Tung Oil Application.. Coffee table

[woodbegood]

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->Hi,


Firstly, been searching around the forums for a while and there is a wealth of info in here ‘Nice work!’. I will try and post some pictures when I get finished.


I have a question about how to apply Tung Oil for furniture, in this case a coffee table, sorry for the long post, but I figure that more info is good.


Background.

• I have Watyl Tung oil, so I am pretty sure that this is not the pure Tung Oil Varity.
• I have a large slab of Rosewood, or Rose Mahogany. 1300x750x70
• I am looking for a hard finish that is able to stand a few bumps and scratches, however it does not need to be ‘showroom’. It’s there to be used and don’t mind every now and then putting in some work to do it justice.
• The finish I am looking for is a ‘True’ look that seems to be part of the wood, can be satin or matt, but clear not hazy. I am not after that super shinny finish that seams to sit on top of the wood.
• The colour is fine, but really looking to bring the grain detail out as this is truly a stunning piece of wood.
• I have prepared the wood down through the papers, (wetting in between) to 800

The can says to apply the Oil with a roller, but I figured that this was more for the Flooring application, so I ignored that and user 0000 steal wood, and rubbed it in.

So my question

Should I rub it in till it almost looks dry?, or should I leave a glossy/oily film on it and let that dry?

• The first method, seems to work but is now giving a bit of a dull streaky shine to it. Done 3 thin coats
• The second method, I have tried out last night on the under side, and seems to give a varnished uneven look.

May be I should be using tung oil to protect, and then finish with wax/polish?

Any thoughts


Thanks in advance


Mark

[Rusty]

Hi, Mark;
Wattyl "tung oil" as I recall, seems an awful lot like polyurethane, and I'd treat it as such. Three coats should be plenty; at this stage I'd try Neil's method of finishing poly, which is 600WD paper to give an even satin finish, followed by EEE wax (or trad wax, applied with 0000 steel wool, perhaps?). This finish is also good for tung oil, so you can't lose.

For more info, I recommend " A Polishers Handbook" by Neil Ellis and available from...hang on, where was it? Ubeaut!

Regards,
Rusty.

[TassieKiwi]

Tung oil and danish oil are 'wiping varnishes', that is poly with lots of oil. Eventually you're left with a thin coat of poly, but the oil has a chance to get into the wood fibres. I have used 'Briwax' danish oil for a similar application to yours. I ragged lots of thin coats on (wipe on, leave 10 mins, wipe off exess, let dry), then did the last few with 0000 steel wool. Came up a treat, and durable enough for coffee cups, though offered almost no impact resistance.

[woodbegood]

Thanks for the response... I have sanded 1000 and then rubbed in a couple more coats with the 0000 and then wiped off with a cloth... It seems to be getting the finish I hoped for, and avoiding the uneven varnished look.

I was concerened that this was not going to build up to give me the protection I was after. BTW the slab was stored for 25yrs before I got hold of it, so it must be soaking it up, and the tin is going down.

Rusty you mentioned waxing on top.. Will that increas the impact resistance that TassieKiwi talked about? If so how long should I wait for the 'tung oil' to settle before putting on the wax? Also the EEE you mentioned seems to be a cutting paste rather than a wax, or have I miss understood.

Thanks for the advice.

[Rusty]

Rusty you mentioned waxing on top.. Will that increas the impact resistance that TassieKiwi talked about? If so how long should I wait for the 'tung oil' to settle before putting on the wax?

Traditional Wax (Ubeaut brand) won't offer any additional impact resistance that I'm aware of. I recommend it just 'cos it looks and feels good. Wait at least 24 hrs before waxing, IMO. I used wax, applied with steel wool, over organoil recently with good results. As long as the poly component in the wattyl has gone off you should be laughing.

Also the EEE you mentioned seems to be a cutting paste rather than a wax, or have I miss understood.

It's supposed to be a cut and polish wax, so it will both improve whatever is under it and leave a wax finish. But now I'm in danger of talking out of my r's due to lack of experience, so I'll have to leave it there- I'm no expert and I don't want to steer you wrong. Good luck with the project.

Regards,
Rusty,

[markharrison]

I did what Rusty did with Organoil (on Redgum) and used EEE-Ultrashine instead of the Traditional wax. I made a mistake on the order and used it anyway. It looks just fine.

[woodbegood]

Done!

Thanks for your help, See this for pictures.... http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...285#post184285

[rsser]

Nice slab - well done.