How to apply tung oil finish?

[Dengue]

I am going to try tung oil for the first time as an experiment, to see if it gives a good deep finish to some Northern Silky Oak with some nice rays and grain. From reading and Googling, here is what I think is the way to apply it.

Trying this because it supposedly doesn't give a yellow finish on the lighter woods ( unlike linseed oil finishes) and it is supposed to be water resistant, and dries to a hard surface.

Can anyone who has used it please correct me? Or tell me if you thinks any steps are a waster of time?

Suggested Application process

1 Sand to 400 grit.
2. Apply a shellac sanding sealer, 1:5 parts metho, to fill the pores of the oak, and lightly sand off with 600 grit paper
3. Apply 30:70 (tung oil: Citrus turpene or eucalyptus gum). Apply liberally, keep wet for 15 minutes for it to penetrate the oak, and then wipe off. Keep wiping any oil bleeds every hour over the next 8 hours. Leave dry thoroughly for at least 24-48 hrs until there is no smell.
4. Apply 50:50 coat, same procedure, leave to dry thoroughly
5. Apply another 50:50 coat, applied with 0000 steel wool, to give a satin finish.
6. Leave to properly cure for 4 weeks
7. Apply UBeaut Ultra Shine cutting paste, let dry for 30 minutes, buff off
8. Apply UBeaut Traditonal Wax, let dry, buff off.

With all this work and lengthy curing time, I can understand why people prefer the likes of Kunos #244 oil by Livos, getting the same result within 3 days. Or is it the same quality as tung oil finish?

Looking forward to hearing of the ways others use tung oil , and if it gives a really outstanding finish that makes grain pop?

[ian]

Dengy

These are the instructions published by Lee Valley for polymerised tung oil http://www.leevalley.com/en/html/56z4500ie.pdf

what you appear to have are those for unpolymerised oil.

My recommendation is to use the polymerised version.

[Dengue]

Thanks ian, but I have only been able to find pure tung oil here in Oz.
Found one article in a Canadian Woodworking magazine recommended making it a week between coats

[ian]

Thanks ian, but I have only been able to find pure tung oil here in Oz.

The stuff from Feast Watson is almost certainly polymerised as it's composition is about 50% solvent and 50% oil.
Unpolymerised oil is a food grade product and usually priced accordingly.

[salopian]

Just be careful with pure Tung oil as some people can have a skin allergy to Tung. If so use surgical gloves if you still need to use Tung oil.

[justonething]

Sceney provides good quality pure tung oil. Tung Oil, Tung Oil Floor Finish
They should have quite a lot of info on its use.

[ian]

Sceney provides good quality pure tung oil. Tung Oil, Tung Oil Floor Finish
They should have quite a lot of info on its use.

I suspect that Sceney's "pure" tung oil is actually polymerised tung oil, and the "pure" relates to the absence of polyurethane or added solvent.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

That process is pretty much right.

Personally I don't use a sanding sealer... I'll wet sand the first coat and let the slurry fill the grain.
I also apply the Tung Oil unthinned but that really only means I have longer drying times.
These are merely minor details and personal pecadilloes.

You do need to let each coat dry thoroughly, else you're basically dissolving and wiping off the preceding coat, and normally a day is good enough. But depending on the weather it may take two or three days so I can undersatnad someone recommending waiting a week between.

I'll do a coat evry day or two until it has close enough to the shine/gloss I want, wait a week to allow curing and then apply one coat each weekend for a week or three.

I wouldn't apply any wax or similar as a final coat simply because that removes one of the major advantages of a Tung Oil finish: being able to simply add a another coat at any time in the future to remove/repair any scuffs/scratches.

[Wigwood]

G'day, I personally think most people over think it and over do it! I Have now been using a system that works for me and is easy! Organoil DO, sand to 240/320, place on a heavy coat with rag, let soak over night, put on another thick coat, wet sand in with the next smallest grit (320/400) wait an hour rub off until dry, let sit about a week and hit with some ubeaut traditional wax. I use a sander with some felt to polish the wax off (trick here is to get some heat into the wax by the friction from the felt).....too easy and looks and feels great.....works for me! For hard wearing surface like table tops, no brainer, feastwatson floor seal, good enough to walk on, good enough for a cup etc........trick here is to let sit for about a month and wet sand off...finish the finish....