Tung oil finish, then appy liquid glass.

[JapanDave]

Just wondering if I would have problems applying tung oli to a table top and then finishing with liquid glass. Will the Epoxy still adhere to the substrate or should I use something else, or just the epoxy?

Cheers Dave

[LGS]

Hey Dave,

Why do you feel you need either Poly or liquid glass? You can hard burnish the Tung oil to a heat resistant, hot and cold liquid resistant, highly reflective surface.
Have a look here.

Regards,

Rob

[JapanDave]

Hey Dave,

Why do you feel you need either Poly or liquid glass? You can hard burnish the Tung oil to a heat resistant, hot and cold liquid resistant, highly reflective surface.
Have a look here.

Regards,

Rob

It is going to be used in a high traffic area with kids and I want to protect the VERY thin veneer from dents etc, as I won't be able to sand them out if I need to resurface in the future. Thanks for the link though, that looks like a great way to finish a piece of furniture.

[JapanDave]

So will I run into problems doing this?

Cheers Dave

[Big Shed]

So will I run into problems doing this?

Cheers Dave

In my opinion, yes.

Tung Oil dries by reacting with oxygen, eg it polymerises. This is a relatively slow, and on going, process. It also forms a reasonably flexible film on the substrate.

2 pack epoxy, or liquid glass, dries by chemical reaction and forms a relatively hard film, it will also slow or stop the polymerisation of the Tung Oil film. You will find that the inter-coat adhesion to the Tung Oil will not be optimum and will probably fail under impact, defeating the purpose.

You would be better off to put a single pack polyurethane over the Tung Oil, although I am not altogether sure why you want to put Tung Oil first, you may as well just put only the poly on.

[JapanDave]

Thanks for the detailed answer. I am not sure about the poly, due to the possibility of yellowing as I have some very light colored wood. And my main reason for the Epoxy was to create a reasonably thick coat to protect the very, very thin veneer. My reason for the Tung oil was b/c I was under the impression that it would really liven up the burl veneer.

This is my first project with veneer and actually really is my first really serious attempt at making high quality furniture. It has taken my 6 months of most weekends to get to the finishing phase and I don't want to screw it up now.

[LGS]

Hi Dave,
You may have to compromise a little to get what you want. All finishes will darken the timber to some degree over time. Shellac is the only finish that I think will fit your requirement of non yellowing and resilience. It probably wasn't a great idea to put the veneer you have used into such a high traffic area. But shellac may be the go.

Regards,

Rob

[Big Shed]

The yellowing of epoxy is not that different to poly anyway.

Also, don't forget that the veneer and/or timber itself yellows as well.

You can always look at exterior poly, it has UV absorbers added which will slow the yellowing process.

[Master Splinter]

To look at it from another point of view, if you use epoxy or polyurethane, that's not a guarantee of durability and when they need refinishing the only option is to sand them off. With something like shellac and wax, or oil and wax, you can simply apply another coat to get it back to a good condition.