as do its imitators.

The stuff that I have smells a little like peanuts, and leaves a very nice, but very slow drying finish.

I have been banned from the kitchen generally, and the oven specifically, since the last time I tried to bake on a homemade japan finish on a plane body. So that's not going to be an option for me.

Thanks for the reply..

Greg

[Baz]

Greg, my problem was burl bowls, after applying an oil finish the oil weeps out of the cracks etc and you need to keep on wiping the bowls so that the weeping oil doesn't build up and dry and leave a shiny little blob around the crack. I experimented with Tung Oil and Terebine but had little sucess so went back to Kunos Oil.Bit hard to explain but hope this helps.
Cheers
Barry

[Greg Q]

Hi Baz...Thanks for the reply. I understand the problem now. I have heard similar stories from other turners, but have zero experience in that area. The job I am doing right now is going to have some burl veneer drawer fronts-I may need to rethink my whole finishing plan.

Greg